CliffSound Productions
(click photos to enlarge)

After leaving Spyro Gyra a few years ago, Joel set out to challenge himself and discover his sound by playing in a wide range of musical situations. These days, his drumming is in demand by the likes of Bills Evans, Joel Hoekstra, Vinny Valentino, Adam Klipple, Russel Ferrante, and so many others.

But in the past few years, Joel has also found himself in demand for his production skills. This is because, as a producer, Joel brings an approach very similar to his drumming.

"I seem to get hired for production projects the same way I do for drumming," Joel says. "I have a pretty wide vocabulary in terms of musical genres. I like to play them all - and I like to produce them all!"

What is most interesting about Joel's approach to production - another similarity to his drumming - is that there is a loose, organic feel to his mixes. To this end, Joel says "at the end of the day, it's about understanding what an artist is trying to say. As a drummer, that is all I have ever concerned myself with, and I apply that same philosophy to production.

Background

CliffSound Production is a full-service studio that started out as Joel's practice room when he bought his home in Yonkers, New York. It is in this studio that Joel wears both his drummer and producer hats, recording "tracks by mail" for artists all over the world.

When originally planning for the room, Joel insulated it well so that anyone else in the house could lead a normal life while he was practicing. This process was an eye-opening experience for Joel.

"The process made me realize that my mom put up with an incredible amount of aural abuse from my drums that were set up in the basement directly underneath the kitchen - THANKS MOM!"

Much has changed in the world of recording and producing music. Not only has the gear improved dramatically, but the cost is a fraction of what it used to be. As the price of recording gear continues to fall, Joel adds to his recording set-up piece by piece.

"I did this at first to better my own recording and engineering skills," Joel says. "Then, I began producing and recording some outside projects. Now, I do many 'sessions by mail' where an artist sends me some tracks, I add drums and send them back. I like having total control of what I send back although I usually end up spending more time than I anticipated because I'm a PERFECTIONIST!!"

The idea of having a top drummer perform on their project is pretty amazing. The credibility of a project soars when world-class musicians are involved - but what is most amazing is the fact that it is so affordable.

"The one benefit to having been around for a while [laughs] is that I know how to get the sound I'm looking for an execute very efficiently. Depending on the parameters of a project, I can do it quickly and inexpensively."

Musicians interested in hiring Joel for drum tracks and production services can inquire by writing to: joel@joelrosenblatt.com .

For a list of what is currently available at CliffSound, click on the 'gear' link at www.joelrosenblatt.com  .

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