The end of Summer. The weather is beautiful. The tourists have left, traffic has mellowed out and the locals can go out again…

I visited Keith Vizcarra at noon to buy a few sets of strings I want to test on my guitar and to order a new secret weapon to be installed in my Vizcarra Strat. Then I went to one of my weekly Pilates classes – I have been doing Pilates for ten years. (Last week I took a class from my brother Stefan, who is now a certified Pilates instructor, and have to say he is really, really good.) After the Pilates class I dropped by Stevo’s house to drop off a set of strings that I want to get his opinion on.

Made dinner for Rahim, Jon and Barrett, who came to discuss song and album titles. (Related Links: Diary entry, Diary entry, Diary entry, Flickr Photo Set). Rahim brought his friend Hani Naser, a great percussionist who lives in Santa Fe. Barrett’s label Fast Horse Recordings will release the CD, entitled “Lingua Franca”, on March 11th, 2008 – see Wikipedia “Lingua Franca“. Our ListeningLounge will start offering downloads later this year. (Upcoming LL releases include a new Rahim AlHaj solo album called “Home Again”, on the second Tuesday of November, and our group’s album “Lingua Franca” in late November. Then look for a beautifully re-mastered “In the Arms of Love” at the end of February.)

Well, the titles and the sequence came together surprisingly easily. We seemed to agree on the mood each song was carrying right away. From there the words developed. The sequence also came together quite quickly. Jon’s latest mixes sound very very good. It’s really an album we are all very proud of. We want to record a follow-up next year.

Rahim’s Baghdad Ensemble will perform at the Outpost in Albuquerque on November 17th. Jon will play upright bass in the ensemble and the group of Rahim, Barrett, Jon and myself will play a couple of tunes from “Lingua Franca”.