VINCE LEE & THE BIG COMBO - NEW ALBUM - LATEST NEWS - JAN 2009

 For the new album we have expanded The Big Combo's line-up with six piece horn arrangements, Hammond organ and a female backing vocal group. It's how I heard The Big Combo in my head! This is something I've wanted to do for many years but never had the nerve to pull it off! The album has been a long project that has driven me to the edge of insanity but the end is in sight! In the two years since I started the recording process my life has changed drastically and the whole project has been dogged with trouble for just about everyone involved. "Hey!" We ain't playin' the blues for nothin'... 

We are using the PMC's newly renovated live room for recording all instruments and vocals. The empty room has a great natural reverb that gives the music a very live authentic sound. We are avoiding the use of modern digital effects in favor of ambient microphone placement... I have used all my vintage guitars and amplifiers on this recording with a total of five microphones placed around my main amp a Victoria Bassman.

 We invited some of the best blues and jazz performers in the South West to come and play on this album. Paul Harris spent three days laying down fine Hammond organ and played like a demon for the whole duration. The Silver Street Horns worked closely with me arranging and recording horn parts all Summer while the PMC's live room was being renovated around us. We laid down two trumpets, two tenor saxes and two baritone saxes. Jazz singer Becky Brine added her retro sounding backing vocals to several tracks and Becca Langsford, a 19 year old blues singer literally hollered up a storm! This is the sixth album that I have worked on at PMC Studios with engineer Doc Collins so we have built up a strong working relationship... this album has been the biggest challenge yet! - Vince Lee... January 2009

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THE MUSICIANS

VINCE LEE - Vocals, Guitars, Lap steel, Ukulele, Drums, Percussion, Kazoo, whistle

AL WALLIS - Bass

KEITH RUSSELL - Drums

PAUL 'BOMBER' HARRIS - Hammond Organ

BECKY BRINE - Vocals

BECCA LANGSFORD - Vocals

THOMAS FORD - Backing Vocals

PATRICK JAMES PEARSON - Strings

GEORGE COMER - Tenor & Baritone Saxes

IAN PETTIT - Trumpet

ENGINEER/PRODUCER - Doc Collins (PMC Studios)

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THE SONGS

SNATCHIN' IT BACK

WALKIN' SLOW BEHIND YOU

DADDY LET ME HITCH A RIDE

BLACK NIGHT IS FALLING

GOT MY OWN THING NOW

WON'T BE GOIN' AGAIN

EVERY NIGHT ABOUT THIS TIME

HARD TIMES

I KNOW IT'S WRONG

BASIN STREET BLUES

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VINTAGE GUITARS AND AMPLIFIERS

Gear I've used so far:

HARMONY H-62 (1955)

SILVERTONE ESPANADA (1955)

HARMONY NEWPORT STRATOTONE H-42 (1957)

HARMONY STRATOTONES (X2) H-44 (1956 - 1953)

AIRLINE EASTWOOD LAP STEEL (2008)

DOC'S GRETSCH COUNTRY CLASSIC

STROMBERG CARLSON VALVE PA HEAD (1951)

VICTORIA BASSMAN

FENDER 63 REVERB UNIT

MASCO MA 25 VALVE PA HEAD (1947)

BELL SOUND SYSTEMS PACEMAKER VALVE PA HEAD (1956)

CARL MARTIN TREM-O-VIBE

DANELECTRO ECHO UNIT

RAT OVERDRIVE

UKULELE

KAZOO!!!

KOREAN TEMPLE BLOCKS (SKULLS)

Vince Lee at PMC Studios Plymouth

DOC AT THE DESK!

THE SILVER STREET HORNS

IAN PETTIT (TRUMPET) GEORGE COMER (BARITONE SAX)

AL WALLIS ON DA FENDER BASS

DOC RECORDING HORN PARTS - SILVER STREET HORNS

1951 STROMBERG CARLSON AMPLIFIER

VICTORIA MIC PLACEMENT - PMC Studios 2008

KEITH RUSSELL

PERCUSSION WORKSHOP

1947 MASCO AMPLIFIER

IAN PETTIT ON TRUMPET

BIG GEORGE!

KEITH WITH DOUBLE BASS DRUMS

KOREAN TEMPLE BLOCKS

EASTWOOD LAPSTEEL

SILVERTONE ESPANADA WITH 1957 PACEMAKER AMPLIFIER AND PROJECTOR CABINET (JENSEN SPEAKER)

I will keep adding to this page as the recording continues so please check back soon

VINCE LEE & THE BIG COMBO - NEW ALBUM 2010