East meets West…actually, North Meets South. Charlie Gurke’s Gurkestra brings Latin, Afro-cuban and maybe even a little Guerrero to the Bay Area’s Megasonic Sound in Oakland
We recently had the good fortune of adding Jeremy Goody of Megasonic Sound to the Vanguard family. Jeremy recently offered to record Charlie Gurke’s Gurkestra at Megasonic and chuck every Vanguard microphone he could on the band. Check out the video below, as well as the track list and individual listening tracks!
ABOUT GURKESTRA
Charlie Gurke is a well-respected Bay Area-based bandleader, saxophonist, composer, and educator. He’s a busy guy who, in addition to leading various incarnations of his Gurkestra, can be heard as part of the John Santos Sextet, The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, and others. Recent performances of note include the 2019 Monterey Jazz Festivals (with John Santos and the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, respectively), and the 2019 Montreux Jazz Festival (with the Grammy winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra).
ABOUT MEGASONIC
Megasonic Sound is the home of producer, engineer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Goody. Jeremy is a schooled musician who honed his chops in the explosive late 80’s Bay Area punk scene, playing everything from bass guitar to trumpet with a plethora of bands, like Revelation Record’s Pitch Black and Big Rig for the Lookout! label. He cut his teeth in the 90’s as an engineer at well-heeled East Bay recording studios like Bay Records and Skyline Studios, on analog gear, a tape and console guy. In 2002 he engineered a record with John Santos, John Santos & The Machete Ensemble – S.F Bay which was nominated in the Best Latin Jazz Record category at the 45th Grammy.
Now clocking over 30 years studio experience, Jeremy founded Megasonic in 2007 on a quiet tree-lined cul-de-sac in Oakland. His work at Megasonic runs the gamut from music ensemble recording to VO work to scripted musical productions (that he often contributes to as a performer) and just about any other function a studio could provide in the big world.
TRACK LIST & SIGNAL CHAIN NOTES
Saxophones by Charlie Gurke and Isaac Narell – Vanguard V4 gen2 FET Condenser – 10dB pad, cardioid pattern. Wunder PA4 preamps
Guitar by Camilo Landau – Vanguard V13 gen2 Tube Condenser – -10dB pad, one click right of cardioid pattern (towards figure-8), Wunder PA4 preamp.
Tuba by Luke Kirley – Vanguard V13 gen2 Tube Condenser – 10dB pad, one click right of cardioid pattern (towards figure-8), Wunder PA4 preamp.
Drums by David M. Flores
Overhead – Vanguard V44S gen2 Stereo FET Condenser in XY, API preamps.
Kick – Beyerdynamic D70 through a Wunder PEQ1R.
Percussion by Marlon Aldana – Vanguard V1S+LOLLI Multi-Capsule Pencil Condenser – LOLLI capsule in cardioid, API preamp.
Room Mic – AEA R88 Stereo Ribbon.
Want to Listen in Higher Fidelity?
You can download all the hi-resolution stems as well as a “faders up!” mix here. Per Jeremy – “24 bit/48Khz, No DSP on playback; No EQ/dynamics on the way in; Mix has a bit of reverb included and it is normalized. It also includes a bit of the stereo room mic (AEA R88).”
