Wanted: One enthusiastic live audience. No experience needed, just the ability to clap loudly and not cough during the show. Whistling, foot stomping skills optional. Compensation: Eternal gratitude of guitarist Peter Spencer.
Bainbridge Island guitarist, singer/songwriter Spencer is holding a concert Jan. 26 at Island Music Guild Hall for the purpose of making a live recording of his blues tunes.
The resulting album will be titled simply “The Blues Concert,” and will feature a dozen of the blues songs Spencer performs regularly, including eight from his “Nobody’s Daddy” album.
Why the repeat? “That album was recorded very quickly,” Spencer said. “I thought several of the songs could have been done better.”
Spencer chose to do a live concert recording for several reasons.
“There is a whole section of my material that seems to do better in front of a live audience,” he said. “I also like the quickness involved, recording the whole album in one night instead of the agonizing process you go through with a studio album.”
Post-production of “The Blues Concert” will be done at Flamingo Audio in Poulsbo, with engineer John Wilson. Bassist Liam Graham will perform with Spencer.
“I hope the ‘one time only’ feel will give extra spark to these tunes,” Spencer said.
Fear also played a part in Spencer’s decision. Although he is an accomplished musician and has performed for audiences hundreds of times, doing a live recording is a new experience.
“It’s such a scary prospect,” he said. “Everything is on the line — you have to do it right.” There may be minor stops and do-overs in the concert, but there will not be the mixing, dubbing and engineering wizardry that goes on with a studio album. What you hear is what you get.
Spencer, however, said he does his best work under duress — when he’s uncomfortable either physically or emotionally.
He divides his music between blues sets and song sets, which are tunes he has written. While these tend to be more folksy, blues is a part of everything he plays. He also writes a number of the blues songs he performs.
He sometimes mixes the two sides of his music, but said oftentimes when he and Graham arrive at a venue, such as a club, they will size up the audience and determine which set is more appropriate. More often than not it’s the blues set.
Spencer’s musical career has been growing since he came to Bainbridge Island from the East Coast three years ago. He has released three albums and produced two holiday CDs for the Island Music Guild, “Midwinter Graces I and II.” This past holiday season he also recorded his own CD of Christmas music for solo guitar, “Gathering Light.” He has begun doing recording production for other musicians.
He performs regularly in Kitsap County and the surrounding area and made his musical debut in Seattle at the Hugo House in December. A song from his album “Handsignal” was recently picked up by WNYC, the largest NPR station in the country.
“Something cool happens every few weeks,” he said. “I’m just doing my best and trusting the work will make its own friends.”
Friends of Peter Spencer’s music can lend their loud enthusiasm to “The Blues Concert” project, 8 p.m. Jan. 26 at Island Music Guild Hall, 10598 Valley Rd., Bainbridge Island. Admission is by a $10 suggested donation to cover the cost of renting the hall, but as Spencer said, “pay what you can — just be there.”
