International guitar collaborative launches major benefit CD

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The first copies of an international benefit CD produced to raise money for Heifer International are now available on CDBABY.COM and are coming soon to other retail outlets.

Featured are former Blues Brothers sideman Jimmy Crimmins and Philippines guitar great Perf DeCastro.

The disc, a collaboration between guitarists from the United States, the Philippines, Australia and France, may be the first significant benefit CD completed with extensive use of the Internet. The disc was produced by the international team at remote locations, with partial tunes and work parts traversing the globe via airmail and the Internet. Apart from local distribution in each of the markets the various guitarists hail from, the disc will be distributed largely on-line. The guitarists involved even met online during an international guitar contest operated in 2000 by Madison-based Sonic Foundry, and with a few exceptions have not yet met in person.

"There were a lot of hot players in the contest, and a lot of hot tempers as competitors would flame and criticize each other mercilessly," Executive Producer Charles Rathmann said of the contest that brought the group together. "But I noticed there were a few guys who comported themselves honorably -- and had some pretty severe chops as well. Perf DeCastro even had platinum-selling records with Sony Philippines. Bassist P. Anthony Burgess played some of the most beautiful bass solos I'd ever heard. And then there was this really impressive rock guitarist from France -- Francisco Mestre."

An online friendship emerged between the group, and it might have ended there if Rathmann hadn't met a couple of organizers for Arkansas-based Heifer International. The nongovernmental organization provides breeding pairs of farm animals to families in the Third World.

"The budding relationship I was enjoying with these great musicians -- and the fact that I only had so much cash to give to Heifer International -- induced me to hit up my new friends to collaborate on a benefit CD," Rathmann said. "I am honored that they took me up on the offer."

The musicians involved wrote and produced songs and sent them to Associate Producer Eric Swanson in Milwaukee. Swanson and Rathmann would then recruit another member of the group to drop solos into and otherwise collaborate on each tune. Musicians were also recruited through on-line vehicles including www.cyberjammin.com and www.acidplanet.com. Former Blues Brothers sideman Rockiní Jimmy Crimmins was pulled in by Rathmann. The arduous task of mixing the various parts so they sounded like a single, cohesive recording fell on Swanson. The mixing and mastering process involved countless late nights and pots of coffee as Swanson and Rathmann tweaked used audio software products including Vegas -- one of several Sonic Foundry products sold to Sony in 2003 -- to get the diverse audio signals to hang together.

But in the end, it was worth it, according to Rathmann.

"The important thing about this project is that it allowed us to use our music for its best purpose -- to really speak to the needs of others," Rathmann said. "I think the power and knowledge of what we were doing comes through in these guys' playing. I think people who listen will find that it is pretty powerful."

The initial run of discs came off the presses in mid-December at Great Lakes Media Technology, Mequon, and an additional pressing will be started shortly in the Philippines to take advantage of DeCastro's star status in that country. The disc will immediately be available at retail locations in the Milwaukee and other metro areas nationwide -- and will soon be featured on www.amazon.com, www.CDBaby.com and www.guitar9.com.