Salim Nourallah Previews Hit Parade, Sessions at OTN # 17, Aug. 8, 2010

I love when I get the opportunity to take Sessions on the road, and when I heard that Salim Nourallah was returning to Texas Treefort Studio to work on his own album, I jumped at the chance to visit this special place again. I had been out there in June to interview Rhett Miller about the forthcoming Old 97's CD The Grand Theatre (out on Oct. 12) and had an amazing time exploring this remote, vintage studio. This time out, Salim had assembled a superstar team, including Joe Reyes (Buttercup), John Dufilho (Apples in Stereo, Deathray Davies, I Love Math), Jason Garner (every band you like, including I Love Math and Buttercup) and Richard Martin, and Rip Rowan, all handily assisted by studio engineer Jim Vollentine. Learn more about the CD and how it was funded by fans through Pledge Music on the video.

The interesting thing as I talked to everyone was the theme of the bond across a community of musicians, the ways they work together, share and create are truly inspirational. And the results are stellar. The day I was there, they were working on a song called "The Quitter," which you can hear in the background. The opening and closing song is called "Unstoppable" and that's a finished track, and there's a snippet of "38 Rue de Sevigne" as Salim wrote it in Paris, as it was being filmed by his then 6-year-old son Gavin. Look for a release of what is tentatively titled Hit Parade late this year or early next.