This is where the journey began. My first album — conjured into being at the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, 1995. The walls there held echoes of giants, and I stepped into that sacred space guided by two of them: Bob Matthews, the sonic architect behind The Grateful Dead, and the late, great John Kahn — bassist, mystic, and heart of The Jerry Garcia Band.

The lineup reads like a page torn from a rock and roll spellbook: Mario Cippolina on bass (Huey Lewis and The News), Donny Baldwin on drums (Jefferson Starship), Pete Sears at the keys (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Starship, Moonalice), Ho Young on guitar (The John Kahn Band) — And behind it all, a full orchestra of strings and horns, rising like a storm behind the songs.