Album Notes

Mandolin songs that are unlike anything you have ever imagined! This CD is definitely NOT your Grandpa's idea of mandolin music - unless your Grandpa is really cool! The sound of The Mandolin Wind Project is unique, including original songs that fuse acoustic and electric mandolins with searing electric guitar, drums, bass, violin, saxophone, and more.

The Mandolin Wind Project CD consists of 11 songs written and performed by Brad Ford (Guitars, Electric Mandolin, Synthesizers, Bass and Drum Programming) and Dewayne Grissom (Acoustic and Electric Mandolins, Drums, Percussion, and Vocals), along with several guest artists. Ford and Grissom attribute their sound to a combination of various influences including Seals & Crofts, David Grisman, Jean-Luc Ponty, Santana, and the Allman Brothers. The songwriting, musical performances, production, and recording quality of this CD are all first-class.

Because the sound of The Mandolin Wind Project is so very distinctive, this CD is difficult to label. Is it rock? Sometimes. Is it jazz? Sometimes. Is it country-rock? Sometimes. Is it acoustic? Sometimes. Is it electric? Sometimes. Is it instrumental? Sometimes. Is it world music? Sometimes. Is it excellent music? ALWAYS!

Ford and Grissom have been performing and writing music together since 1977. Their first cooperative effort was the legendary New World Band, one of the most unique original-material bands to emerge from the Oklahoma City music scene. New World combined rich vocal harmonies, searing electric guitar work, and acoustic and electric mandolin to create and define a style of music all its own. During the New World Band years, Brad and Dewayne wrote a large number of original songs, many of which were performed by the band. In 1979, Brad and Dewayne recorded several mandolin and acoustic guitar duets in a small log house, almost a cabin, and the "Log Cabin Sessions" tapes were born. These mandolin and guitar duets were never covered by New World and were eventually tucked away like precious gems. New World disbanded in 1982 and the special songs that Brad and Dewayne had written remained hidden from the public's ears.

Ford and Grissom moved on to other projects, and Dewayne moved from mandolin back to the drums. In 1985, Brad and Dewayne founded the Rumors Band, which became a highly successful OKC rock n' roll/R&B act. However, in 1999 Brad set things in motion when he pulled out the master tapes of the almost forgotten Log Cabin Sessions, transferred the songs to CD, and gave a copy to Dewayne.

Brad and Dewayne began to discuss the possibility of re-recording some of the "lost material" and The Mandolin Wind Project was born. Work on the recording project began in early 2001 and after two years in the making, the duo released their first full-length Mandolin Wind Project album. The CD includes some of the "lost songs" from the New World days along with some new tunes written especially for the album.

For more information go to www.wingspreadrecords.com