Recently I had the opportunity to work on a Bob Dylan/Nikki Jean song. I laid down some string pads for them. I was thrilled that they liked them and honored that they used them. But really happy when I tweeted that I played on the track and Nikki Jean wrote back to me and said “@markevitts THANK YOU! you did an amazing job.” That never gets old. :)
Here’s the link to the track.
Watch the trailer for project I’ve been working so hard on, “Newport“. Wrote the score for it with Dillon Hodges. Dillon is featured singing in the trailer along with Miss Tess.
For the last few months, I have been working with Brandon Faris and his team at Zone Communication Group as they produce the documentary, “Newport”. Newport is a town in northern Kentucky, right across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. The town was a center for bootlegging, casinos, and “girls” during first half of the 20th century. Brandon (director) came to me with the idea of having a scored soundtrack for the film set in the swing era of music but with a Kentucky flare. I teamed with Dillon Hodges to co-write most of the music and then co-produced the project with Cincinnati native (now Nashville resident), Josh Edmondson.
The project has Nick Buda on drums, James Gregory on bass, Tim May on guitar, Jason Webb on piano, Alec Spiegelman on clarinet, Dillon Hodges on lead guitar, banjo, and vocals, Miss Tess on lead vocals, and I played all the strings, fiddle, and mandolin. The project turned out far better than I could have ever imagined. Looking forward to seeing it scored under a great documentary.
Due to some legal reasons I can’t post any music online just yet, but please check out an early trailer…
This past year was a crazy year for me. I played with so many different artists and did so many different types of music. In January 2010, I left Rodney Atkins and the guys and spent the year playing with diverse musicians. As utility players know, each gig has different requirements. For some artists I just played violin. For others I played violin, mandolin, guitar and piano. I think the key is to focus on the parts that are required for each instrument, at that moment, instead of being overwhelmed with all the instruments you’re bringing to the bus or studio.
Some of the artists I had the priveledge of working with this year were Jimmy Wayne (fiddle, mandolin, and piano), Bailey Grey (fiddle and mandolin), Trip Lee (violin), Jaida Dreyer(fiddle and guitar), Amber Hayes (fiddle and mandolin), Ty Williams (fiddle and mandolin), Judd and Maggie (violin), Michael Jeansonne (fiddle and mandolin), Jen Foster (fiddle and mandolin), Carl Wayne Meekins (fiddle and mandolin), Drew and Lacey (fiddle, mandolin, and guitar), Charity Daw (violin), Dillon Hodges (fiddle and mandolin), Leslee Scott (fiddle), and a few more. 
Each artist or band that I worked with was different. Each style their own. I had an absolute blast expanding my diversity. I strongly recommend checking out each one of these artists and their sites. These guys have honed their craft to such a professional level and it was such an honor to play along side them.
Thanks to my friends at ZoneCG for putting together this video!
About 4 years ago I was introduced to Dillon Hodges’s music. A mutual friend told me he was looking for a fiddle player for this show he had coming up. I heard his recordings on the internet and was pretty floored with his guitar playing. I called him to find out about rehearsal times and the basic show information. He told me he would have to call me back once he was out of class. I was thinking college. Nope, high school.
I’ve seen Dillon’s music mature over the past few years from being this hot picker (winning the 2007 National Flatpick Guitar contest) to being a very good songwriter. I recently recorded fiddle on his latest EP, “Seeds I’ve Sown”. Whether I had played on this album or not, I still would have written about this. I think Dillon is coming on strong. His voice, melodies, and song structure all showcase his enormous talent. Check out this track, “Cold Mountain River” and check out his website. Tell him Mark sent ya!
I had a fiddle player one time tell me “We all have different ears. That’s what makes us musicians. Everyone has been influenced differently throughout their life. Through those influences we all approach music differently.” I think thats a beautiful sentiment about art and humanity in general. My earliest memory is going out with my dad on the road (he was a truck driver) and falling asleep in his lap as we were listening to country radio. The song “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait was on. That’s a very fiddle heavy song and as a result one of my favorite country songs of all time. It obviously has sentimental value to me and has greatly influenced my playing and style.
But I was also influenced by things without fiddle in them. Genesis, Phish, and Weird Al were staples of my youth. As was Mozart, Dvorak, and Bach.
I’m constantly looking for new music. Seeing what can influence me still. Right now my favorite bands are MGMT, The Weepies, Joanna Newsom, and Andrew Bird. Everyone (not just musicians) loves talking about what music they like. Its because its a direct reflection of what we are feeling inside at the moment and we feel as if we can relate with others by the type of music they listen to. So who’s your favorite artist? Who influenced you in your youth? Who do I NEED to be listening to now?
Here’s that George Strait song. “I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free…” Dang.
My interest in music started in the 6th grade. I was assigned the tuba by Mrs Page. That’s right, I was the fat kid on tuba, I hated it. I then switched to trumpet, apparently that wasn’t my thing either. I stopped playing for a year until my friend John called me and told me to look into orchestra instead. I went for the violin, plus it got me out of taking PE. THIS was my instrument. Then I decided that maybe I would give band another try. This time it was time to try the french horn. With practice and private lessons I was officially a mutli-instrumentalist.
After high school I never picked up the French horn again, but had acquired a mandolin and a guitar. I loved the idea of being able to play more than one instrument. I still love that idea.
In live music, most of the time you simply can’t recreate exactly what’s happening on a record. For example, there could be 10 guitars playing the same rhythm part to “beef up” the sound. Not only that, but that’s just the electric guitar. What about fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar, keyboards, etc.? Most bands consist of electric guitar, bass, and drums. That’s where a “utility musician” comes in. We add flavor.
I have switched from mandolin to fiddle back to mandolin and then to acoustic guitar all in one song. It all depends on what the song needs at what time. And not to add too much at any point.
A utility musician is one musician who can play multiple instruments during the course of a show. We simply add flavor to a song. Oh, and by the way, I would love to know how to play the tuba.
Thanks for checking out MarkEvitts.com I’ll be updating with photos, video, and of course music soon!
