Grammy Award winning producer Steve Fontano is working with Arthur resident Jim Roycraft on his new album.
Roycraft, whose band is called Jimmy V and the Hinton Hawks, worked on his second album at Escarpment Sound Studios in Belwood and was joined by Fontano from March 18 to 23.
Fontano, of San Francisco, won two Grammys in 2000: for mixing the song The Calling with Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana, which won for best rock instrumental performance, and for Put Your Lights On with Santana featuring Everlast, which also won for best rock performance by a duo or group.
Fontano has also worked on a number of movies in the sound department, including Good Will Hunting, The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Roycraft had some time booked with the studio after an album he was working on for another artist fell through. He decided to use that studio time to record his own songs, 20 years after his first album.
“It just sort of developed … over the last two years,” he said. “This wasn’t an intentional thing… it’s fairly organic; it just grew out of itself.”
After winning the Grammys, Fontano decided to take a break from the music industry to help raise his children.
Roycraft explained he and Fontano have known each other since Roycraft’s first album.
“He called me 20 years later out of the blue,” said Fontano, adding he heard a few of Roycraft’s new tracks and wanted to work with him.
“He’s just a wonderful person, he has a lot of depth as a human being,” said Fontano. “Musically, surprisingly enough for someone who’s not immersed in it … he’s phenomenal.”
Roycraft said he’s excited to work with Fontano again.
“I’m just really fortunate to know someone on that level,” said Roycraft
His album, An Unfortunate Set of Circumstances, is to be released soon.
