This month’s Spotlight is an incredibly creative track sporting some wonderful instrument combinations, top-notch tones and performances. As we dig in, we must confess that the gear list here made us drool a little with envy. That said, all the gear in the world won’t matter in the wrong hands, but thankfully it is in very safe hands here!

The song’s intro is a sublime, whimsical pairing of ukulele and trombone that put a huge smile on our face––Never saw that one coming, and it works tremendously! The uke has an incredibly rich tone and presence for an instrument of its size. The trombone/RCA 77dx ribbon mic combination is smooth as butter. Next up are Terah’s vocals, and what a treat they are. The performance is simply one of the most unique that we have heard, almost without a genre to draw a comparison to. Mama Cass minus the brassiness, stirred with some pop-girl group background harmonies, a dash of humor and whimsy and a little show tune tossed in?

Either way, we loved it. As for the tones, the Peluso P-67 mic through Summit Pre/comp into a UREI 1176 delivered a wonder, full and intimate sound on the vocals. David’s reverb/ambiance treatment was also subtle and right on point. Just when we thought the track couldn’t get any better, the rhythm section enters in, and damn if it isn’t equal to or better than the previous sound sources.

The upright bass is brilliant. This time a combination of the Peluso P-67 and a Telefunken AK47 mic capture a stunning performance. Suffice it to say that if there has been a better upright sound to have come down the pike here over the past quarter century, we would be hard pressed to remember it. The fullness and frequency balance captured and presented in the mix is just aces, with an ideal blend of warm low end and excellent string articulation coming together to form a super impressive timbre.

The drums follow suit with a fat close-miked kick and snare, providing a basic but effective groove throughout.

Finally, big ups to David for the tracking, mixing and production and to Larry for the mastering. The entire song has a beautiful fullness and presence while the individual sounds simultaneously retain clarity and focus. Well done, sirs!