Finn Magill & Alan Murray - The Lookout Sessions - Mentone, Alabama - an Appalachian arts project

This is the most unusual of The Lookout Sessions to date. Partly because it wasn't recorded at The Lookout. Let me explain ... Finn Magill and Alan Murray provided a wonderful evening of music at The Mentone Arts Center. These guys are world-class musicians with an extensive list of appearances, collaborations, and honors. I was especially excited to welcome Finn back for his second appearance; he had joined Anya Hinkle for the very first of The Lookout Sessions months earlier.    • Anya Hinkle and Finn Magill - The Lookout ...   And as for Alan, he is currently touring with Solas, one of my absolute favorite bands. We've been fortunate to collaborate with the Mentone Arts Center a number of times to feature their guest artists on The Lookout Sessions. As a fan of Irish, Celtic, and traditional Appalachian music, I was particularly excited about this one. So excited, in fact, that I forgot to block our rental calendar to ensure The Lookout was available for our session. Vacationers booked it (a lovely cabin perched on the edge of Lookout Mountain with breathtaking views, it's a popular experience). I had to scramble for a Plan B. Juli and Pat to the rescue. The proprietors of Hoot Owl Hollow in Mentone, Alabama, they graciously allowed us to use their Winking Owl cabin as an alternate site for our session with Finn and Alan. Let them know how much I appreciate them: https://hootowlmentone.com/ The scenery is different, but I believe you'll love the results. These fellas are not only world-class musicians, but all-around great guys. We hope to work with them again in the future. About Finn Magill https://andrewfinnmagill.com/ About Alan Murray https://mjqirishcentre.com/team/alan-... About The Lookout Cabin https://thelookoutatmentone.com/ About The Recording Audio for The Lookout Sessions is captured by a single microphone — the phenomenal AEA R88. This stereo ribbon mic “stuns engineers with its clarity and natural stereo image,” writes Sweetwater Music. “With a list of Grammy-winning recordings to its name, the AEA R88 proves itself over and over again.” When set up properly, this recording technique allows artists to control their performance by adjusting their positioning relative to the mic, hearkening to the organic approach of great live performances of days past. Lucas Smith of Lucky Sound Studio (located in the heart of historic downtown Fort Payne, Ala.) records, mixes, and masters this series. Attention Artists To inquire about participating in The Lookout Sessions, contact Stephen at [email protected].