SHERBURNE – It’s a musical journey that’s lasted more than three decades for guitarists Bob Bormann and Larry Will, one that began in 1978 with the formation of North of Georgia – the pair’s first collaboration – and recently saw the release of their second CD of original material, Now and Then, in the spring of 2012.
The disc, which features twelve songs written, performed and recorded in Bormann’s Sherburne-based home studio, is a follow-up to the duo’s 2006 album, Keeper of the Fire. Work on Now and Then began in 2009, said Will, with a little help from friends and fellow musicians Phil Youngs (drums) and Dick Jones (bass). Six of the songs, he added, were penned back in 1982, while the remaining numbers were written during the recording process for Now and Then, the inspiration for the album’s title.
Said Will, “I feel very fortunate to be able to collaborate with Bob, writing and recording music. He’s been a great friend and a tremendous inspiration to me for many years now.”
That camaraderie can be heard on the disc, particularly on its opening track, the laid back and harmony friendly “Keep a Song in Your Heart.”
The album goes on to cover a wide range of styles, from rock (“Just Another Song”) to country (“Something I Could Do”), Americana (“Maybe it’s for the Best”) and a hint of jazz (“But I Do”). The disc’s fourth track, “Livin’ Without Your Love,” brings to mind the guitar stylings of Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, while track nine, “The Last Honky Tonk,” shows off the pair’s sense of humor and a more playful side.
All in all, it’s an album that covers a lot of ground and will appeal to a diverse audience.
“This recording was truly a team effort ... I can’t say enough about the level of contribution and professionalism we got from the musicians that helped us record this CD. They were great.” said Bormann. “It’s amazing how far technology has come today for the home recording enthusiast. Twenty years ago I had the good fortune of recording in a multi-million dollar studio in Nashville. Home digital recording now rivals that level of technology and it’s getting better all the time.”
Now and Then is currently available for purchase at Thymely Treasures, in Norwich; Top Variety, in Sherburne; Hamilton’s Hamilton Whole Foods and the Georgetown Inn; and will soon be available on CD Baby, as is Keeper of the Fire. For more information on Bormann and Will, visit the duo’s website, lpwill.com.