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LL: You started your first band at 40 years old. How did your first band and being a
bandleader come about?
PT: I started playing publicly at the Tic Toc Lounge in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts when I
was 30. They had a Thursday night blues open mic, run by the owner’s son Jimmy who played
drums. Everybody there, both the players and the audience, were supportive and we all became
like one big family. There was a lot of talent there and I was lucky that the guitarists took me
under their wings and gave me tips on my playing and how to direct them so that things ran
smoothly on stage. It really helped that I played rhythm guitar and could set the tempo and feel of
the songs, plus I wasn’t competing with anybody for solos. Eventually, I started playing some of
my own compositions there and we recorded a night of playing there. It was independently
released as “Patty Tuite and Friends – Live at the Tic Toc.” I really thought I’d hit the big-time
then! I tried sending copies to record companies, but with no connections and no name in the
industry, I couldn’t get their attention. So, I focused on creating a band, and I put one together
when I was 40. I just love the musical community in the area, there are so many gifted musicians
to play with!
LL: Let’s talk about your latest release “Consider This”. Can you tell us about making this
album with your producer Paul Nelson?
PT: “Consider This” is a culmination of all the time I’ve
spent learning about music and playing in bands. I met
my now-husband at a local show and when we were
Paul Nelson
dating, he invited me to see a Paul Nelson show in 2018.
They go back several years. We were invited to attend a
week-long festival in Jamaica in early 2019, which was
called the “Johnny Winterfest” including players who
were associated with Johnny Winter. Paul was the
musical director and there were a few occasions
where I was allowed to sing and play with the
house band. We attended another Winterfest
in Jamaica in 2020 where Paul was once
again the musical director. The festivals
were great for getting to know some
fabulous musicians including those in
Paul’s band. They are all approachable and
down-to-earth! From there we started talking
about making a recording of my new originals.
Paul was in the process of creating a new
entertainment venue and recording studio called
“The Music Room” in West Yarmouth on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In December of 2020 we went
there and laid down the tracks to “Consider This” as his first artist recording in the Music Room.
As for the studio experience and working with Paul, my eyes got opened to what it’s like to work
with a true industry professional! Right from the start, we both saw the vision of how good these
songs could sound. Instead of recording live and then dubbing over and editing mistakes, like
previous experiences, we built the songs from the ground up in layers. His excellent suggestions
during his production really enhanced the sound of the recording. We started with the rhythm
section then added my guitar and vocals. This was followed by keyboards and lead instruments