14 Mar 2022 ASU-Beebe music professor producing album with A-list talents

BEEBE — What originated as a home studio recording project for Dr. Brent Bristow has turned into an album featuring Grammy and Emmy winning talent. 

Bristow, professor of music at Arkansas State University-Beebe, said he had the idea for several years to produce a progressive rock album. “I’ve had this idea for a long time. It’s taking things I’ve worked on over the years and fleshing them out, along with some brand-new stuff. The whole project has taken on a life of its own that I didn’t expect. This went from something I was going to do in my home to working with guys across different states,” Bristow said.

The album will feature an impressive collection of talent including professional drummer, Noah Hungate, son of David Hungate of Toto; Jake Livgren, nephew of Kerry Livgren of Kansas and vocalist for the band Proto-Kaw; Jeremy Nichols on bass guitar; Los Angeles based professional guitarist Mike Thompson; and Nashville musician Phillip Moore. Paul Bielatowicz, who has ties to Emerson, Lake and Palmer, is also a guest contributor to the album. 

Bristow said Seth Hankerson, one of his former students and an ASU-Beebe graduate, is also contributing to the album along with Bristow’s friend and colleague Dr. Brandon Goff, a professor at Francis Marion University in South Carolina. Casey McPherson, lead singer of Flying Colors, has been an asset to the project, sharing his experience with producing music remotely with multiple musicians. Bristow is performing on saxophone and keyboard for the album.

Bristow recently returned from Nashville, where he has been working with multi-Grammy and Emmy-winning producer and recording engineer Jamie Tate at The Rukkus Room Studio to bring the project to life. Tate has worked with numerous A-list artists including Taylor Swift, Alison Krause, Brooks & Dunn, Justin Moore, and many others. 

“The quality of his work is just amazing. We wanted a professional level mix to everything and he certainly gave us that. I worked in a recording studio for nine years, and after going to work with him, it makes you feel like a kid with a tape recorder,” Bristow said.

The challenge of working with artists in different states has been a great learning opportunity, Bristow said. “Instead of getting everyone in a room to work together, I’ve had to learn how to give them a roughed-out track and try to tell them what I want. It’s probably been the biggest hurdle and took me a while to acclimate to it. There have been lots of back and forth revisions. It creates a time lag, but I get to work with people I probably never would have because they are three or four states away.”
Bristow said four out of the 10 songs planned have been completed. He said he hopes the album will be completed in May. “Bringing Jamie in has put a fire under everybody because of the quality of how everything is coming together. Everyone is very excited,” Bristow said.