Ringenberg, Jason
Rhinestoned
When it came time to record Rhinestoned, I decided to call up my old compadre George Bradfute. George is an incredibly gifted multi-instrumentalist and producer. He has produced most of my Jason and Farmer Jason records, but we hadnt done a full project together since 2012. His studio is in the basement of 1950s country superstar Jim Reeves. It is a place filled with Nashville history. I love recording at Georges. Some of my best musical memories were hatched right there. Given COVID-19 restrictions, recording was a rather lonesome process. George played most of the instruments. Steve Ebe (Carl Perkins, the Chicks, Marty Stuart) handled drums. Fats Kaplin (Jack White, the Judds, Hayes Carll, Tom Russell) worked his usual magic on steel guitar and fiddle. My daughters Addie and Camille pitched in on harmony vocals and piano. There were never more than four people in the studio. Most of the time it was just me and George hammering away in that storied basement. The creation of Rhinestoned felt like a big gift, an unexpected blessing. That feeling continued as we finished the record and did a crowdfunding program to launch it. Old and new fans contributed their hard-earned dollars and good wishes to make it all happen. In the end, what started as a very quiet solo process became a team effort, with memories that I will always treasure. Jason Ringenberg