I consider myself extremely fortunate to have found a specific job at IDHHB that perfectly matched my real world skills. A sound engineer was needed to operate the Institute.s recording studio and I happen to be one. It can be safely said that this job opening arose due to E.J. Gold.s extensive recording over the years. Long before home recording studios became ubiquitous, as far back as the seventh decade of the last century, Gold was setting up audio recording environments in his home to experiment with music. He acquired the necessary credentials by working in the studio with his friends, top recording artists including Harry Nilsson, Jerry Garcia, The Monkees, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Though ostensibly there as a photographer, he often helped out with ideas, sometimes laying down backing vocals and percussion. Working in state-of-the-art recording studios exposed him to top notch production personnel such as the legendary Al Schmitt, Ritchie Schmitt, and Dick Bogart.

I clearly remember the first time I heard Gold speak at a workshop. In the course of the talk he discussed the latest music he was working on and mentioned that his favorite mixing desk was a vintage Neve. Now, this isn't widely known outside of professionals in the field but a vintage Neve is to mixing desks what Stradivarius is to violins, the unquestioned absolute best. This let me know that he knew his way around a recording studio like a pro. Though his home studio wasn't equipped with a vintage Neve, he did have a Soundcraft, another model I respect. My first mixing board was a Soundcraft 1S. I took a Soundcraft board to Morocco to record The Master Musicians of Jajouka. Gold clearly knew good studio gear.

We are still recording and mixing on that Soundcraft, it's a real work horse. Nowadays it's serving double duty broadcasting the music of E.J. and friends on Justin TV over the internet 24/7 except when there's a regularly scheduled program. As a Producer, E.J. leaves most of the mixing to me but once in a awhile he'll get on the board and set up a mix. He has a finely tuned ear especially when it comes to accuracy of pitch and is always quite clear about what he's looking for with any given production. I think we make a good team in the studio. The music speaks for itself.

Oz Fritz, Grammy award winning engineer for Tom Waits, Primus, and over 60 projects with Bill Laswell.