Behind The Recording

Eight years in development, Bilbo's Great Adventure is the product of a songwriter who considers "The Hobbit" to be the greatest adventure fantasy ever written. It has taken many years of rewrites and collaboration with several musicians in order to complete this project. Recorded at the world-class Boiler Room and mastered at SoundStage 1 Productions, both in Climax, MI, Chief Engineer Derek Menchinger guided Kevin Henry's debut album (acoustic guitar and lead vocal) from the early tracks beginning in October to completion in December, 1999.

An acoustic presentation, a mix of folk, blues and new-age musical styles keeps this 24-song, sixty-three minute CD moving. (Acoustic rhythm guitarist) Brett Hartenback doubled as associate producer with Michael Buhagiar (electric lead guitarist and vocal arranger) as they lent their critical ear to Kevin's work. Emily Magyar (flute) and Jessica Magyar (rainstick) played beautifully. Jeff Mueller (bassist and dobro) wrote his own bass patterns, Tom Courtney (mandolin) provided great color and Carolyn Koebel (percussion) lifted this musical work to new heights. Greg Orr was the invisible, creative consultant to Kevin. In support from the very beginning (Greg Orr penned the lyrics to Rivendell in 1993), his production values guided Kevin during the planning stages. And Greg's positive contribution is evident today in the finished product.

Jeffrey Scott Nay was an easy choice for project artist for Kevin to make (Nay's work as a commercial artist has been on display in the Battle Creek, MI area for many years.) His love of "The Hobbit" and "Bilbo's Great Adventure" made it easy for him to dive into the work of visually interpreting the journey Bilbo takes from The Hill to Lonely Mountain for the album cover.

Project Coordinator Robert (Bob) Andrus (http://www.applescruffs.com) is Kevin's artistic and business advisor. He has played a key role in the album's physical development and took on the responsibility of preparing all of Kevin's design for duplication and delivery. Bob's work on this project continues as his company Applescruffs Design, LLC maintains this web page.

From Kevin Henry - "Reading came to me later in life than most. So had music. It has taken me years to finally appreciate both and, as a result, I present to you this musical salute to the most important piece of literature to influence my life. Anyone who hears Bilbo's Great Adventure should not walk, but run to the nearest bookstore and buy and read The Hobbit. Thank you, Mr. Tolkien, for your wonderful work. If you're listening, I hope you like this recording."