While searching for an engineer, mutual friend Chris Masterson (ex- Son Volt) gave Earle examples of Christensen's work on the tracks "Best Thing Ever" and "The Other Side of Love" from Tody Castillo's unreleased album Windhorse.One listen gave him enough confidence to hire Christensen to engineer the project.
Besides spending an initial ten days tracking album in Earles' Manhattan home, Christensen also played percussion on the disc. He later traveled to Nashville to continue the record at Sound Emporium, alongside Earle's longtime engineer Ray Kennedy. In the May 26 issue of Rolling Stone magazine (RS 1079), featuring the story "Steve Earle Chases Ghosts", Earle quoted Christensen in describing the experience of the recording process "..like he was 'listening to something I shouldn't be listening to' because it seemed so personal." The album debuted at number 19 on the Billboard Top 200charts, the highest Top 200 debut of Earle's career and at number 6 on the Billboard Country chart.
Christensen is no stranger to the nominations process; he recorded vocals on Ann-Margarets' 2001 album, God is Love: The Gospel Sessions, which was nominated in the Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album category.
Townes faced tough competition for the award; the other nominees for that category included Neko Case'sMiddle Cyclone (ANTI), Tracy Chapman's Our Bright Future (Elektra), Shawn Colvin'sLive (Nonesuch) and Elvis Costello'sSecret, Profane & SugarCane (Hear Music).
Houston Chronicle entertainment writer Andrew Dansby featured a piece on Christensen in the GRAMMY preview section of this week's Zest. Read the article here.
About SugarHill Recording Studios The oldest recording studio in Texas is nestled in a southeast Houston neighborhood that over time has been home to legendary producers, record labels, and artists who've produced some of the most historically important and widely recognized musical recordings of our time. Beginning the legacy in 1946, musician Harry Choates, with producer Bill Quinn, laid tracks for the Cajun classic "Jole Blon" for Gold Star Records. Blues icon Lightnin' Hopkins recorded soon thereafter. In the 1950's the studio hosted Pappy Dailey's Starday & D labels, George Jones cut "Why Baby Why?" and the Big Bopper recorded "Chantilly Lace." Willie Nelson, Bobby Bland and Arnett Cobb recorded sessions. In 1960s, the Sir Douglas Quintet tracked "She's About a Mover." The mid-1970s introduced Crazy Cajun producer Huey P. Meaux and his work with Freddy Fender and Clifton Chenier. Since the 1980s, SugarHill has hosted Tejano artist Little Joe, country great Johnny Bush, and urban powerhouse Beyoncé.
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