On April 1 I was able to get Dan Asher and Mike Webster, two of the busiest musicians I know, in the same room. The reason? We’d booked a gig for that night almost six months before. We hadn’t known until the day before if we’d even be able to rehearse. Then word came down – Mike and Dan were free for two hours before the gig.

Good, I thought – let’s do this shit.

In the space of four hours, we recorded three original tunes in the “studio” (studio N at the Flood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn), taped a surprisingly candid and deep interview (especially in the rare moments when I shut my mouth and let the guests speak), burned rubber up to Queens for the gig, and turned in a satisfying set at the LIC bar. Best of all, we got most of it on tape.

Dan and I go way back, and he’s one of the most natural musicians I know. I first met Dan at Lawrence University, where he was quickly known as one of the “go to” bassists. Dan, my buddy Kyle Struve (whom I hope to feature on Shed Science soon) and I enjoyed some great undergrad adventures, none of which I’m ashamed of, and most all-of-which I’m sure Dan is. Originally from Connecticut, Dan put me, Kyle, and our buddy Chuck Stevens (SHOUT OUT) up in his family’s baller crib in Westport, CT in the summer of 2000. I was an immature dick, and Dan humored me for it (mostly). Thirteen years on, Dan is living in Riverdale, killing it with the gigs in just about every genre of music. Dan’s equally adept at electric as he is at upright, and he’s played at the Jazz Gallery and is a regular fixture at rockwood music hall.

I met Mike Webster just a year after leaving Lawrence, in the crucible of MSM. I was beginning my journey from being the naive douchebag I was when Dan and Kyle nonetheless befriended me to the slightly less naive douchebag I am today, and Mike immediately struck me as being the type of dude I wanted to be like. Confident, unassuming, creative. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to write a few essays on Mike’s behalf (most recently promoting his new album and website), so I’ve had exposure to his creations, and Mike is exactly the type of musician I want to be – the guy who wakes up in the morning and says “what am I going to do today?” His resume boasts commissions for orchestras, a big band record, collaborations with Louis Cepeda and John Benitez, and a gaggle of other projects. My resume boasts knocking out an entire season of The Shield in a weekend.

Here are the complete takes of the tunes from the show-