Grammy-award winner T-Bone Burnett composed and recorded the score for the new Johnny Cash biography “Walk the Line” in the legendary Studio D at Los Angeles’ Village Recorder.
Executive music producer Burnett worked with engineer Michael Piersante and assistant engineer Jason Wormer, tracking and mixing the sessions on the studio’s Neve 88R analog desk. Vocals were tracked with actor Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Cash in the film, for some of the pre-recorded source music used for the movie’s live and in-studio performances. Musicians on the dates included guitarists Burnett, Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot, bassist Dennis Crouch, drummer Jim Keltner and keyboardist Keith Ciancia. Phoenix learned guitar for the sessions, while his co-star Reese Witherspoon, who plays Cash’s wife June Carter in the film, learned the autoharp and received extensive vocal training for the sessions.
Frank Wolf, whose credits include “The Producers” and “Seabiscuit” created an additional 5.1 surround music mix in the Village’s Studio B, working on the studio’s Neve VR desk. Ghian Wright assisted Wolf on those sessions.
For more information, visit www.villagerecorder.com.
