Live for the Troops

Background: In late August of this year, the DK Stewart Sextet performed at a fundraiser for a friend of ours, Mark Kandianis, during an afternoon air demonstration in Olympia, Washington of vintage prop-driven and restored WWII airplanes in combination with antique auto and military equipment. As we pulled onto the airstrip we were surprised at the number of security folks on duty and were completely knocked out by the rather large stage and hi-tech sound equipment provided for the show. We were also treated like visiting dignitaries. Turns out that this performance was devoted to raising money for families of active-duty military personnel. DK was introduced as a former USMC combat veteran of the Vietnam War, a title he rarely displays in public and was surprised to receive recognition for this late in his career. Although the crowd was sparse, and dispersed around the airstrip observing the displays, the band began it's set in earnest, quickly discovering that the audio tech had not only provided the state-of-the-art sound system but also knew how to use it. It sounded like a recording studio on and off stage, which further propelled our best efforts to provide as thrilling a show possible for our special guests. We did not discover until half way through the event that the show was being recorded using a state-of-the-art, twenty-four channel digital mixing board. And out of the twenty-four tunes recorded that day, over half were free of noise from jets, helicopters or autos and had potential to be mixed into a viable digital format. Result. After minimal mixing and production the result has been the creation of a "live" twelve- song CD that features the DK Stewart Sextet exactly as it sounds on stage. The " Live For the Troops" CD will be distributed through military channels throughout the US and various offshore military bases or facilities for the benefit and enjoyment of deployed personnel. Proceeds from this CD will go to worthy Tax Exempt 501c3 foundations, Madigan Foundation the USO and other Foundations, Aiding the Men and Women who protect and defend our country.