This is a good question. In my case, I made a tape about 20 years ago or more, and haven't made another recording, though I'm really anxious to make one. The problem is deciding what I want the CD to be. My originals? My current favorites? Stuff from my current working bands (there would be a contrast to match all contrasts, if I did that -- electric minstrel banjo and Civil War rock songs)? My friends' favorite-songs-that-you-do, Bob? Ones I think I do well? Ones I think deserve more exposure? Ones that show off the different instruments I play? Live recordings? With other players/singers or solo? Ones I think will 'sell?'

All of the above?

Decisions, decisions. I'm actually recording with the electric band now (Last Gold Dollar), even though we can't seem to get gigs. Our thinking is that a CD will either help advertise us or act as a memorial to a fun experiment (essentially, we think the folk-rock bands of the 60s messed it up by concentrating on originals or British folksongs or US country music & blues, when they should have used rock sensibilities on American old-time music and traditional song; despite this, we do several originals of mine). And I joined the Civil War Comrades due to a recording project (The Civil War, Amerimusic, available through civilwar.com), so I have that recording experience behind me, too, though the choices of songs, styles, and instrumentation were not mine.

Anyway, I don't have any real advice, just the admission that I'm in the same boat.

Bob Clayton