Today’s San Francisco Chronicle has an article about Jim LeBrecht, sound designer at Berkeley Sound Artists. Jim is a good friend and one of the most amazing people I know.
The author is Edward Guthmann, also a friend. I was so proud to find them together in the paper today.
I knew Jim’s name from his years at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where I have been a subscriber off and on (mostly on) for more than 30 years. We met in 2003 when I was working on the boxed set All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Jim’s studio is in the same building. I invited him to stop by for a visit and we hit it off immediately. Among the many interests we share, he’s a big ol’ Deadhead.
Jim and I have been working on a project together for several years, with no particular goal in mind other than the joy of collaboration. One of these days we’ll get it out into the world, but there’s a bit more work yet to do. We put our calendars together from time to time, and when we can match up a few clear days we’ll get together and do some creative work. He’s got a spectacular production system, an immense sound library, a warm and luminous personality, a gift for making things happen in the audio domain, and as big a heart as I have ever encountered. He’s a joy to be with, and the results are always great.