From left: Ezekiel Lewis, Usher and Balewa Muhammad
Recording artist Usher recorded tracks at Cherry Beach Sound in Toronto, Ontario, for his upcoming record, slated for release in late 2007 from the Zomba Label Group. Timbaland is producing.
Also in attendance were producers King Logan and Jerome; songwriter/producer Sean Garret; songwriting team Candice Nelson, Ezekiel Lewis and Balewa Muhammad of The Clutch; and engineers Jimmy Douglass and Miles Walker. Mark Pitts, president of urban music for the Zomba Label Group, oversaw the session, which coincided with Timbaland’s presence in the city as part of the Toronto dates on the Justin Timberlake tour.
The team took over the entire studio, breaking out into multiple rooms to work on different tasks simultaneously. It was the first time that any of these songwriters, engineers or producers had ever recorded in Toronto. Pitts commented that he very pleased “with how accommodating everyone was.” Studio staff Inaam Haq, Ron Allen and Jordan Valeriote worked hard to make sure to make sure that everyone was happy.
“It was a pleasure hosting Usher, Timbaland and the whole Zomba crew. They are extremely talented and we are looking forward to seeing them again in the near future,” says Cherry Beach Sound studio manager Chris Guerrieri.
For more information, visit www.cherrybeachsound.com, www.myspace.com/cherrybeachsound, www.usherworld.com, www.zombalabelgroup.com and www.timbalandmusic.com.
