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Westland Recording Studio Features
New & Vintage Gear
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Westland Recording Studio is operated by Bob Pruitt Audio at 1401 Pioneer Way suite 19, El Cajon. It offers analog recording on 2” 24 channel, 1” eight channel, ½” two channel with Dolby noise reduction, or ¼” two channel, and 32 channels of Protools digital recording with dozens of plugins. There are 66 pieces of new and vintage outboard gear featuring both tube and transistorized circuitry, and a large collection of new and vintage microphones including Neumann, AKG, RCA, Shure, Sony, Sennheiser, Coles, EV, and Fairchild. Monitor speakers by JBL, Yamaha and Genelec are installed.
The 800 sq ft music studio with 3 additional isolation booths can easily accommodate large music groups. It features a 6-way headphone mix, large playback speakers, an assortment of guitar amps, piano, a Ludwig drum set, LP Congas, and a Hammond M3 organ with Leslie. The equipment is professionally maintained in the adjacent 320 sq ft Bob Pruitt Audio service shop. More info at: www.bobpruittaudio.com
Bob’s studio engineering credits include Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Joe Satriani, Chris Isaac, Deke Dickerson, Tito Puente, Belairs, and live show mixes for Willie Dixon, Albert King, Albert Collins, REM, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, and John Lee Hooker.
The 800 sq ft music studio with 3 additional isolation booths can easily accommodate large music groups. It features a 6-way headphone mix, large playback speakers, an assortment of guitar amps, piano, a Ludwig drum set, LP Congas, and a Hammond M3 organ with Leslie. The equipment is professionally maintained in the adjacent 320 sq ft Bob Pruitt Audio service shop. More info at: www.bobpruittaudio.com
Bob’s studio engineering credits include Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Joe Satriani, Chris Isaac, Deke Dickerson, Tito Puente, Belairs, and live show mixes for Willie Dixon, Albert King, Albert Collins, REM, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, and John Lee Hooker.
New Release Update
Nola Blue Records Signs Mud Morganfield,
Acclaimed Son of Blues Legend Muddy Waters
His Label Debut Album, Deep Mud, Will Be Released on September 26th
Sallie Bengtson, president of Nola Blue Records, announces the signing of Mud Morganfield, acclaimed son of Blues legend Muddy Waters, and will release his label debut album, Deep Mud, on September 26th. Deep Mud will be available in digital format, as well as on CD and limited-edition red vinyl, with distribution by MVD Distribution.
"It is such a privilege to release the aptly titled, Deep Mud," says Sallie Bengtson about the Mud Morganfield signing. "Drawing from a great reservoir of paternal musical heritage combined with a lifetime of maternal nurturing, Mud and his music are grounded in respect and love. He honors his roots while also advancing his legacy of the Chicago electric blues sound."
"I'm always writing and thinking about music. The songs on this album are from the past year, which was a really hard time for me," reflects Mud Morganfield. "My life changed forever when the doctor told us they couldn't do anything else for my mother. We lost her in March. She was my biggest supporter from day one. Her love is the music in my heart."
“For the last couple of decades, Mud has followed in his beloved dad’s mammoth footsteps, staunchly keeping the traditional Chicago blues flame alight by faithfully singing Muddy’s songs as well as plenty of his own originals in front of an all-star band of local heavy-hitters,” writes Bill Dahl in the album’s liner notes. “Recently, he hit the main stage at the 2025 Chicago Blues Festival to belt his father’s “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” as one of the main cogs in a gala celebration of Chess Records’ 75th anniversary, looking and sounding every bit the heir to Muddy’s gilded throne.”
Recorded at JoyRide Studio in Chicago, Deep Mud is real, honest, unvarnished blues from front to back, the way Muddy himself proudly did it during the genre’s hallowed heyday as he laid the bedrock foundation for the electric Chicago blues ensemble approach. “Listen, man, it is Chicago blues. No rock-blues here for Mud,” he states. I talk and I sing about real things, real live people, real situations, things that people go through, from falling in love to beautiful women. So, it’s Chicago blues at its best. They ain’t trying to do that no more, but that’s what it is.”
That deeply-held commitment to Chicago blues tradition defines Deep Mud. Except for two lovingly rendered Chess-era Muddy revivals (“Country Boy” and “Strange Woman”), Mud’s originals dominate the hard-hitting set. As usual, his studio cohorts were the cream of the crop (many of whom have played on Mud’s previous albums): guitarists Rick Kreher (an integral member of Waters’ last touring band) and Mike Wheeler, keyboardists Roosevelt “Mad Hatter” Purifoy and Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi, bassist E.G. McDaniel, and drummer Melvin “Pookie Styx” Carlisle lay down tough, uncompromising grooves loaded with timeless Windy City tradition. Harpist Studebaker John filled multiple roles as Mud’s producer and arranger, with trumpeter Phil Perkins arranging the horns.
“The album wouldn’t sound like it sounds without Studebaker John’s ears,” notes Mud. “The man has a fantastic ear.”
"It is such a privilege to release the aptly titled, Deep Mud," says Sallie Bengtson about the Mud Morganfield signing. "Drawing from a great reservoir of paternal musical heritage combined with a lifetime of maternal nurturing, Mud and his music are grounded in respect and love. He honors his roots while also advancing his legacy of the Chicago electric blues sound."
"I'm always writing and thinking about music. The songs on this album are from the past year, which was a really hard time for me," reflects Mud Morganfield. "My life changed forever when the doctor told us they couldn't do anything else for my mother. We lost her in March. She was my biggest supporter from day one. Her love is the music in my heart."
“For the last couple of decades, Mud has followed in his beloved dad’s mammoth footsteps, staunchly keeping the traditional Chicago blues flame alight by faithfully singing Muddy’s songs as well as plenty of his own originals in front of an all-star band of local heavy-hitters,” writes Bill Dahl in the album’s liner notes. “Recently, he hit the main stage at the 2025 Chicago Blues Festival to belt his father’s “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” as one of the main cogs in a gala celebration of Chess Records’ 75th anniversary, looking and sounding every bit the heir to Muddy’s gilded throne.”
Recorded at JoyRide Studio in Chicago, Deep Mud is real, honest, unvarnished blues from front to back, the way Muddy himself proudly did it during the genre’s hallowed heyday as he laid the bedrock foundation for the electric Chicago blues ensemble approach. “Listen, man, it is Chicago blues. No rock-blues here for Mud,” he states. I talk and I sing about real things, real live people, real situations, things that people go through, from falling in love to beautiful women. So, it’s Chicago blues at its best. They ain’t trying to do that no more, but that’s what it is.”
That deeply-held commitment to Chicago blues tradition defines Deep Mud. Except for two lovingly rendered Chess-era Muddy revivals (“Country Boy” and “Strange Woman”), Mud’s originals dominate the hard-hitting set. As usual, his studio cohorts were the cream of the crop (many of whom have played on Mud’s previous albums): guitarists Rick Kreher (an integral member of Waters’ last touring band) and Mike Wheeler, keyboardists Roosevelt “Mad Hatter” Purifoy and Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi, bassist E.G. McDaniel, and drummer Melvin “Pookie Styx” Carlisle lay down tough, uncompromising grooves loaded with timeless Windy City tradition. Harpist Studebaker John filled multiple roles as Mud’s producer and arranger, with trumpeter Phil Perkins arranging the horns.
“The album wouldn’t sound like it sounds without Studebaker John’s ears,” notes Mud. “The man has a fantastic ear.”