KINGSTON, Jamaica — Though he was in a band in his early teens, most of singer Pick Stitch’s career has been helping artistes get that perfect sound.

Recently, the 50-year-old studio engineer revived his vocal fortunes by recording the song Pick up the Pieces for Pick Stitch Records, a company he operates with veteran session bassist Danny ‘Axeman’ Thompson.

“I work on a few things over the years but this is my first professional release. It feels good, things looking good so far,” he said.

Written by Pick Stitch, Pick up the Pieces is done on the Pieces ‘riddim’, due for release soon by Pick Axe.

Pick Stitch (real name Huntley Vassel) and Thompson have known each other since the late 1970s when they were students at Excelsior High School in Kingston.

After leaving Excelsior, they were briefly in a band known as African Disciples.

In the early 1980s, August Town-born Pick Stitch eyed a career as a professional vocalist in the mould of his heroes: Pablo Moses, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown and Culture. But after migrating to the United States, his focused changed to engineering.

Since earning a certificate from the Institute of Audio Research in New York in 1990, he has worked on songs by Richie Spice, The Gaylads and hip hop artiste Fetty Wap.

Pick Stitch was also engineer for the Pieces riddim which has songs by George Nooks, Lukie D and Patra.

While he still has his day job behind the console, Pick Stitch savours a second crack at being a vocalist.

“Back in the day mi used to sing mi life away, so it really nice to get things going again,” he said.

Howard Campbell