Feel This and 1995's Grammy-nominated Cover to Cover, although as appealing as the earlier discs, weren't nearly as successful. The band downshifted, leaving Arista Records and flirting with Atlantic, and recording 30 or 40 tunes at its own 24-track studio, released on its own Forte Records, distributed by Universal Canada. The process took five years, and the result, last year's Get Me Some, has yet to gain U.S. distribution. The disc downplays the blues in favor of pop, rock and folk elements. The group even recorded I Tried, by pop-rock hitmaker Diane Penn Warren.
Good music is good music.
I think we should take away some of the labels that are applied to it. Healey also has had time lately for pet projects, including operating Forte and the jazz-oriented label Sensation, sitting in on trumpet with Dixieland group the Hot Five Jazzmakers, and hosting a jazz show on Canadian radio. I'm never going to stop loving to play and to be involved in music. I do have to admit that it's not important to me to be in the spotlight. My ego doesn't require constant pats on the back.