I have been recording and releasing original jazz songs on this website for a while. Now I have collected all nine of them together into an album and made it available for free on Noisetrade.
All in Music
Earliest Musical Memories
When I was a little kid my family and I would walk up to the small church on the corner on Sunday nights. And sit on really hard wooden pews. And sometimes a huge bus would pull up and park in the church driveway, and a singing group would come out of the bus and give a concert. And I would like that a lot, especially if the music was lively...
New "My Kind Of Jazz" Song Posted - City 3
I have posted my latest recording for my "My Kind Of Jazz" song demo album. It is a jazz song called “City 3.” It is the third version of this song. But the first one recorded. This time I tried it with horns. I hope you enjoy it. You can find it on the Media page.
New "My Kind Of Jazz" Song Added - "Here In This Moment"
One of my hopes for 2107 is to write and record more music. So here is my first offering for 2017, called Here In This Moment. You can listen to it on the Media page.
Jazz Band Update
I started to start a jazz band back in August. My idea was a little untraditional. Instead of a standard fixed line up for the band, I decided I wanted to have a “collective” of musicians who could play whenever they are available. There were good reasons for this...
Songs Worth Learning - 23
Soul Man - Sam & Dave
Some guitar players have an instantly recognizable style of playing. Steve Cropper is one of those players. As a member of STAX record label house band, he added his distinctive style to many soul and R&B hits.
Starting To Start A Band
I’m starting to start a jazz band. Starting a band can be difficult. You have a vision in you head but no one else can read your mind. So you try to explain it using words. Unfortunately, words are mostly inadequate when it comes to explaining music. And then...
Tear Down Those Musical Walls
A common question guitar instructors ask their students is “What kind of music do you like?” Being a guitar instructor I have asked this question myself knowing that the answer is usually going to be one particular style of music. It may be country, or classic rock, or blues, or metal. It doesn’t really matter. The point is
Songs Worth Learning - 21
The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy was an anomaly. An Irish hard rock band (often verging on metal) with two lead guitarists and a black singer/bass player who wrote engaging poetic lyrics about various characters and every day life. They were huge in the U.K. but only had a couple of hits in the U.S in the 70s. Their biggest hit over here was The Boys Are Back In Town. It is worth learning for several reasons.
New "My Kind Of Jazz" Song Posted - Preston
I have posted my latest recording for my "My Kind Of Jazz" song demo album. It is a jazz song called "Preston." I wrote it the morning of the day my grandson Preston was born so I named it after him. I hope you enjoy it. You can find it on the Media page.
George Martin, The "Fifth Beatle" Dies At Age 90
In 1962 The Beatles were a raw rock and roll band that nobody in the music industry wanted to produce. But George Martin, a young producer at EMI Studios with a classical music and novelty record background, heard a creative spark he thought he could nurture. And over the next eight years he guided the lads from Liverpool from a raw vocal guitar band into a musical phenomenon, and arguably the most popular and influential band of all times.
Songs Worth Learning - 20
Walk Don't Run - The Ventures
This classic surf song was actually first written and released as a jazz song by the great jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954. It was later recorded by Chet Atkins and played fingerstyle. The Ventures heard the Chet Atkins version, which had a slightly “country” breakdown but was still overall on the jazzy side.
New "My Kind Of Jazz" Song Posted - Quite Alright
I have posted my latest recording for my "My Kind Of Jazz" album. It is a jazz song called "Quite Alright." I hope you enjoy it. You can find it on the Media page.
The Best Things In Life Require Risk
I am mainly a guitar player but a couple of years ago a guitar student of mine asked me if I taught bass. I said “I don’t play bass, but have wanted to learn how for a long time. How about we learn it together?” She agreed and we started alternating guitar lesson one week, bass lesson the next.
Taylor Swift = Superhero
I never really thought too much about Taylor Swift until recently. To me she was someone who wrote love and breakup songs that many girls loved. My girl guitar students were usually excited to learn the song “Ours” and my guy students usually groaned at the mention of her. But in the past few months she has elevated herself in my opinion in several ways.
Songs Worth Learning - 18
Bridge Of Sighs - Robin Trower
Robin Trower initially achieved fame and success in the band Procol Harum (Whiter Shade Of Pale.) Then he launched a successful solo career in the early 1970s. In an era when originality in music was actually prized and encouraged, Robin Trower was often unfairly criticized for sounding too much like Jimi Hendrix. Imagine that happening today.
Meet Me There - Song Posted
I have completed and posted the latest jazz song from my upcoming album My Kind of Jazz. You can listen to it on the Media page. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think.
Songs Worth Learning - 17
Dust In The Wind - Kansas
In the 1970s guitarist Kerry Livgren was mainly an electric guitar player playing in the progressive rock band Kansas. He decided he wanted to learn to play fingerstyle guitar and he create an exercise to practice. That exercise was the chords in “Dust In The Wind.” His wife heard him playing it and said “That’s really pretty, you should put words to it.” Livgren said “No it’s just an exercise.” But his wife didn’t relent and eventually Livgren wrote lyrics for it.
The Lamp Tie Rap
I will now rap a rhyme about lamp ties:
I went outside and it was damp
I got knocked down ‘cause my tie was a lamp
I started to jerk and do a shocking dance
I looked so weird I had to move to France
A Day In The Life Of A Fool
Way back in July of 2104 I started working on a chord melody arrangement of the jazz standard A Day In The Life Of A Fool. The title was prophetic. It was a major challenge. I did eventually work out an arrangement I thought sounded good. And I began practicing it. It took a long time to memorize and even longer to be able to play it well. Then I tried to make a video of myself playing it. Ha!