An original song on last year’s Christmas CD. I recorded it on the 1926 Steinway at Don Ross Studio in Eugene. This was a composite of three takes, using minimal additional editing. The remix corrects what I feel was a bit of over-compression and also improves on the original’s EQ curve. Enjoy!
Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
New toy
In Music, Tech on July 8, 2008 at 5:58 pmMy new Kurzweil SP2X is on its way! I never had the opportunity to try this 88-weighted-key stage piano out in the store, so I relied on published evaluations and the opinion of my advisor at Sweetwater, Michael Faz.
It’s been nearly a decade since I went shopping for a full-size keyboard. My first was also a Kurzweil, the venerable PC88, in 1995. It was a brilliant ‘board for its time. It’ll be interesting to see how far they’ve come in the intervening years, and whether my impressions parallel those of its reviewers:
FedEx predicts arrival this week. I can’t wait to play it!
Logic Studio 8
In Music, Tech on April 21, 2008 at 5:42 amFinally got my registered upgrade of Logic Pro 8. And I have to take issue with some of the criticisms of Apple’s latest. The merging of minds between Apple and Emagic appears now to be complete, and the result is a breathtaking, minimalist makeover that finally consolidates all of the power of Logic and for the most part wrestles its justly famed complexity to the mat.
No, there were few new goodies. A new plug-in delay, a few nips and tucks for Ultrabeat and other soft synths. No matter. What needed to happen — a complete rethinking of the interface — was done with typical Apple elan. Bravo.
Sketch: Slow groove in Gb
In Music, Sketches on April 20, 2008 at 8:39 amIf you like it, let me know in the comments and I’ll finish it. Plus, you get a high-rez pressing of the final mixdown!
Best argument for not learning to read music
In Music on April 20, 2008 at 7:54 amVia Wikipedia:
In college, [Dave] Brubeck was nearly expelled when one of his professors discovered that he could not read sheet music. Several of his professors came forward arguing for his ability with counterpoint and harmony, but the school was still afraid that it would cause a scandal, and only agreed to let Brubeck graduate once he promised never to teach piano.
A band called ToneDawg
In Tunes on April 18, 2008 at 10:46 amI wanted our band to be called “Merlin’s Madness” or perhaps “Merlin’s Magic.” I was overruled, and perhaps that was for the best, as our floppy-eared alter ego did constitute the coolest band logo/mascot ever. The genius behind the madness was an energetic, pony-tailed 6th grade teacher who moonlighted as a guitar god, ruling over Eugene and the surrounding environs with a potent mix of Steely Dan, Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, and Phish-influenced jam band rock.
With bassist Arne Olsen and drummer Rick Buckendahl, we crisscrossed western Oregon, often traveling as far as Bend, Portland, and Ashland, as often as not depending on the kindness of strangers for our lodging. We played Ashland, in fact, during the infamous New Year’s Eve flood of 1996, loading in during a driving rainstorm over a wet wooden footbridge spanning the creek that lent the late, lamented Ashland Creek Bar & Grill its name. When we loaded out the next day, Interstate 5 was closed and part of the outdoor dining deck was washed away, along with two unfortunate and adjacent lower-lying businesses.
We sailed, we soared, and for $40 a night we presided over Eugene’s hallowed haunts — The Old Pad, the Good Times, the Vet’s Club, Taylor’s. We played for weddings, parties, and festivals. We packed it in when I got the call to go on the road with a rising country singer, never to resurface.
More’s the pity.
Tune: An old favorite
In Music, Tunes on April 17, 2008 at 9:50 amRecorded at Gung Ho Studio in the late 1990s with a gospel singer who for a time befriended me. I always liked this arrangement, with its unexpected reharmonization and wistful pitch. We got it in one take, with only a minor punch-in on the takeout.
