- Summerfest 2013 Zumba Intro 1:21
I created this intro and sang it live as a flashy way to start the Zumba show at Pelham SummerFest 2013. A bit of Latinesque guitar, a high note, then some drumming.
- Sunny Side Of The Street 2:29
Another sparse arrangement, starting with bass and voice, and adding guitar after a solo featuring keyboard. Recorded in May of 2013.
- I'll Be Seeing You 2:14
This Latin Jazz song was performed on Chapman NS/Stick, with some of the percussion parts provided by items found in the kitchen! For JS. Recorded in 2012.
- Angel In A Green Sea 5:13
A journey into an underwater world - with three drumsets, a mermaid, and a "seagull flute". This one is dedicated to SG. Recorded in early 2012.
- Harlem Nocturne 2:57
The sparse arrangement of this version consists of just my nylon-string guitar and my voice, and it truly highlights the haunting melody of this song from 1939. I sing the original lyrics here, although Mel Tormé sings a version with alternate lyrics about lost love. It's interesting that this and the two following songs all have a Tormé connection! Recorded in May of 2011.
- Blues in The Night 3:35
This is a classic song written by the team of Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1941 film Blues in the Night. The pair were so excited upon completing it that they crashed a party at singer Margaret Whiting's house, at which Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Mel Tormé, and Martha Raye were guests. Needless to say, the evening was a smash. Recorded in May of 2011.
- Born To Be Blue 3:32
This one was written by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells, the same collaboration that gave us the classic holiday tune "The Christmas Song" - which you might know better as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". Recorded in May of 2011.
- Baltimore Oriole 4:00
A tale of yearning and wanderlust. Composed in 1942 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. This song appeared in the movie "To Have and Have Not" in 1944. Recorded live at Fonthill Music Academy, May of 2007.
- Just Squeeze Me 3:44
A Sweet and romantic love song by Duke Ellington and Lee Gaines. Recorded live at Mosquito Grill, Fall of 2007.
This one starts with a 12-bar blues progression played out of tempo before the vocals come in with the intro. The solo is a double-shot of 12-bar, with the intro re-stated instrumentally before the singing comes in again. Recorded live at Mosquito Grill, Fall of 2007. One listener commented: "What a fabulous version. Pitch perfect in all the ways that count. Subtle, nuanced, and great."
This song is pretty much only one chord throughout, except for a diversion into 12-bar blues. Recorded live at Mosquito Grill, Fall of 2007.
This piece has an improvised middle section with a repeating pedal in C minor, with an almost trance-like feeling. Recorded live at Mosquito Grill, Fall of 2007.
I love including the intros (originaly called verses) to these songs in my performances. Many performers don't do these intros, which is a shame since I feel that they set the stage of for the rest of the song, enhancing the meaning. Recorded live at Mosquito Grill, Fall of 2007.
This is one of those "punchline" songs, with the twist at the very end of the lyrics which reverses the meaning, in this case in a positive direction. For the solo, I played through the melody with minor variations, then went into a kind of modified blues, returning to the melody before the singing from the bridge to the end. Recorded live at Mosquito Grill, Fall of 2007.
Played on the NS/Stick, this simple version of the well-known tune appeals to me because of the thumpy tone from the bass side of the instrument, which keeps the pulse driving forward. This tone was created with bit of compression, EQ, and a touch of tube drive.
Here's a short solo instrumental performance of Cole Porter's beautiful tune. For this song, I just played once through. I used a BassLab L-BOW-V five-string bass, but put lighter strings on it and tuned like a guitar, but two frets down (and one string less). I "tapped" the notes, with both hands on the fretboard. The rich, organic tone of the instrument really shows, as I let the notes ring. No hurry here!
Entirely produced by the Fairlight CMI, this excerpt from one of my compositions illustrates tuned percussion. There is only one "traditional" pitched sound present, which is the breathy flute/voice sound. The rest of the instruments are all percussive and needed to be micro-tuned within the Fairlight in order to bring them to the same standard pitch reference. Many of the sounds are also played higher or lower than normal, but this is a common Fairlight technique to make the most of only eight monophonic sounds on the Series II model.
Current songlist for vocal performances:
- After You've Gone - Henry Creamer/Turner Layton 1918
- Again - Lionel Newman/Dorcas Cochran 1948
- Ain't Misbehavin' - Thomas 'Fats' Waller/Harry Brooks/Andy Razaf 1929
- All About Ronnie - Joe Green 1953
- All My Tomorrows - James Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn 1959
- All Of You - Cole Porter 1954
- All The Way - James Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn 1929
- Alone Together - Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz 1932
- Am I Blue? - Harry Akst/Grant Clarke 1929
- Angel Eyes - Dennis/Brent
- Anything Goes - Cole Porter 1934
- As Time Goes By - Herman Hupfeld
- At Last - Harry Warren/Mack Gordon 1942
- Autumn Nocturne - Josef Myrow/Kim Gannon 1941
- Backwater Blues - Bessie Smith 1927
- Baltimore Oriole - Hoagy Carmichael/Paul Francis Webster 1942
- A Beautiful Friendship - Donald Kahn/Stanley Styne 1956
- Bewitched - Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart 1941
- The Birth Of The Blues - Ray Henderson/Lew Brown/Buddy DeSylva 1926
- Blackberry Winter - Alec Wilder/Loonis McGlohon
- Black Coffee - Paul Francis Webster/Sonny Burke 1948
- Blue And Sentimental - Count Basie/Jerry Livingston/Mack David 1938
- Blues In The Night - Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer 1941
- Blues Stay Away From Me - Wayne Raney/Henry Glover/Alton Delmore/Rabon Delmore 1949
- Body And Soul - Edward Heyman/Robert Sour/Frank Eyton/Johhny Green
- Born To Be Blue - Mel Tormé/Robert Wells 1946
- Born To Lose - Ted Daffan 1943
- Brother, Can You Spare A Dime - Jay Gorney/EY Harburg 1932
- Can't Help Falling In Love - Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss 1961
- Can't Help Lovin' That Gal (Man) - Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II 1927
- Chattanooga Choo-Choo - Mack Gordon/Harry Warren 1941
- Come Fly With Me - James Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn 1958
- Come Rain Or Shine - Harold Arlen/Johhny Mercer 1946
- Crazy She Calls Me - Carl Sigman/Bob Russell
- Dark And Dreary - Elmore James 1954
- Dedicated To You - Sammy Cahn/Saul Chaplin/HH Zaret 1935
- Deep Purple - Peter De Rose/Mitchell Parish 1934
- Detour Ahead - Lou Carter/Herb Ellis/John Frigo
- Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington/Bob Russell 1942
- Don't Go To Strangers - Redd Evans/Arthur Kent/Dave Mann 1954
- Don't Sell It (Don't Give It Away) - Oscar Woods
- Dreamsville - Henry Mancini/Jay Livingston/Ray Evans 1955
- Each Day - Greg Holmes 2005
- Early Autumn - Johnny Mercer/Ralph Burns/Woody Herman 1949
- Embraceable You - George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin 1930
- Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue - Sam Lewis/Joe Young/Ray Henderson 1925
- Fly Me To The Moon - Bart Howard
- Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You - Don Redman/Andy Razaf 1929
- Georgia On My Mind - Stuart Gorrell/Hoagy Carmichael 1930
- Give Me The Simple Life - Rube Bloom/Harry Ruby 1945
- Go Back To Your No Good Man - Lonnie Johnson
- Good Morning, Heartache - Dan Fisher/Ervin Drake/Irene Higgenbotham 1945
- Harlem Nocturne - Dick Rogers/Earle Hagen 1939
- Here's That Rainy Day - Johnny Burke/Jimmy Van Heusen 1953
- Hey Hey Pretty Mama - Willie Dixon
- Honeysuckle Rose - Andy Razaf/Thomas Waller
- How Long Has This Been Going On? - George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin 1927
- I Ain't Got Nobody (And There's Nobody Cares For Me) - Roger Graham/Spencer Williams 1915
- I Can't Get Started - Vernon Duke/Ira Gershwin 1935
- I Didn't Know About You - Duke Ellington/Bob Russell 1944
- I Didn't Know What Time It Was - Rochard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart 1939
- If I Had You - Ted Shapiro/Jimmy Campbell/Reg Connelly 1929
- I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues - Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler 1932
- I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan - Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz 1929
- I Had The Craziest Dream - Harry Warren/Mack Gordon 1942
- I Have The Feeling I've Been Here Before - Roger Kellaway/Alan & Marilyn Bergman 1975
- I Just Want To Make Love To You - Willie Dixon
- I'll Be Seeing You - Sammy Fain/Irving Kahal 1938
- Ill Wind - Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler 1934
- I Love You - Cole Porter 1943
- I'm Through With Love - Gus Kahn/Mat Malneck/Joseph 'Fud' Livingston
- In A Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington/Irving Mills/Manny Kurtz 1935
- Isn't It A Pity? - George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin
- It Could Happen To You - Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke 1944
- It Had To Be You - Isham Jones/Gus Kahn 1924
- It's Only A Paper Moon - Billy Rose/EY Harburg/Harold Arlen
- It's The Talk Of The Town - Marty Symes/Al J Neiburg/Jerry Livingston
- I've Got The World On A String - Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler
- I've Never Been In Love Before - Frank Loesser
- I Wanna Be Around - Johnny Mercer/Sadie Vimmerstedt 1959
- I Wish I Were In Love Again - Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart 1937
- I Won't Be Abused Anymore - Greg Holmes 2006
- The Joint Is Jumpin' - Andy Razaf/JC Johnson/Thomas 'Fats' Waller
- Just Squeeze Me - Duke Ellington/Lee Gaines
- Lady Sings The Blues - Herbie Nichols/Billie Holiday 1956
- Lazybones - Johnny Mercer/Hoagy Carmichael 1933
- Lazy River - Hoagy Carmichael/Sidney Arodin 1931
- Lean Baby - Roy Alfred/Billy May 1953
- Let's Fall In Love - Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler 1933
- Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Hank Williams 1950
- Lover Man - Jimmy Davis/Roger Ram Ramirez/Jimmy Sherman 1944
- Lullaby Of The Leaves - Joe Young/Bernice Petkere 1933
- Lush Life - Billy Strayhorn 1949
- Mean To Me - Roy Turk/Fred E Ahlert 1929
- Mean Woman Blues - Claude DeMetrius 1957
- Memories Of You - Andy Razaf/Eubie Blake
- Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Joe Zawinul/Cannonball Adderley
- Message In A Bottle - Gordon Sumner
- A Mess Of Blues - Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman 1960
- Mind Your Own Business - Hank Williams 1949
- Miss Otis Regrets - Cole Porter 1934
- Misty - Erroll Garner/Johnny burke
- Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington/Irving Mills/Albany Bigard
- Moonglow - Will Hudson/Eddie de Lange/Irving Mills 1934
- Moonlight Becomes You - Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke 1942
- More Than You Know - William Rose/Edward Eliscu/Vincent Youmans 1939
- My Baby Just Cares For Me - Gus Kahn / Walter Donaldson 1930
- My Ship - Ira Gershin/Kurt Weill
- Nice Work If You Can Get It - George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin 1937
- A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square - Eric Maschwitz/Manning Sherwin
- Nightmare - Artie Shaw 1950
- The Night We Called It A Day - Tom Adair/Matt Dennis 1941
- No Moon At All - Redd Evans/Dave Mann
- No More Blues (Chega De Saudade) - Antonio C. Jobim/Jon Hendricks/Jessie Cavanaugh 1962
- Old Folks - William Robison/Dedette Lee Hill 1938
- The Old Man From The Old Country - Nat Adderley/Curtis R Lewis 1960
- The Old Piano Roll Blues - Cy Coben
- On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh
- Once In A While - Bud Green/Michael Edwards
- Over The Rainbow - Harold Arlen/EY Harburg
- Please Dont Talk About Me When I'm Gone - Sidney Clare/Sam Stept/Bee Palmer 1927
- Please Warm My Wiener - Bo Chatmon
- Rockin' Chair - Hoagy Carmichael 1929
- 'Round Midnight - Thelonius Monk/Cootie Williams/Bernie Hanighen 1944
- Sentimental Journey - Bud Green/Les Brown/Ben Homer
- Serenade In Blue - Harry Warren/Mack Gordon 1942
- Since I Fell For You - Buddy Johnson 1948
- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach 1934
- Someone To Watch Over Me - George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin
- So In Love - Cole Porter 1948
- Sophisticated Lady - Duke Ellington/Irving Mills/Mitchell Parish
- Sporting Life Blues - Sonny Terry/Brownie McGhee
- Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most - Fran Landesman/Tommy Wolf
- Squeeze Me - Clarence Williams/Thomas 'Fats' Waller
- Star Dust - Mitchell Parish/Hoagy Carmichael
- Stormy Weather - Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler 1933
- Sweet And Lovely - Gus Arnheim/Harry Tobias/Jules Lemare
- Teach Me Tonight - Gene DePaul/Sammy Cahn 1953
- That Old Feeling - Lew Brown/Sammy Fain 1937
- That's All - Alan Brandt/Bob Haymes 1953
- Them There Eyes - Maceo Pinkard/William Tracy/Doris Tauber 1930
- These Foolish Things - Eric Maschwitz/Jack Strachey 1936
- They Can't Take That Away From Me - George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin
- Till There Was You - Meredith Willson
- Time After Time - Jule Styne/Sammy Cahn 1947
- 'Tis Autumn - Henry Nemo 1941
- Tuxedo Junction - Buddy Feyne/Erskine Hawkins/William Johnson/Julian Dash 1940
- Unforgettable - Irving Gordon 1951
- Until The Real Thing Comes Along - Holinger/Nichols/Cahn/Chaplin/Freeman 1936
- The Very Thought Of You - Ray Noble 1934
- What A Difference a Day Made - Stanley Adams/Maria Grever 1934
- When Sunny Gets Blue - Jack Segal/Marvin Fisher 1956
- When The Lights Go Out - Willie Dixon
- When Your Lover Has Gone - E.A.Swan 1931
- Why Try To Change Me Now? - Cy Coleman/Joseph McCarthy 1952
- Willow Weep For Me - Ann Ronell 1932
- Wrap your Troubles In Dreams - Ted Koehler/Billy Moll/Harry Barris 1931
- You And The Night And The Music - Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz 1934
- You Are There - Johhny Mandel/Dave Frishberg 1977
- You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - Cole Porter 1942
- You Go To My Head - J.Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie 1938
- You Know I Love You - Greg Holmes 2006
- You'll Never Know - Harry Warren/Mack Gordon 1943
- You Make Me Feel So Young - Josef Myrow/Mack Gordon 1946
- You Took Advantage Of Me - Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart 1928