All songs:

Alfredo De Pietra: guitars, guitar synth
James Higgins: vocals

Alf with James Higgins

Music: Alfredo De Pietra
Lyrics & Vocals: James Higgins

To Go That Extra Mile

i've been getting myself sidetracked
by the little things in life
making mountains out of molehills
tossing turning through the night

i got an itch that just needs scratching
all my bugs i have to bare
i keep getting tunnel vision
and think no one really cares

but i'm thankful i have friends
who help me keep my feet on the ground
and who offer me advice
that is both wise and profound

but when i'm left to my own thoughts
i keep waking sleeping dogs
rubbing salt into my old wounds
always making matters worse


i am sorry i was short with you
i've got too much on my mind
trying to get from a to z
when i don't have the time

i need to have a break from work
and spend more time with you
take the dog out for a walk
and run the kids to school

well you know i could start a fight
in an empty room
and baby baby baby baby
so could you

but you can make me laugh
and you can make me smile
you give me the strength
to go that extra mile

To Go That Extra Mile

Misty  (song of Errol Garner)

Vocal by Leilani : https://soundcloud.com/leilani-roosman
Music played by Pierrou

Misty (Cover by Leilani & Pierrou)

Arrangement, guitars etc: Alfredo De Pietra
Vocals: James Higgins

Guitar tuning: DGDGGD

Dominion of the Sword (trad. new words Martin Carthy)

Lay by your pleading, law lies a-bleeding
Burn all your studies down, and throw away your reading
Small power the word has, and can afford us
Not half so much privilege as the sword does

It'll the foster the master, plaster disaster
This'll make a servant quickly greater than the master
Ventures, enters, seeks and it centres
Ever the upper hand, never a dissenter

Kruger, Krugerrand-a, whither do you wander?
Gone to the suborning of Hastings Banda
Kruger, Krugerrand-a, tear you all asunder
Beira to Luanda, Gabarone to Nyanga

Talks of small things, it sets up all things
This'll master money, though money masters all things
It is not season to talk of reason
Never call it loyal when the sword says treason

Balm for the worrier, the whaler, the furrier
This'll get the measure of a Rainbow Warrior
Incognito, come and sink a Rainbow
President will never know, I should bloody coco

Subtle deceiver, turns calm to fever
See the pilgrim flay the unbeliever
It'll make a lay man, preach and to pray man
It'll make a Lord of him that was but a drayman

Conquers the crown too, grave and the gown too
Set you up a province, but it'll pull it down too
No gospel can guide it, no law decide it
In church or state, till the sword sanctified it

Take books, rent 'em, who can invent 'em?
When that the sword says there'll be no argumentum
Blood that is spilt, sir, has gained all the guilt, sir
Thus have you seen me run my sword up to the hilt, sir

***

Il dominio della spada (traduzione in italiano by Kay McCarthy)

Accantonate le vostre suppliche, la legge giace insanguinata
Bruciate gli studi e gettate via le letture,
Poco potere ha la parola, e non può offrire
Neanche la metà di quanto può la spada 

La spada sostiene il padrone, argina il disastro
Rende improvvisamente il servo più grande del signore
Si avventura, entra, cerca e centra
Sempre la mano forte, mai un dissenziente

La spada parla di cose minute, decide tutto
Padroneggia sul denaro, anche se il denaro padroneggia su tutto
Non è la stagione della ragione
Non chiamarla mai “leale” quando la spada dice “tradimento”.

Calma del guerriero, del baleniere, del mercante di pellame
La spada è il destino della Rainbow Warrior
In incognito, venite ad affondare la Rainbow,
Non lo verrà mai a sapere il presidente, ve lo giuro perbacco!

Ingannatrice sottile, trasforma la calma in febbre
Guardate mentre il pellegrino flagella il miscredente
Farà sì che il laico predichi, che preghi
Farà dell’umile bracciante un signore 

Vince la corona, batte la tomba e la toga
Istituisce la provincia, ma la abbatte anche
Nessun vangelo la può indirizzare, nessuna legge può governarla
Presso la chiesa, presso lo stato, fino a quando la spada non l’avrà santificata

Prendete i libri, strappateli; chi li sa inventare?
Quando la spada dice di no non ci sono argomenti
Il sangue versato, signore mio, ha guadagnato tutta la colpa, signore
Così avrete visto la mia spada infilzarsi fino all’impugnatura.

Dominion Of The Sword (Martin Carthy cover)

Watermelon Man (Herbie Hancock)
Vocals by Monica (https://soundcloud.com/monicafalco)
Clarinet by DDJohn (https://soundcloud.com/stevee101=
Musics by Pierrou (https://soundcloud.com/pierrou)

Watermelon Man (Cover by Monica, DDJohn & Pierrou)

The first new song of the 21 century :-)

Co-write with Walter Davidson

The One
Lyrics and Music:
Walter Davidson, Fredden

Winter days, early nights
Christmas tree, Christmas lights
A fairytale, a rednose deer
It's the time of the year

Chorus: And you, the one for me
I'd rather have you near

People shopping in the square
Happy children everywhere
Hear the sleigh bells... Santa's here
It's the time of the year

Chorus: And you, the one for me
I'd rather have you near

Now let us gather the family
Presents under the Christmas tree
Singing choirs are what we hear
It's the time of the year
Chorus: And you, the one for me
I'd rather have you near

Winter days, early nights
Christmas tree, Christmas lights
A fairytale, a rednose deer
It's the time of the year

Rock - Ballad


The One

No Bridges Burnt (5 Janvier 2015)

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Just because it's Christmas.

[J.S. Bach, Composer]

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Almost Blue was written by Elvis Costello apparently for Chet Baker. Both Elvis and Chet have great versions of it, and I came about this tune from playing it with some great friends of mine. We even named our band after it, and this version is very close to how we played it at our shows.

Almost Blue

Cole Porter is probably one of my all-time favorite songwriters and composers. I don’t think I’ve heard a tune of his that I don’t like… this one you’re going to hear next, was written for the musical “Born to Dance” in 1936 and has been sung by crooners ever since. Like many of Cole Porter’s tunes, he gives away the title in the first line!
I guess my version, like many, is based off of Frank Sinatra’s recording from the late 1950s. I learned to sing it in a duet version, but here it is in solo form.

I've Got You Under My Skin

This "Big Band" tune was written by Duke Ellington and Bob Russell in 1940. This version is inspired by a vocal/guitar rendition I heard recently from Fiona Apple.

Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Alfredo De Pietra: guitars, arrangement
James Higgins: vocals

Directly From My Heart To You (Little Richard)

Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster, 1854)

(Vocals: James Higgins)

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh Hard times come again no more.

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.

While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.

There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.

Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.

Hard Times Come Again No More

Alfredo De Pietra: guitars
James Higgins: vocals

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (lyrics by Roger Waters)

Remember when you were young
You shone like the sun
Shine on you crazy diamond
Now there's a look in your eyes
Like black holes in the sky
Shine on you crazy diamond
You were caught in the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom
Blown on the steel breeze
Come on you target for faraway laughter
Come on you stranger
You legend
You martyr
And shine

You reached for the secret too soon
You cried for the moon
Shine on you crazy diamond
Threatened by shadows at night
And exposed in the light
Shine on you crazy diamond
Well, you wore out your welcome
With random precision
Rode on the steel breeze
Come on you raver
You seer of visions
Come on you painter
You piper
You prisoner
And shine

Nobody knows where you are
How near or how far
Shine on you crazy diamond
Pile on many more years
And I'll be joining you there
Shine on you crazy diamond
And we'll bask in the shadow
Of yesterday's triumph
Sail on the steel breeze
Come on you boy child
You winner and loser
Come on you miner for truth and delusion
And shine

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd cover)

une chanson de Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac)

STEAL YOUR HEART AWAY

La sensibilità è l'abito più elegante e prezioso di cui l'intelligenza possa vestirsi.

Quando - Pino Daniele - Jazz piano A. Napolitano Improvisation

Alfredo De Pietra: guitars
James Higgins: vocals

Same Old Blues

Have you heard that rumor that's goin' around
You got a man, way across town
It's the same old story, tell me where does it end
Yes I heard the news, it's the same old blues again

When I wrote you a letter, you must have read it wrong
I stood at your doorway but you were gone
I took a lot of time 'n let your telephone ring
It's the same old blues, it's the same old blues again

When you gave me the business, you know I didn't mind
'cause I got a lot of patience 'n I got a lot of time
It's the same old story, tell me where does it end
It's the same old blues, it's the same old blues again

Gonna find me a mountain, gonna hide it out
Ain't talkin' to you 'n I ain't comin' out
Yes I heard the rumor, tell me where does it end
It's the same old blues, it's the same old blues again

Oooooh, oh baby baby
What you make me do
I don't know where I am
It's the same old blues, same old blues again
Whoooooooah, oh oh oh . . .

Same old blues (Captain Beefheart cover)

Born in 1955 in Potenza, Italy, lives in Palermo, Sicily, since 1972.
General practitioner (family doctor), amateur guitar player and home recordist.

Thanks for listening!

Dominion Of The Sword (Martin Carthy cover)

Alfredo De Pietra

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