Serenade of Sea Creatures

I'm a huge fan of a lot of movie and television scores for a lot of the content from the 50s and 60s, and have been especially influenced by Bernard Herrmann's work with Hitchcock as well as material like this. Here's my interpretation of Mr. Herrmann's piece for a Twilight Zone episode in 1959. 

Instruments in order of their appearance: Atmospherics, Trombone, Vibes, Ondes Martenot, Trumpet, Piano, Glockenspiel, Harp, Synth, and Organ.

Music © 1959 by Bernard Herrmann

Eleven Months | Bernard Herrmann

Set back and Let this flow come onto ya ...                                                                        It all began as an impromptu evening visit and morphed into a wonderful evening of musical magic...   
We recorded our Musical Conversations in Tim Elliot's living room with only one middling Microphone an Upright Piano and his Guitar suite, and I'm so glad we did!

Composer/Guitarist @davidjsvensson freely commented, "If the rest of the piece is even close to what the first two minutes were, then this is a masterpiece!!"  

So glad to share the results of this intimate honest and organic Live Jam with you all. I must say that i am looking forward to more such interactions with Tim. And i gotta say, 'Magic is Magic', however much Better one imagines it could have been.  :-D 

May you inJOY 


© Gary Courtland-Miles & Tim Elliot 2021
℗ Gary Courtland-Miles& Tim Elliot 2021

Arranged and MiXed by Anomon

Autmmn Leaves photo by Pxfuel

Autumn Jam _ w. Tim Elliot

Snowflake

Color Search [251118]

Intro - 1124

While My Erhu Gently Weeps

A couple of months ago, Rodolfo Planes from Tierra del Fuego sent me a wonderful piece of music (in a different key and without lead guitar) that he hoped I’d write lyrics for… 
I was so excited that the first verse popped into my head almost straightaway, and with great patience and honesty, Rodolfo lead me through the learning curve that would be the gestation of this song.
The passionate music somehow stirred in me a sense of longing and belonging, combined with the enforced isolation from loved ones during lockdown. I think Rodolfo’s music helped me express this powerfully.
His solo still continues to move me even after countless listens. I am very grateful to him for this opportunity and I sincerely hope we can work on other projects. 
Thanks for listening and please check out Rodolfo’s cloud if you can.

Composition, instrumentation, arrangement and production: https://soundcloud.com/rplanes
Lyrics and vocals: https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett
Image of Loch Maree, Scotland used with kind permission of Douglas Corrance.

https://continentalcollision.bandcamp.com/track/set-me-down-that-road

I know where I’m going,
Though I don’t know where I am.
My drive ain’t slowing,
If it’s Birmingham, Alabam.
Gotta get me on the road,
Back to where I’m coming from,
Might not have the zip code,
But I know where I belong. 
I know, I know, I know that I belong.
It might take me some time,
But I’m on my way already.
Set me down that road.

I know what I’m missing,
And where I might find it.
Without even reminiscing,
I’m right back there, I admit.
Close my eyes, and I’m there,
Though in reality,
I’m still stuck in elsewhere,
And I’m the absentee.   
I know, I know, I know that I’ve done wrong.
It might take me some time,
But I’m on my way already.
Set me down that road.

I’ve been uninvited,
Yet I felt compelled to come
A need to be reunited,
Whatever the outcome.
This prodigal believes,
In the error of his ways.
He vows that he’ll never leave,
Where his hat now he lays
I know, I know, I know that I’m back home.
It has taken some time,
But I feel at home already.
I’ve been down that road.

Set Me Down That Road - Continental Collision - Now Available on Bandcamp

The project is a collaboration with Jan Exner @exner from 2016. We divided the poem "Aufbruch" into six parts. With music and sounds Jan created a fascinating acoustic imagery. Lets go ⇢

Jan Exner : Guitar / Synths / Mix / Production
Karin Tarabochia: Text / Voice / Image

Aufbruch
1 
Aufbruch! Was war, fällt ab. Knöpf’ meinen Kragen auf.
 Zieh’ die Weste aus, an der noch Land hängt. Warte ab.  
Was klammert, saugt, in Zaum hält, bröckelt und springt. 
Mein Schneckenloch, mein Honigfuß, mein Schritt ins Leere  
und endlich Fall, Bruch, Sturz … und Landen!

Departure. What was, falls off. Unbutton my collar.
Take off the vest with land still hanging on it. Wait.
What clings, sucks, bridles, (now) crumbles and cracks.
My snail hole, my honey foot, my step into the void …
And finally fall, break, plunge ... and landing!

2 
Neubeginn verschieben, unendlich lang?
 Das Ende aufzäumen, und den Anfang aufspüren? 
Erfüllung vorwegnehmen?
 
Postpone a new beginning, infinitely long? 
Bridling the end and tracking down the beginning? 
Anticipate fulfillment?

3 
Schnipp’ die Leine durch, lass Haus und Hof 
und was ich schuf, rollt durch den Kopf. 
Dreh' mich aus dem Schleiertanz.
Spann' meinem Wagen andere Pferde –  
höher geht’s und weiter!
Sonnenfahrt!  Der Täuschung abschwören - 
Wütend platzt mein Innerstes und gibt frei: 
Anemone, Traumpferd, das ein Holzbein schwingt.
 Am goldenen Wagen im Sturmwind treiben –  
den Füßen fehlt Boden, den Händen fehl'n Sprossen. 
Nichts da, nur Lederhaut an Sohlen und Schwielen.

Snap the leash, leave house and yard
and what I created rolls through my head.
Turn me out of the veil dance.
Bring other horses to my carriage -
Higher it goes and further! Sun trip!
Renounce deception -
Enraged my innermost bursts and releases:
Anemone, dream horse swinging a wooden leg.
Floating on the golden chariot in the storm
and the feet are missing ground, the hands are missing rungs,
nothing there, just leather skin on the soles and calluses.

4
Träume meinen Flusslauf vom Anfang zum Ende
und schwimme zurück, dorthin wo ich bin.  
Fisch sein! Springen! Am Ufer lachen sie
und manchmal hält das Fischmaul die Trommel an  
und hört Sirenen singen.

Dream my river from the beginning to the end
and swim back to where I am.
Being fish. Leaping. On the bank they laugh.
Sometimes the fish's mouth stops the drum,
hears sirens singing.

5 
Wir müssen diesen Platz verlassen,
so schnell wie möglich unsern Kopf vergessen,
 der benommen Geschichten schwatzt, vergisst.  
An Scheiben rinnen Tränen. 
Was befürchtet war, wird wahr, vergeht.  
Am Weg besteht, was ist.

Mich nicht messen an anderen, mich nicht missen! 
Nicht verkaufen, dem Anderssein weglaufen!  
Mich am Fluss einfinden, wer ich war, wer ich bin,
im Zwischenraum die Zwischenfrau. 
Den Mädchentraum beenden,
den Zeitraum größer drehen und kleiner,
 Schritte sehen, die fest am Boden.
Ich war weg und komme wieder.

We have to leave this place,
as soon as possible forget our head 
who gossips stupid stories and forgets. 
Tears run down the panes. 
What was feared will come true and pass. 
On the way persists what is.

Not compete with others, not miss me,
not sell myself, nor run away from being different.
Find myself by the river, who I was, who I am,
in the interspace the interwomen.
End the girl's dream, turn the period bigger and smaller,
See footsteps firmly on the ground. 
I was gone and I'll be back.

6 
Lass’ mich nicht hängen und bis zum letzten Tag warten, 
bis ich mein Blut abgebe und mein Gesicht sich ins Tuch drückt.
Nicht bücken und suchen, mich zwischen Spuren verfluchen. 
Das Ziel sehen, nahe bei mir:  
Ich bin Traube. Ich bin Straße. Ich bin Mensch.

Not leave me hanging, waiting until the last day,
until I give up my blood and press my face into the cloth.
Not bend down and search, curse myself between tracks.
See the goal, close to me: I am grape, I am street, I'm human.

1 Aufbruch (eXner / Augenmerk) with lyrics

An old tune of mine I often come back to. It always comes out a little different each time. Played this time on a Burns SJ12 12 string guitar.

Strathrea (Autumn 2020)

A sweet and sentimental song, for those who like that kind of thing.
Lyrics:
The rollercoaster ride
The wind it blows your hair
The first time you ever held my hand
Was on the hill called "devil's drop"
Did you think that I forgot?
The ferris wheel can take us up
But you'll always  end up back on the ground
So many things I'd change about me
Back then

A cotton candy buzz
It means you'll dare
I was that I was back there
Funhouse mirrors
It let's me see your beauty everywhere
The rollercoaster ride
The wind it blows your hair

The rollercoaster speed
The wind it blows your hair
The Tilt-a=whirl
It laughs at me
With the broken hearts at the shooting gallery
The rollercoaster ride

The first time you ever held my hand
You know I haven't forgotten
The rollercoaster ride
The rollercoaster ride

The Rollercoaster Ride

I like to compose in different styles, deeply influenced by classical music, especially Baroque. I love soul, funk, jazzy rock and pop.

While My Erhu Gently Weeps

Axel's Sound Connection