Very cool vocals and percussion ...and oh, some harmonica. This is fun. Durge

The harmonies and harmonica :) its all cool man- really enjoyed Miki

Anthony,although i am ThePOOR(see bio for further info’!;) i would never arrive in your life in the manner of the gent or rather type of gent described in this song. I would like very much to drive down south & have a jolly goid fun time   So....👍?😎

When my songwriting friend Colin Macduff (find his beautiful debut album 'The Past and the Sky" here: https://www.birnamcdshop.com/product/colin-macduff/) shared his poem 'The Rope', I asked if he'd mind if I tried to put a melody to it.

I did. This is the demo version which I'm hoping to record in a studio soon. There's an accompanying video created with footage from my phone: https://studio.youtube.com/video/yhxZxWGo0wY/edit


The Rope

Coiled, crossed, entangled in a corner
Old and wise and silent, silent as a snake
Left aside beside the new, unwanted
You dream of hands, the touch, their grip, their shape

Once you ran the span and moored our vessels
Safe between the capstan, the capstan and the quay
Once you were the rope that held us steady
Once you were the rope that cast us free

The push the pull, the swing, lasso and ladder
The tug of war when we were in our teens
The give, the take, that bound us all together
The start, the end, the knot, the way and means

Life line, last line, frayed and poorly
In my hand your strands so soft, soft and slack
In my dreams you’re running on beside me
With me all the long way – the long way out and back
With me all the long way – the long way out and back

© C Macduff & S Barr 2023

The Rope - Demo

pretty enough

Turnstyle

I feel so lucky that Dave Orestes 1 allowed me to record a rendition of his wonderful song " What Is Rich" ! 

Written by Dave Orestes 1 
https://on.soundcloud.com/JG7gH

Recorded/Mixed: Audacity
Guitar: Cort MR710 LH NS
Mic: Rhode USB Mini
Tam Jennifer: Interpretation, Vocals, Guitar, Mix & Master

Lyrics (Dave Orestes):

What is rich? You're asking me
Rich is so simple, don't you see
It's not what you own but what you do and say
.
What is rich? You're asking me
It's not hard to explain
It's all about what you feel
And not what you touch
Every day
.
Rich is how well you sleep at night and
your thoughts on your own death bed
when you have few regrets
few regrets
.
Rich is passing on
the prospect of hope
so that all have a chance
to prosper and grow
Rich is not how tall 
Your sky scrapers grow
no no no no
.
Or the number of seats
in your stadium row 
It's not how many toys
in the attic you've stowed 
oh no no
that's not it
.
What is rich? You're asking me
Oh it's not hard to explain
It's all about what you feel
Not what you touch every day 
.
Rich is when
All the children are fed
And each of them has 
A warm safe bed
Rich is how 
You care for people 
That, you've never met
.
It's not hard to explain 
It's all about what you feel 
And not what you touch
Every day
.
Doo da doo da doo
Laa la laa la laa
Laa la laa la laa
Laa la laa
La laa la la
.
© Dave Orestes 1, Tam Jennifer Hastings, 2024. All rights reserved.

What Is Rich (with Dave Orestes, 2024)

I think of this man as the Frank Sinatra of country music.  What
a voice and such a special gift.  So many wonderful songs and so many were so beautifully orchestrated.  I tried to get a bit of orchestra feel with the limited resources I have.

I Wish I Were Eighteen Again ( Cover  - Ray Price)

JTSunrise Rendition of St. James Infirmary

Slow Blues, 60bpm 4/4

[Refrain]

Dm                    A7              Dm
I went down to St. James Infirmary 
Bb7 A7 Bb7 A7 Dm
To see my Baby there
                        Dm                     A7                 Dm
They had Her stretched-out on a marble table 
Bb7    A7 Bb7 A7 Dm
Asleep, so cold, so fair

[Verse]

             Dm                      A7                Dm
Let her go, You let Her go, God you let Her
Bb7    A7 Bb7 A7 Dm 
Wherever You may be
                Dm                                  A7                 Dm
Couldn’t never look this whole-world wide-over
Bb7    A7 Bb7 A7 Dm
Find a girl half as sweet

[Verse]

            Dm                 A7                     Dm
Gonna bury Her in Her strait-laced boots 
             Dm             A7                 Dm
In Her  walk’n coat and Cloche’ hat
          Dm                    A7            Dm
Put a twenty-dollar bill in Her coin-purse 
        Bb7                    A7   Bb7 A7 Dm
So She’ll know She died standin' pat

An American folk song about going to St. James Infirmary to retrieve a deceased lover. The song evolved over time and potentially from British origins in the 1800s, roots can be traced to the early jazz and blues era in New Orleans. Lyrics and melody were adapted and rearranged by numerous artists over centuries and emerged from a blend of folk, blues, and jazz. It’s popularity grew through oral traditions, diverse interpretations, and legendary performances 

Marble tables were practical for hygiene in morgues due to their white, durable, and non-porous characteristics. The thermal mass of a thick marble stone slab table allowed for temperature retention—ideal for icing in warm climates or maintaining an ambient cool surface in morgues which were typically located in medical facility basements

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, fashionable women dressed in tailored jackets, walking coats, and tailored suits. Garments were designed to be fashionable and practical. Popular was the tailor-made suit, which consisted of a matching jacket and skirt. Suits could have varied styles, including fitted jackets with defined waists and skirts. A walking coat was characterized by its length and suitability for outdoor activities. Women's fashion during this period saw a shift towards more tailored and practical clothing

Unlike higher heels of previous decades, shoes in the 1920s often had lower, practical heels to reflect the era’s active style. Boots had lace-up designs, providing a snug fit around the ankle and calf. This style allowed women to participate in energetic social activities. A stif pointed-toe contributed to a sleek and modern look and had defensive advantages. Boots were made of leather or fabric. Suede and patent leather being also popular

A Cloche (“bell” in French) is a bell-shaped fitted hat that became fashionable in the 1920s, complementing shorter hairstyles of the time

"Standing pat", a poker term meaning to keep one's hand as dealt without drawing additional cards, suggests the idea of a person being content and staying true until the end

In 1927 Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra were first to record the song under: "Gambler's Blues", crediting Carl Moore and Phil Baxter’s “St. James' Infirmary”. The song became more popular after Armstrong's comedic 1928 recording which mocked more emotionally serious versions. By 1930 at least twenty different recordings had been released. The Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded the song multiple times under names like "The Ten Black Berries", "The Harlem Hot Chocolates", and "The Jungle Band”. In 1933, Cab Calloway's version was released in a classic Betty Boop cartoon and his instrumental version featured Calloway's related hit song - Minnie the Moocher. Irving Mills managed both Calloway and Ellington. Mills Music published both artists 

My version of lyrics. Info from the internet

JTS

St. James Infirmary

The Scorpio

comin’ over
to my place tonight
dressed in clover
whets my appetite

i want to know
the afterglow

slide on over
i’ll take it at the light
black bulldozer
tailin’ us tonight

i feel the flow
the undertow

cold turkey
no way
i’ll get there
someday

now it’s over
turnin’ out the light
bruised all over
exiting stage right

i feel the flow
the vertigo
and now you know
the scorpio

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Janine Levinson, Cheesemont Paisley-Paisley, and Wheelwright for consultations various.

Image by Hassan Sherif via Unsplash

The Scorpio

The youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LOR3i0E-sQ
An old song of mine that I've re-recorded recently. Its a tune I've always liked and has some special meaning as it was played at my dad's funeral.
I liked the original recording but this one's a little cleaner and more accurate.
There are four guitar parts, the main lead being played on my Santa Cruz.
Richard :)

This World

Close To You

Hey…. So I put down the slide guitar the other day, and picked up the mandolin after a slide solo wasn’t working. Then did this little song. A rather surreal look at the metaphysics of stars as they relate to us. Occasionally, we are at a loss to make sense of this life. I find perspective in observing the night sky, among other things, even if for only a brief moment. Hanging out with others helps too. So does playing music. I usually laugh at myself in those moments and realize just how fascinating life can be. I mentioned this story before, but in a different context. I have been ‘caretaking’ a fire ant colony for over twenty years. The common sense of today’s world would seek to destroy the colony, as labeling them as ‘nuisance pests’ comes with a dire consequence for the ants. Fire ants bite only to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom called solenopsin. Anyway, the colony had been in my neighbor’s yard decades ago, and I did my best to encourage him not to destroy the colony. But after seeing a friend of his riding over the colony with a riding lawn mower, I knew the colony was doomed if it stayed there. Then one day, while emptying the kitchen compost bucket into the compost pile, I saw a long trail of fire ants coming from my neighbor’s yard into mine. They had begun to build a mound near a brush pile in the back. So the ants have been here for 5 years or so. Sure, they may strip an aspen sapling bare, or try and sneak into my vegetable garden, but for the most part, they have been good neighbors. They have come out of their mound now that it is a little warmer. I was cleaning up the gardens in the back, and noticed hundreds of them working on their mound. I looked yesterday and I saw this one ant carrying a large twig, way bigger than him, on top of the mound. As he walked, the twig was waving back and forth like a sword raised in the air. I laughed (to myself) and realized it had been a while since I had done so. This song is about all those little things in life, like that, that bring us back…. Hope you like it. Thanks for dropping by, Mark

Lammbone's Album

Walk In The Park

https://youtu.be/UHCLGRrcZo0

This song was inspired (or should that be triggered?) by half a dozen hunters in pink baseball caps I saw the other day.  Though I don’t think it is really about ‘meat eating’ or ‘gun control’, I suspect it is about something else. 


There’s a gun totin’ meathead at my door
Gun totin’ meathead at my door
Gun totin’ misanthrope
Not holding out a lot of hope
Wonder what he is looking for?

Should I open up, talk politely, build rapport?
With this gun totin’ meathead at my door
Trouble is with misanthropes
It takes a lot to float their boats
I think I might just head for the back door

Just about to hit the sack
When this knuckle head turns up
Pop the trunk on that dam Pontiac
Slips his A.K. out the bag
Puts a clip in, yeah, like that
What fuckin’ baseball cap?

There’s a gun totin’ meathead at my door
Gun totin’ meathead at my door
Gun totin’ misanthrope
Not holding out a lot of hope
I think I may have told you that before

There’s a gun totin’ meathead at my door
Gun totin’ meathead at my door
Gun totin’ misanthrope
Not holding out a lot of hope
Wonder what he is looking for?

Gun totin’, gun totin’
Gun totin’ misanthrope knocking at my door

Shsh..

I said, gun totin’, gun totin’
There’s a gun totin’ misanthrope knocking at my door

Gun Totin' Misanthrope

Piano player, singer,  righteous upright bass & concatenator of disparate factors.

Gun Totin' Misanthrope

burn-it-smith

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