Piano Improvisation 24/01/2023

Points of Reference.

"Through My Eyes" (Edit.: Mastered in iZotope Ozone 11 on December 4th, 2023)

This is a partly improvised "smooth jazz" or "lounge" track made as a humble tribute to my - for the most part American - collection of the wonderful musical adventure called smooth jazz that has given me so much over the years (maybe also the term "Westcoast music" could be relevant here). 

I shall call this track "Through My Eyes" because it kind of tries to capture and present something about the American smooth jazz tradition - as seen through my eyes. 

This track was loosely inspired first by Mr. Keith Jarrett's two wonderful songs, "The Good America" and "Country" which both express an enormously positive and hymn-like feeling, and second by Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in F Major, III. Poco allegretto (Op. 90), the beauty of which has been "haunting" me for many years (and maybe also to some extent by Mozart's Symphony No. 40, I. Molto allegro, and Schubert's Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished", I. Allegro moderato, etc.).

I have not found out much about the origins of the two Mr. Jarrett's songs but in a recent interview he talks about them and rightly describes - if I understood correctly - the song "The Good America" as almost like a prayer. I also got the impression that both of these two Mr. Jarrett's songs kind of represent a view of America. 

I have also gotten inspiration here from the music of one of my all-time favorite jazz bands Spyro Gyra and from all the wonderful music that Mr. Carlos Santana has provided to the world. Last but not least as a source of inspiration I shall mention the music of Mr. Burt Bacharach (especially his breath-taking song "Bells of St. Augustine"). There is again also a bunch of other classical and popular music and jazz lurking on the background as a source of inspiration. 

The instruments and plugins I have been privileged to use here are once again my old workhorse Korg SGProX digital stage piano (master keyboard), Yamaha Montage 8 synthesizer (CFX Concert) and the wonderful instruments from Scarbee (Rhodes, EP-88S), Native Instruments (Abbey Road 80s Drummer), the UVI SonicPass and Arturia V Collection. The drum grooves, fills etc. are from the 80s Drummer and edited by me.

Through My Eyes

New MV release, by CULT BURY RIOT・太陽の王国(spade13)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE8iFFV7ziU

弧状の聾唖  MV by YouTube

1年半くらい前からピアノを練習しています。
「これなら弾ける!!ジャズ・ピアノ」という本に載っていた、北島直樹さんが編曲した「Moanin'」にチャレンジしました。これは昨年録音したものです。
ちょっとミスっています(^^;)
ここを発表の場にして、もっと上手くなっていきたいと思いますのでどうか応援してください(笑)

I've been practicing piano for about a year and a half.
I tried ``Moanin''' arranged by Naoki Kitajima, which was featured in the book ``You Can Play This! Jazz Piano''. This was recorded last year.
I made a little mistake (^^;) 
I would like to use this as a place to make presentations and become even better, so please support me (lol)

Moanin' (Arranged by Naoki Kitajima)

The Road To Promise

in her eyes

A send up of dumb internet beauty trends and the myth of the thigh gap

Toned Inner Thighs 2.0

DCR - JERRY WAS A RACE CAR DRIVER - DCOMPOSED

like the wind blows
down by the waterside we could smell the sea air and all the life
to being around

down by the water's edge we could hear the sound of migration
feel the change of the season
like the wind blows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rVHfxNpc6M

Michael Weber's Album

the wind

HAVE YOU EVER known the real fear of losing someone you love?  this is what this song is about.   we must nurture and protect those close to us.

"Ambulance" is the first of 13 or so songs from my debut solo album, Year Zero.

this song is available to BUY on bandcamp https://miaowmcdonald.bandcamp.com/track/ambulance

"Ambulance" is also available on all other digital platforms to download and/or stream... iTunes, Spotify, Napster, Deezer, GooglePlay, AppleMusic, TikTok, YouTube  etc etc etc...

(c)(p) written & performed by Miaow McDonald

engineered/co-produced by Robert Davidson, the Aged Choir Boy, who also plays drums on this track.

Miaow McDonald only plays Fender Guitars.

LYRICS:

how did we get here?
t-t tell me 'cos i don't know
what went wrong.
your door is open
another closes in my face.
i'm gonna kick kick kick it down.

pills and letters
your mind is scattered on the floor.
i'm shocked to the core.

blue light flashing
my heart's racing
your getaway car's too slow
i can't let you go

(no, no no no no)

it's taking too long
it's taking too long

22 minutes
is a fu-fu very long time,
when you're losing your mind.

blue light flashing
my heart's racing
your getaway car's too slow
i can't let you go
i won't let you go
i can't let you go

Ambulance

Having kids and watching them grow up with tablets, interactive video games, 'so called' smart phones, social media, etc. has been a far cry from the way a lot of us grew up. It's not that I think life is bad now. It's just different....and there are some important elements that seem to be missing.
It makes me reflect on how I spend my time and the habits that I've gotten into as well. I guess we learn to only give so much time and energy to the virtual lifestyle. The importance of balance cannot be underestimated.
In a way, a lot of us are quite fortunate. 
We grew up knowing a different way....
albums, tapes, cds....
Music wasn't such an undervalued, here today, gone tomorrow commodity. Not that it can't still be beautiful, but it's different.
The point is not to complain or bemoan change. 
It's simply to preserve and fight for the quality of life that we know exists and to regulate our own habits.
The real life (not the virtual life) is where it's really at.
Hopefully we'll get the balance right and future generations will be freed from some of these ways of life that take a little more than they give.

the wind

cam-o the chameleon

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