Love the duet, guys. Creative and listenable

When I asend into Heaven, I want it to be on the wings of  a melody such as this; And God will grant me that I am sure.

Excellent track, great guitar part and beauty.

Don't know how I managed to miss this wonderful trip my friend. But you and Pat always manage to make it an exuberantly happy experience. A lovely "three note" returning tourney. ;)

Some more fun with Pinner to start the new year.  Check out and follow all his guitar goodness - https://soundcloud.com/pinner  we've recorded over 100 tunes together and always a great time.\:  https://soundcloud.com/jamie-rhind/sets/smokin-with-stephan-stephan

Thanks as always for your generous time listening, for your comments and for your shares

Rain Dance - Stephan Lipinski / Jamie Rhind

'Black Liquorice' is a Jazz Fusion track and features Georg Boehme on Saxes and Flute and Tony Conway on Guitar.
I'm thankful to both Tony and Georg for their fantastic contributions. Amazing solos from both and wind arrangments from Georg.
All other instruments, arranging,composition and production by myself.
Georg      https://soundcloud.com/georg-boehme
Tony        https://soundcloud.com/user-95115433

After Gockston

Black Liquorice

Black Liquorice with Georg Boehme and Tony Conway

COSMOS IX

First Contact

This song was inspired by the 13th century poem about the abduction to Elfland by the Fairy Queen of Thomas the Rhymer. Thomas was a real person, also known as Thomas Lermount, a Scottish laird whose supernatural powers were said to rival those of Merlin. He was called True Thomas because he was said to have received the fairy boon of the Tongue That Can Never Lie. 

Whether or not Thomas actually was abducted by the Queen of Elfland,  I’ll leave up to you and your imagination! 

I’m very grateful to APi_ZZ for providing such a beautifully evocative soundscape for our fairy ride from Dreamland to Elfland! You can find here: https://soundcloud.com/api_zz

Words and vocals by Annie Dieu-Le-Veut
© Annie Dieu-Le-Veut, April 2024

Music by APi_ZZ 
© APi_ZZ (Andreas Pirner , April 2024)

Words: 

True Thomas was lying on a grassy bank, when a marvel with his eye spied he...
There he saw a lady bright come riding by the hawthorn tree.
Her skirt was of the grass-green silk, her mantle of the velvet fine, 
And at each lock of her horse’s mane hung fifty silver bells and nine. 

True Thomas, he pulled off his cap and bowed down to his knee: 
“All hail, thou Queen of Heaven! For thy peer on Earth I never did see.”
 “O no, O no, Thomas,” she chuckled, “That name does not belong to me; 
"I am but the Queen of fair Elfland that am hither come to visit thee.
“Sing and play, Thomas,” she said, “Sing and play along with me, 
And if you dare to kiss my lips, then certain of your body I will be.” 
“Betide me weal, betide me woe," replied he, "That fate shall never frighten me.”
And then he kissed her rosy lips, all under the hawthorn tree.

“Now you must come with me,” she said, “True Thomas, you must come with me, 
And you must serve me seven years, through weal and woe, as chance may be.”
 Then she mounted on her milk-white steed,  and she took True Thomas up behind.
And every time her bridle rang, the steed flew faster than the wind.

On they rode, on, and farther on, the white horse swifter than lightening,
Until they reached a desert wide, and living land was well behind them.
 “Lie down, lie down now, True Thomas," she said.
And rest your head upon my knee; 
Abide and rest a little space, And I will show you wonders three.” 

“So do you see that narrow road, so thick beset with thorns and briars? 
That is the path of righteousness, though after it but few enquire.” 
“And see ye not that broad, wide way that lies across the lily leven? 
That is the path of wickedness, although some call it the road to heaven.” 
“And see ye not that lovely lane that winds about the fern’d hillside? 
That is the road to fair Elfland, where you and I this night must ride.
“But Thomas, you must hold your tongue, whatever you may hear or see, 
For if you speak in fair Elfland, you’ll never get back to your own country.”

So on they rode.... and on.... and farther on, 
And they waded through rivers above the knee, 
And they saw neither sun nor moon, 
But they heard the roaring of the seas.
 It was dark dark night, and there was no sun light, 
And they waded through red blood to the knee; 
For all the blood that’s shed on Earth runs through the springs of that country.

Soon they came to a garden green, and she pulled an apple from a branch on high,
“Take this for thy wages, True Thomas, it will give you the tongue that can never lie.”
"My tongue is my own,” True Thomas said, 
“A goodly boon that you gifted me! 
I’d neither buy nor sell it, at fair nor tryst where'ere I may be.
“I dare neither speak to prince nor lord, nor ask favor from fair lady. “ 
“Now hold thy peace,” the Lady said, “For as I say, so must it be!”

So now True Thomas has a coat of elven cloth, 
And a pair of shoes of elven green, 
And till seven years are gone and past 
True Thomas on Earth will never be seen.

True Thomas and the Queen of Elfland

Smokey nights

'Thread The Pearl' is a Jazz Fusion track inspired by the Taoist alchemical practice of the "Nine Bend Pearl". Relating to the search for the "Golden Flower"......
The track covers many varient mood swings.

Thread The Pearl

Special thanks to 5Eleven for his a cappella.....

WAIT PLEASE. feat 5Eleven

Even today, modern politicians are educated by what's been dubbed a "manual of statecraft", penned by the so-called Father of Modern Political Philosophy and Political Science, the 16th century Venetian, Niccolò Machiavelli. 

In Machiavelli's book, The Prince, they are taught that no matter how evil the means that they employ are, to achieve victory, the ends will justify those means. Then as the victors, all they have to do is to rewrite the history, to present themselves as the good guys. 

I'm very grateful to Mark Combstead for providing such great rock music for this poem. You can find him here: https://soundcloud.com/markcombs-928282858

Words:

Last night, I dreamed of Machiavelli,
 Who, it seems, hasn’t learned much since the days of the Medici. 
 His pretext of seizing power for the ‘good of God’,
 Was straight out of the playbook of Cesar Borgia....
 So it seemed from my talk with poor, deluded Niccolo.
 
 Looking into my eyes and holding my hands
 He plied me with cunning plots and plans,
 Dripping in evil criminality, and base intent
 To create chaos for the existing world order
 No means was too foul, not even murder.
 
 The end will justify the means, my dear,
 Don’t worry your pretty head. 
 He said. 
 I wasn’t buying it, though, 
And so I said:	
 
 All around us in the world today that we see,
 Has been caused by those with such a strategy.
 The end doesn’t justify the means, at all.
 It is the means themselves which create the evil
 Of famine, pollution and perpetual war,
 Driven by madness, greed and holy preachings;
 This is the end created by your teachings. 
 We now have nation pitted against nation,
 Because the way, the means, IS the destination.
 

Words and vocals by Annie Dieu-Le-Veut
© Annie Dieu-Le-Veut, April 2024 

Music by Combstead
© Mark Combstead, April 2024 

Cover Art by by pizarro2021 at DeviantArt.

Machiavelli (ft. Combstead)

Original Composition: Jean-Pierre DUBOIS
Arrangement and piano performance: Debra Buesking

Thank you to Jean-Pierre Dubois for allowing me to play his pieces in my own fashion.  It's a great pleasure for me.

Also thank you to David Dunham for mastering my piano tracks.
 Listen to David's beautiful music here: @david-dunhamuser589535203

Chansonnette Matinale (Arrangement on original music by Jean-Pierre DUBOIS)

already a year in S.C....Special thanks to Badword for his a cappella...

OLD DAYS.   feat Badword

My good friend and bandmate Pat Howell shared some of his mandolin musings and ramblings to see what I could make of them. My excitement grew as the production evolved with each "return" to the three note sequence on the mandolin.  As you journey, may all your returns be safe and joyful.

The Return (Pat Howell-mandolin, David Dunham-guitar)

I am a finger-style guitarist living on the Texas high plains.  At the core of my music is melody that is inspired and informed by my Christian faith, family, friends, and countless influences through the years from the great composers, to jazz, folk, rock, Latin, Celtic, and the many fine musicians I have come to love on the Cloud, some I have been privileged to collaborate with.  Thanks for stopping by to have a listen. Comments are always welcome. Feel free to click on the picture of any track to learn more about it.

The Return (Pat Howell-mandolin, David Dunham-guitar)

David Dunham

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