Phrygiana (codename Raissa-Phrygiana) is an Afro-Jazz composition. Its form is 32-bar AABA, created in the Phrygian Mode. It belongs to the modern Jazz genre. Being a Jazz piece, improvisation follows after the Head-In. 

Raissa-Phrygiana is the codename while Phrygiana is the final name! Phrygiana as a composition's title is inspired by my beloved Jazz piano teacher Markos Alexiou's "Aeoliana", a composition that is based on the Aeolian mode. But my composition is on purpose contrary to Aeoliana in every aspect, harmonic, melodic, diatonic, rhythmical, motivational, morphological etc.

What is a mode to the musical ear? A mode like Phrygian becomes a whole acoustic space, considering polyphony and omophony - not just monophony - with its sound quality and particular difference, so Phrygiana becomes a mythical land from which we pump sounds and ideas! Besides melody, there is harmonic space in which chords are made and in most cases altered! In fact modern use (meaning from 1600 and after) there is not exactly a Phrygian without alterations even a little! it is used and "poked" everywhere: At Napoli in the Baroque era, in gypsy folklore, in Flamenco, in Modal Jazz (and these are just generic examples), it is always a recognizable sound that can be crinkled and altered! How far can it be altered? Well, until it is apparent that any more change will lose its color! In my composition there is no spot unaltered! The Phrygian becomes  Mixolydian b9b13 (Phrygian Dominant), Mixolydian b13, Phrygian #6, Locrian, Altered (Super Locrian) Aeolian etc!

To keep duration in control, solo is limited to 1 chorus, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 29/10/2019 recorded for this session at 19/06/21.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2019 George Micros
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micro.geo@gmail.com

Phrygiana

Statement is a Modal Jazz composition. Its form is 32-bar ABAC, created in C minor by 4ths. It belongs to the Post-Mainstream Jazz genre. Being a Jazz piece, improvisation follows after the Head-In. To keep duration in control, solo is limited to 2 choruses, followed by Head Out and ending. As an extrovert Modal piece, it was very difficult to maintain solo development in just one chorus.

Date of creation: 21/12/2020 recorded for this session at 19/06/21.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2020 George Micros
www/facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Statement

Roots is a Blues based composition. Its form is 12-bar, created in F minor classic blues harmony. This piece, although a tribute to the genre, It belongs to the Mainstream Jazz style. The melody (a single riff) is based to the minor Pentatonic scale rather than the minor Blues Pentatonic one, so the "Blue Note" and consequently a lot of the classic blues sound is absent on purpose. The changes deviate slowly to a more jazz influenced harmony and so does the improvisation. Being a Jazz piece, improvisation follows after the Head-In. To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 20/11/2020 recorded for this session at 20/06/21.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2020 George Micros
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micro.geo@gmail.com

Roots

Measures is a Jazz composition. Its form is 16-bar, created in F Major. It is conceived as a ballad and belongs to the Mainstream style. It is like a memory of the measures due to the the Pandemic that we suffer globally, but of a situation that hopefully ends, hence the major key! Additionally, the piece is 16 bars (measures), so a pun is also here!

The piece is an exploration of the narrative power of simple cadences and turnarounds, which instead of resolving fold to others, keeping the tension and releasing much later than expected, thus prolonging the journey. The melody plays an active role to the harmonic adventure.

Being a Jazz piece, improvisation follows after the Head-In. To keep duration in control, solo is limited to 2*16-bars, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 12/06/2017 recorded for this session at 22/06/21.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2017 George Micros
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micro.geo@gmail.com

Measures

Up The Ladder is a Jazz-Blues composition. Its form is 12 bars in F Major. Although Blues in nature, it is bop in essence. The harmonic progression is closer to Jazz than it is to classic Blues! The tonic and subdominant are both Maj7, the harmony is denser, melody is constantly in tension as is the improvisation also.

Being a Jazz piece, improvisation follows after the Head-In. To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending. This style would normally develop slower, in a less steep motion for more choruses and resolve to more dense and double time phrasing, but in all the compositions in this playlist I keep tight control over solo duration!

Initially, it was an 8-bar ear training exercise written by me 2013 for my ear training teaching class, hense the date of creation, but the thematic material was appealing enough to form a music piece, which happened very soon after.

Date of creation: 26/12/2013 recorded for this session at 26/06/21.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2013 George Micros
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micro.geo@gmail.com

Up The Ladder

Sadie is a Jazz composition. Its form is 32 bars ABAC. Although created in F Major, it was a challenge taken to compose a sad piece, like if it was in a minor key! The way of playing it also reflects a sad mood.

The main goal is exploring the sound of the two hands rather than the phrasing itself. Small phrases, octave ranges, ways of accompanying and time-groove management are the methods that produce the lyricism and the sensitivity in this ballad. The accompaniment is taken to the limits when bass inversions add mystery to the chords of the composition. The exploration is extended to the improvisation, where a single note of the harmony is accompanying the melody for 4 bars!

Being a Jazz piece, improvisation follows after the Head-In. In this piece the solo is not limited. Instead, its duration is that of a full theme, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 01/10/2018 recorded for this session at 30/06/21.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2018 George Micros
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micro.geo@gmail.com

Sadie

Memorables is a minor Pop Medium piece talking about memories that are preserved, only those that have their value and weight in our lives. Based in a really melancholic Bb- (Bee flat minor) key(!), the melody is based on Bb and F minor Pentatonics, and the harmonic progression derives from there with as little tension-release as possible. In some cases, depending on lyrics, the 7th bar of the first A can be omitted, thus having an 7-bar long A, and optionally an A1 can be added after the B before the last A in every turn, thus having a form of A1A2BA1A2! In the specific take, I try to add a "rainy" mood and a modal oriented improvisation in a free form chord progression, not too long though, as the goal is always to keep duration in control. Solo is afterwards followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 05/04/1990 recorded for this session at 07/12/21.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 1990 George Micros
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micro.geo@gmail.com

Memorables

Away is a Jazz Waltz created in C Major, using a swing era diatonic harmony and modulating to close - but not expected - tonic centers. Melodic ideas span at least 8 bars, keeping a "Waltz" mood without "breaking" it, thus keeping a retro style, and making pairs of questions and answers with the help of harmonic cadences. New ideas take place at the B of this AABA form. Although musical pieces like this can be played "fast", in this particular piece I chose the more lyrical and spatial 140 bpm.  To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Away is about a loved one who is on a short journey. So this is definitely not a goodbye, furthermore this person has a very good time, hence the Major key. Intended feelings in this composition are optimism renewal and return expectation.

Date of creation: 25/12/2021 recorded for this session at 12/03/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2021 George Micros
www/facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Away

Wind is a 2/4 Samba created in C Major, with a heavy use of II-V harmony, "backdoor" solution to I and fluent tritone substitutions! The form is ABAC (8 bars each) with harmonic tension using half cadence in the As, a turnaround at B and authentic cadence in the end of C! The melodic aspect is based on phrases of chord  ("harpistic") nature for tension and scale ("stepping") nature for balancing. This piece can be played as a 2/4 Samba or a fast Bossa! My proposition is the 2/4 115 bpm Samba, but if played as a Bossa, then a 4/4 bar at 230 bpm tempo is proposed.  To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

This piece is about the wind. Wind is semi-intangible, but when it gains speed, its force is unquestionable! I used a Samba rhythm to project this feeling of lightness speed and strength.

Date of creation: 22/12/2021 recorded for this session at 12/03/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2021 George Micros
www/facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Wind

More Of You is a fast swing created in Bb Major, using a swing era diatonic harmony used in pieces like "There Will Never Be Another You" (hence the More of You title)and predating "Blues For Alice" denser chord changes. Form is ABAC. A cadence leads to the relevant minor (VI) and one plagal leading to the IV in B. Then, pairs of chords lead to the II7 (Dominant) which evolves to II (normal minor) leading back to A!

Although Bebop in essence, melodic ideas differ a little from A to B and C, thus promoting optional latin-swing-latin-swing groove changes and bringing a more "Mainstream" style altogether. This is a "fast" piece, with a tempo proposed from 210 bpm and up. This recording is at a tempo near 210. As the title asks for "More", the solo is not as limited as in other pieces presented here.

Date of creation: 10/01/2022 recorded for this session at 03/05/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www/facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

More Of You

My composition More Of You, presented earlier in this site, has a versatility created on purpose: Melodic ideas in A and B have such a motive difference that can extend to a style or groove change between As and Bs, most commonly used as afro-swing or latin-swing orchestrations. So, I was tempted to present a latin-swing version of More Of You! Enjoy!

Date of creation: 10/01/2022 recorded for this session at 05/05/22 as an alternative orchestration.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

More Of You Latin Swing Take 1

Breath is a medium Jazz-Latin Bossa consisting of  5 8-bar parts, A A' B A A', thus having a 40 bars form! Changing keys on a same idea promotes a feeling of continuity as well as renewal such as every new breath! Prolonging the form through the use of an extra 8-bar promotes the feeling of longevity! The style in general is more modal and expressionistic, being more obvious in the improvisation part! As breath needs air and space, the solo has its own curve, and is not as limited as in other pieces presented in my page.

Date of creation: 08/03/2022 recorded for this session at 15/05/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www/facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Breath

Sketches On Porcelain is a Chinese style 20 bar monophonic composition based on the E minor pentatonic. 2 melodic ideas build up to the final phrase reaching a climax using intervals of 4ths. Even though the notation would normally use constant time 8ths, a more freely used time is recommended to add to the mood. Adding to the time dilation, a solo starting at a slightly slower tempo takes place, but the musical system expands to nowdays, with modal style chords modulations scales and solo, followed by a combined style Head Out and ending.

The composition's main idea consists of two phrases, one periodic with two endings and the second expanding to a longer sentence and then returning to the period! Thus the form is still small, and can be used as a normal Jazz piece as I show here in this version.

In terms of mood and ambience, there is also a discreet reference to Debussy's Pagodes!

This piece was created in 1995 to be the main theme for a chinese children's tale that was never completed unfortunately. But the composition was created so I post in now as my 13th personal composition!

Date of creation: 10/03/1995 recorded for this session at 19/05/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 1995 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Sketches On Porcelain

Sketches On Porcelain was a monophonic composition, meaning that there is no harmony moving the melodic idea, but instead there is only a modal note pool, an E minor pentatonic for that matter, and interval overlapping medieval fauxbourdon style early-polyphony. But as history teaches us, any older musical work can be integrated inside a more modern one, from medieval tunes in renaissance polyphony, renaissance melodies in homophonic Baroque Chorals, or 2-note (one-interval) African melodies to Blues Soul or RNB etc.

So, I integrate a harmony that moves further than just providing a static chord, thus telling a story on another level, and furthermore conceive a working turnaround that facilitates the improvisation task in a Jazz way of things.

My method was to enrich the sound by expanding the the 5-note mode to various 7-note modes. Because E minor pentatonic (EGABD) lacks F (or F#) and C (or C#), I can produce 7-note modal pools using combinations and adding color as well as chord progressions, always having the E minor pentatonic inside. This is the way the harmony was created and furthermore, modes to improvise were chosen.

Date of creation: 10/03/1995 recorded for this session at 19/05/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 1995 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Sketches On Porcelain Chord Version Take 1

God's Gift is a 32 bar Jazz-Latin Bossa composition in a 4*8 ABAC form.
The main ideas are based on chord progressions that are so common that "speak" to the audience heart just by hearing the transition from Tonic to SubDominant to Dominant to Tonic functions again. II-V chains make the further journey in Bs and Cs. After the first 4-bar 4-chord turnaround, the second turnaround (the rest of A) is unexpected, leading to a half cadence and transitioning to a minor mood. The minor feeling is enhanced by hearing minor II-V chains allover Bs and Cs. The melody is based on 2 long (4-bar) ideas that follow the harmony with as little change as possible, extending the sentimental feeling to the end. Recognizing a God's Gift brings happiness, but also makes us afraid of losing it. So, gratitude-happyness-fulfillment and fear-of-loss feelings alternate, therefore alteration from Major to minor is inevitable. That's why I chose the ABAC form.

Date of creation: 09/02/2022 recorded for this session at 30/05/22 as an alternative orchestration.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

God's Gift

Ribbon is a 12-bar Bebop-Blues composition based on the "Blues For Alice" harmonic progression.
As I describe in Sketches On Porcelain, it is very common to base a modern composition on older material. In the Bebop era it was very common to take advantage of an older chord progression and make a new song upon the older harmony, and of course alter parts of the progression according to the new Philosophy if needed. Some examples of this vast number of creations are Oleo (based on I Got Rhythm), Fried Bananas (based on It Could Happen To You), Ornithology (based on How High The Moon) etc.

My goal was to use melodic ideas that seem like ribbons, extending and folding, and sometimes make unexpected shapes. I chose the 12-bar Bebop "Blues For Alice" harmonic progression because of its lively and adventurous character that adds significantly to the goal of my composition. I wanted this piece to have a lot more than a "cute" character, which can be a very easy trap to go in with melodic ideas that act like "figures", because then it acts as "light" and "funny". Adding to the unexpected, the second time of the 12-bar idea expands to an unexpected variant. Thus the whole melody is 24-bars long instead if 12-bar that simply repeats twice. Being a Jazz piece, improvisation follows after the Head-In. This improvisation adds to the "ribbon" character building the whole shape and finally concluding it in the Head-Out and ending.

Date of creation: 17/04/2022 recorded for this session at 12/06/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Ribbon-Fast

Ribbon is a 12-bar Bebop-Blues composition based on the "Blues For Alice" harmonic progression.
As I describe in Sketches On Porcelain, it is very common to base a modern composition on older material. In the Bebop era it was very common to take advantage of an older chord progression and make a new song upon the older harmony, and of course alter parts of the progression according to the new Philosophy if needed. Some examples of this vast number of creations are Oleo (based on I Got Rhythm), Fried Bananas (based on It Could Happen To You), Ornithology (based on How High The Moon) etc.

My goal was to use melodic ideas that seem like ribbons, extending and folding, and sometimes make unexpected shapes. I chose the 12-bar Bebop "Blues For Alice" harmonic progression because of its lively and adventurous character that adds significantly to the goal of my composition. I wanted this piece to have a lot more than a "cute" character, which can be a very easy trap to go in with melodic ideas that act like "figures", because then it acts as "light" and "funny". Adding to the unexpected, the second time of the 12-bar idea expands to an unexpected variant. Thus the whole melody is 24-bars long instead if 12-bar that simply repeats another time.

Date of creation: 17/04/2022 recorded for this session at 11/06/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Ribbon

One For Bee is a Jazz-Blues dedication to Miss Bee!
In Jazz & Blues the (especially in Blues) it is common to dedicate a song to a person using the "One for ..." manner.

Miss Bee, Busy Bee is the "bee" of honor here. Words can not describe how much dedication is put into this composition. Tribute Blues style, 24-bars form in a minor key to create more sentiment and lyricism, while keeping the positive riff (small recognizable phrase) process. I choose 24 bars instead of 12 to make a longer dedication! 24-bar Blues forms are more spaced "in time" than 12-bar Blues, therefore special care must be taken in order to put out the "modal" scent and keep the bluesy one. Why? Because I want to. Every composition derives as a chain of decisions, and in this case I wanted to suppress Modal in favor of Jazz-Blues! I need harmonic functions, therefore I need cadences!

So, I use swing-bebop style progressions (and substitutions) to lead to the next primary Blues chord (one of I-7 IV7 V7).
To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.
 
Date of creation: 18/05/2022 recorded for this session at 21/06/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
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micro.geo@gmail.com

One For Bee

Regina Apum - or in our language Queen Of The Bees, is a dedication to a beloved friend's beloved relative, which makes no difference at all whether or not I know, have met, or have direct contact with. It's associative capacity, A=B and B=C makes A=C in mathematics, and it is valid in human feelings like love care and affection.

In this piece, aside of the referred feelings, I also point our respect to the 3rd age and the will to prolong life.

Prolonging life is pictured by a medium swing with a 16-bar progression that could continue for ever (literally), the 3rd age by a traditional Blues form that is the epitome of tradition in the Jazz culture, and the (beyond any doubt) optimism by an A minor key that is generally brighter than D minor or F minor (maybe because it is directly relevant to C Major).

The organization and respect is pictured by small riff-oriented "positive" (not contested) phrases that are "sure about themselves" and represent instructions that we would obey to. There is also a background rhythm by bass and chords that organizes the whole hive's life.

To the point now, because Lady Bee (Miss Bee) - like all bees - is not alone in this universe, she also has (among others in her hive) a Nana Queen to obey respect love worry about and care for!

To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 03/07/2022 recorded for this session at 04/07/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Regina Apum

Bee's Eyes is dedicated to Lady Bee's sweet eyes. Lady Bee has wonderful sweet eyes that bond radiantly with a green mascara recently applied! That would be a fine statement by itself and the composition would be a straightforward one to express admiration and love.

This scenario is a little more science fiction oriented. Lady Bee is not just a normal bee. Aside from the sting that normal bees carry, she also has cybernetic implants, like the "B-Ray Emitter" eye implant (among others) which is like X-Rays that stun and possibly blind temporarily or even permanently. This composition is therefore dedicated to the one and only Lady Bee that has such traits skills and perks that make her dangerous as well as gorgeous!

Thus, my composition has to develop to a more dramatic feel and relax again afterwards. Considering style-groove and form, it is a 32-bar AABA Bossanova straight feel in G minor. Melody is mainly leading to long notes that belong to 3rds 5ths 7ths and 9ths, and some times double chromatic approaches take place, enhancing the dramatic character. While the harmony is standardized to very common harmonic progressions, modulation takes place through bold harmonic "moves" that happen while the melody stands still, belonging to both chords, thus offering a sense of causality despite the key distance, a technique widely used in romanticism! The Jazzy "romantic" effect happens by moving root and 5th while 3rd and/or 7th guide tones remain still, changing harmonic function and diatonic center at the same time!
This is my first work using these harmonic techniques so extensively!
To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 06/04/2022 recorded for this session at 14/07/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Bee's Eyes

One More Kiss On Your Smile is a Jazz swing dedicated to Lady Bee and praising her warm smile. There is not much more to discuss about this except that there is a warm feeling full of admiration gratitude and love.

Keep in mind that the story is about "One More Kiss On Your Smile"! In this scenario, the first kiss has already happened, we have already experienced the first dramatic anticipation, tension, agony, risk etc. We are (hopefully) past all that and on to the next feelings: Sweet tense happy & joyful!

So, let's discuss the melodic harmonic and morphological issues. This composition is a 32-bar ABAC swing concentrated in a minor yet happy key (!!!) and focused there as a kiss would be on her warm smile (lips it is). Major and medium swing is for the joy and the sweet feeling comes from the "I-7 IV7" which implies a "II V" thus a Major color, the sensuality comes from the blues "touch" (bIII7 and bVIMaj7 substitutions). But we still sense the past dramatic feeling through the general minor key! An additional challenge here was to maintain long melodic ideas and put the whole piece in chains, but with subtle changes, meaning that As differ a little and B would include ideas from A with variations, and extend joy and optimism via key changes that produce brightness, while keeping the whole diagram of the phrase intact!

There could be even more processing like inversions (opposite direction up instead of down etc.) and retrograde (from end to beginning) but this would make the piece more "pensive" and cerebral, moving out of focus a piece that concentrates on the heart, the feelings and the senses!

Now some thoughts about major and minor characters in keys, chords, modes etc: Since our childhood we constantly hear (on the radio in my era) how sad we feel when we hear a minor song, and how happy we get hearing a major song. So, in reality we are trained in all our lives to be "moved" by the first 3rd as needed to conform to a standard feeling. The major-minor characteristic although only distinguishing an interval length, tends to extend to feeling also in everyday language. Bit the only real difference between major and minor thirds is the ratio of wavelengths 4:5 and 5:6 making the minor third slightly more complicated & slightly more dissonant, while both staying in the imperfect consonances group.

In this song I chose to play with the audience conforming ear. I present a happy song in a minor key, and I do so using style: syncopated melody, medium up swing groove, II-V Major color on a minor key which I explained previously! Then keys change to more sharps extending the brightness therefore happiness! Positive bright and optimistic thinking is the key to my whole composition! 

This is the first version of the two, the "elegant" one!
To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 07/04/2022 recorded for this session at 19/07/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

One More Kiss On Your Smile Take 01

One More Kiss On Your Smile is a Jazz swing dedicated to Lady Bee and praising her warm smile. There is not much more to discuss about this except that there is a warm feeling full of admiration gratitude and love.

Keep in mind that the story is about "One More Kiss On Your Smile"! In this scenario, the first kiss has already happened, we have already experienced the first dramatic anticipation, tension, agony, risk etc. We are (hopefully) past all that and on to the next feelings: Sweet tense happy & joyful!

So, let's discuss the melodic harmonic and morphological issues. This composition is a 32-bar ABAC swing concentrated in a minor yet happy key (!!!) and focused there as a kiss would be on her warm smile (lips it is). Major and medium swing is for the joy and the sweet feeling comes from the "I-7 IV7" which implies a "II V" thus a Major color, the sensuality comes from the blues "touch" (bIII7 and bVIMaj7 substitutions). But we still sense the past dramatic feeling through the general minor key! An additional challenge here was to maintain long melodic ideas and put the whole piece in chains, but with subtle changes, meaning that As differ a little and B would include ideas from A with variations, and extend joy and optimism via key changes that produce brightness, while keeping the whole diagram of the phrase intact!

There could be even more processing like inversions (opposite direction up instead of down etc.) and retrograde (from end to beginning) but this would make the piece more "pensive" and cerebral, moving out of focus a piece that concentrates on the heart, the feelings and the senses!

Now some thoughts about major and minor characters in keys, chords, modes etc: Since our childhood we constantly hear (on the radio in my era) how sad we feel when we hear a minor song, and how happy we get hearing a major song. So, in reality we are trained in all our lives to be "moved" by the first 3rd as needed to conform to a standard feeling. The major-minor characteristic although only distinguishing an interval length, tends to extend to feeling also in everyday language. Bit the only real difference between major and minor thirds is the ratio of wavelengths 4:5 and 5:6 making the minor third slightly more complicated & slightly more dissonant, while both staying in the imperfect consonances group.

In this song I chose to play with the audience conforming ear. I present a happy song in a minor key, and I do so using style: syncopated melody, medium up swing groove, II-V Major color on a minor key which I explained previously! Then keys change to more sharps extending the brightness therefore happiness! Positive bright and optimistic thinking is the key to my whole composition! 

This is the second version of the two, the "spontaneous" one!
To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 07/04/2022 recorded for this session at 19/07/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

One More Kiss On Your Smile Take 02

Apis In Alvum (Bees Are Kindly Requested To Return To Their Hives) is a composition about desire for a beloved friend to return soon. Bee is returning to her Hive after a wonderful exploration! Since her return is highly anticipated, there is much joy upon doing so. I decided to use a joyful - yet not fast - latin-swing groove change marked by a ABAC form (latin in As and swing in Bs and Cs).

From her point of view though, Bee is a little sad returning so soon! She feels that she could spend just a couple of days more! The As are a little sad (compared to B and C) and B and C bring the joyful experiences! A differs in motif and carries the oportunity to be played as latin or half-time feel!

In a synthetic point of view, returning to a familiar environment is pictured by phrases that either repeat or produce other phrases very similar to the initial ones. So, in a way, there is a minimal set of ideas. Because the return brings us to known environments, the harmonic progression stays as familiar as it can be (I VI II V III7b9 VI etc). But since the return brings rich experiences from the journey, I decided to picture this using colors from upper structures. The majority of the notes is on upper structures. In fact, there are more notes in upper structure than normal structure!

Furthermore, I couldn't resist praising Bee's energy! So, despite the sadness that As and the lightness that Bs abd Cs carry, I chose to play the whole piece (composition and improvisation parts) with high energy and seriousness leaving behind any sentimentalism or frivolity!

From a style point of view, two most serious jazz styles that are never light and are full of energy without doubt, are Bebop and expressionistic Modal! This merging, although difficult to achieve, usually happens in the "Post-Mainstream" Jazz style!

High energy has to emerge in every note in every phrase in every harmony. This is achieved at first layer via articulation. at second layer between time-groove-syncopation and at third layer via constant exploration in improvisation and harmonic inventions! I never leave the piece at rest! I even make mistakes or compromising the integrity of the phrases in favor of energy! I have left everything as played, not edited even a single note!

This composition trains also in syncopation! Syncopation is a rhythmic method where pauses and ties are used to make notes extend to the next beat in such a way that a feeling of rhythmical note "movement" is produced. The note, either on-beat or off-beat "moves" rhythmically from its neutral position, thus telling a story on another layer and keeping constantly interesting. The more interesting part in Jazz is that this method does not have to be written! Instead it is improvised on notes that technically are written steadily in beats (like 4 quarters) and the player keeps a constant vigilance to produce adventure still obeying to a general rhythmic feeling (i.e. half-time time double-time feel etc) usually trying not to repeat syncopated phrases unless it's on purpose. That's why I write notes with simple quarters, so the player can (and usually should) make the alterations to produce this syncopated feeling. This feeling is not only energetic. It can also produce the opposite feeling of lyricism relaxation and resting.

To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 22/05/2022 recorded for this session at 11/11/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Apis Alvum

Apis In Alvum Open-Swing version (Bees Are Kindly Requested To Return To Their Hives) is a composition about desire for a beloved friend to return soon. Bee is returning to her Hive after a wonderful exploration! Since her return is highly anticipated, there is much joy upon doing so. I decided to use a joyful - yet not fast - latin-swing groove change marked by a ABAC form (latin in As and swing in Bs and Cs).

From her point of view though, Bee is a little sad returning so soon! She feels that she could spend just a couple of days more! The As are a little sad (compared to B and C) and B and C bring the joyful experiences! A differs in motif and carries the oportunity to be played as latin or half-time feel!

In a synthetic point of view, returning to a familiar environment is pictured by phrases that either repeat or produce other phrases very similar to the initial ones. So, in a way, there is a minimal set of ideas. Because the return brings us to known environments, the harmonic progression stays as familiar as it can be (I VI II V III7b9 VI etc). But since the return brings rich experiences from the journey, I decided to picture this using colors from upper structures. The majority of the notes is on upper structures. In fact, there are more notes in upper structure than normal structure!

This is as far as it gets in resemblance to the first Apis Alvun take! The version presented here is more from the Bee's side, more sad because of returning home, but still with rich experiences and always keeping energetic. But neither nostalgia nor solitude take place in this take, keep this in mind. 

This open and lyrical version takes advantage of half time feel, smooth swing feel and even the double time feel also used on purpose for contrast to the other feels! Although it has so many time feels, it is not considered "broken" as the feels take place one after another marking forms, but do not merge or coexist. 

Furthermore the half time feel uses an additional 4-on-6 relation, where the measurement of 4 quarters becomes two quarter triplets... so by the half time swing feel coexists with a slow 12/8 measurement, implying a super-imposed 3-quarter Walz inside a ballad! This half-time attitude though appearing "difficult" is in reality learned and used by feeling!

To keep duration in control, solo is limited, followed by Head Out and ending.

Date of creation: 22/05/2022 recorded for this session at 16/11/22.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2022 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Apis Alvum Open-Swing version

Chrysalis is a ballad - slow swing Jazz composition dedicated to godmother Lady Bee and her goldchild!
It is about tenderness protection and caring!

Lady Bee is watching over a pupa - poetically "chrysalis" that is about to hatch to an apis (bee)! Key ideas are transformation and evolution!
Harmonic arpege that undergoes changing and melodies that stick while harmony changes are the key to imply the transformation.
The minor 6th chord, a Blues color and solutions of 11th-> 5th are used to declare that something magical is happening!
Not every minor needs to be sad or dramatic! And in B, the major mood holds the magic by tuning down a major third, while keeping optimistic course by tuning up at the middle of the 8-bar!

"Chrysalis" is in reality the gold-colored butterfly pupa.
"Pupa" is a more generic name for the third stage of many insects life circle (egg larva pupa adult) 
I chose however the "chrysalis" name for poetic reasons.
The composition was inspired after seeing godmother Lady Bee holding her godchild in her arms with such feelings of tenderness and protection!
But then why Chrysalis for a human being? Mainly for allegorical reasons, as pupae and babies are both vulnerable and need nurturing!

Date of creation: 21/01/2023 recorded for this session at 17/03/23.
Setup: Korg Concert 5000 electric piano, Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, a motherboard integrated sound card and Audacity.
Raw live unedited piano recording (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

© 2023 George Micros
www.facebook.com/george.micros
micro.geo@gmail.com

Chrysalis

Jazz piano player composer performer and educator.
Teaching Jazz piano, theory, harmony ear training and composition.
Also teaching classical theory harmony analysis and composition

In this page, i am presenting my original creations, raw live unedited single-take piano recordings (not even metronome), as if it was a live solo piano in a Jazz club.

This presentation is also a prequel to recordings with my personal piano trio.

George Micros

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