Trying to mimic the spirit and style of the saxophone legend Art Pepper. Some fast lines, hitting some core notes of the upper register, and checking my breath support with subtone in the end.

Alto Saxophone Practice-Rigotti 2.5 (Medium)

Daniel Kalamaras - Floating Away

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
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Apis Alvum Open-Swing version

Dan Marel - Oberfunk

Daniel Kalamaras-Southern suburbs

Daniel Kalamaras - Sudden Dream

Daniel Kalamaras - Moving Emotions

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.

Apis Alvum Open-Swing version

George Micros

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