What a beautiful and charming version of a classic. Incredibly beautiful warm and charming atmosphere. Big compliment to all of you!

Beautiful violin Dick, and cuatro from Regulo. You all have created a superb cover...one of my favourites..love it!

it is such a pleasure to listen to you three!!

So like the feel and sound of this song guys. Great to listen to.

Dan https://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1 is one of the most inventive and exciting people to collaborate with on SC. If you haven't heard his work before you should check out his cloud. Mark

Collaborations with ProgRockDan1 (and Oorlab)

Together.    A remarkable gathering of more than twenty of my favorite SoundCloud musicians.  Guitars, keyboards, basses, tenor sax, clarinet and vocals. Together's musicians are serious creative instrumentalists and are inspirations to so many.  Many are recording artists.  The finest players I know here.   So many are simply remarkable.
   
Together represents what SoundCloud is about, and how effectively musicians can work across the world.   Musicians who have never ever even spoken with each other, but recognize each other by their sounds and the notes, rhythms and phrases they play.  Pretty damn cool.

12 countries are represented here  -- Canada, Dubai, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and the US.   

There are two sections to the piece - a blues piece and a modal fusion section, with soloists across each part, showcasing their distinctive voices.  Vocalatti's beautiful singing is woven throughout the piece - her words and voice really pull us together.  The wonderful keyboard head during the opening and closing was composed and performed by Calaminus, who also has added the great organ comping you hear throughout.   The first and last soloists are brilliant musicians and soloists, as are so many throughout.    

It's been such a pleasure to pull this together over the past 3 weeks.  So sit back and enjoy a true SoundCloud experience.    

We thank you so much for your time listening, your comments and your shares to followers and social media.  And thank you for your exploring and following these wonderful players and voices on their instruments.

Musicians (in order of appearance)

The Rhythm Group:
Vocalatti - vocals - Manchester, England @vocalatti
Calaminus - keyboards (horns, organ, add. drums & loops) - Stuttgart, Germany @calaminus 
Tunde Fernandez - bass - Barnstaple, England @tunde-fernandez
Jamie Rhind - keyboards (rhodes, drums, main backings) - New Canaan, Connecticut (US)
Daniele Petrocchi - bass - Lucca, Italy @daniele-petrocchi

Blues Section Soloists:
Ronny Heimdal - guitar Bergen, Norway @ronny-heimdal
Justin Valente - guitar Wayne, New Jersey (US) @justin-valente
Stephan "Pinner" Lipinski - guitar Mount Laurel, New Jersey (US) @pinner
Calaminus - organ Stuttgart, Germany @calaminus
Tom Adams - guitar San Antonio, Texas (US) @tytlblues
Ian Tait - guitar Edinburgh, Scotland @ian-tait
Marco Oversteegen - guitar Almere, Netherlands @marco-oversteegen
Michel Martineau - clarinet Gatineau, Canada @michel-martineau
Benny Sutton - guitar England @bennysutton
Giuliano Ghisi - guitar Dubai, UAE @gghisi
Rients Draaisma - guitar Oudeschoot, Netherlands @rients-draaisma
Johnny (Sax) Pugh - tenor saxaphone, Jumilla, Spain @johnny-pugh
Alan Schulman - guitar New York, New York (US) @digschulman
Dean Clark - guitar New York, New York (US) @aleckrand
Anders Moberg - guitar Norrköping, Sweden @anders-moberg-1
David Nederland - keyboards Barcelona, Spain @david-nl
Daniele Turani - guitar Italy, @danieleturani
Joe Bongiovanni - guitar Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (US) @joe-bongiovanni
Darren Chilton - guitar Tokyo, Japan @spectrum_one 
Jeff Fiorentino - guitar Hollywood, CA @jeff-fiorentino-jfrocks    Daniel van den Berg - guitar Rotterdam, Netherlands, @danarchx

Modal Section:
Daniele Petrocchi - bass - Lucca, Italy @daniele-petrocchi 
Jamie Rhind - keyboards New Canaan, Connecticut (US) @jamie-rhind
Daniel van den Berg - guitar Rotterdam, Netherlands, @danarchx
Jeff Fiorentino - guitar Hollywood, CA @jeff-fiorentino-jfrocks
Tunde Fernandez - bass Barnstaple, England @tunde-fernandez
Rients Draaisma - guitar Oudeschoot, Netherlands @rients-draaisma
Jorg Calaminus - keyboards Stuttgart, Germany @calaminus
Vocalatti - vocals - Manchester, England @vocalatti

BUY JAMIE'S MUSIC

Together  -  23 musicians.  12 countries.  1 stage

My idea for the subject matter came from Dan saying the music made him think of mountains and water. In my head I made a leap to a human story I knew of a mother and son who waited for much of WWII at a tiny seaport (Kyle of Lochalsh) in the North Western Highlands of Scotland to occasionally see the husband/father who was on mine sweeping missions with the Arctic convoys. Life expectancy was 6 months but he returned safely. This story would work just as well as a scenario for a fishing village where all the men had been gone for days during a storm.

I can't thank Dan enough for his inspirational piece that triggered these words and likewise Dick made this sound so emotionally charged with his fiddle and harmony vocals. I am greatly indebted to my collaborators for making this possible with endless patience and skill.

Please check out their wonderful clouds. https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart/by-the-waters-edge-with-mark-bennett-oorlab-with-video-link
All Music (except for Violin), Vocal - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Violin, Harmony Vocal and Video - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Lyrics, Vocal and Artwork - me 

Video link - http://youtu.be/UAfy0vtMmsc


By the water’s edge,
All her thoughts are out at sea,
The child in her arms belongs to he,
He who’s gone

Ev’ry storm is a pain in her heart,
Waiting for news that would tear her apart,
Of he who’s gone
By the water’s edge

She is not alone in her wait,
All the women share her fate,
By the water’s edge

Tears of joy from all on the shore,
The ship is home once more.
By the water’s edge

By The Water's Edge (with Dan Lockhart & oorlab) with Video link

Hot on the heels of 'By The Water's Edge', Dan came up with another maritime sounding arrangement that he was keen to share with Dick Vestdijk and myself. The original music was very inspiring and my immediate suggestion was on the theme of 'impressment' - the press-ganging of sailors into naval service against their will. No sooner had I suggested this than Dick had drafted a great start to the fine lyric we have now. I added a verse then Dick completed the lyric and delivered a guide vocal that took my breath away. I thought we should leave it at that, however we all continued to work on multiple versions with a variety of arrangements and vocal set-ups. What we were seeking was something organic and natural sounding, as if a couple of sailors were singing in a tavern about their life at sea, surrounded by other impressed seamen. The quality of musicianship, imagination and patience that Dan and Dick brought to this continues to astound me. As well as their generosity and skill, they really are great guys to collaborate with. I look forward to many more projects.

I'm sure Dan and Dick will gladly respond to any comments posted here. Thanks for taking the time to listen.
 
Original Music, All Other Instrumentation and Final Mix - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Guitar, Harmonica, Lyrics, Vocals and Vocal Melody - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Additional Lyrics and Vocals - me
 
Also attached is a link to a beautiful video made by https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
- https://youtu.be/I2mUn3yWxPs
 
They took me from the harbour,
 
While I was still asleep,
 
Chained and gagged and bent and ragged,
 
Human turned to sheep.
 


In the days of impressment,
 
Flogging instead of caressment,
 
A captain cruel, an empire’s tool
 
... ship of fools.



Though the sails are torn,
 
The bow cleaves straight,

For the Equator.
 
Unto its fate.
 


The King's shilling will be my lot,
 
My fate's sailing, willing or not,
 
The wind's ailing and I've been bought.
 
The wind’s ailing, It's come to naught.



This coin of treason,

Was in my cup,

The pressgang thugs will never stop,

My love, the world's a station, cruel & dim,

Where is the truth & dignity,

How can this law be for the free?

The King's shilling will be my lot



They robbed me from my hometown,

And pressed me on their ship,

Forced to fight their dirty war,

Slave under their whip,


In the days of impressment,

No law forbade his arrestment,

Sailor’s freedom for what it’s worth,

Where is the justice on this earth?

In the days of impressment.



The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot (with Dan Lockhart & Oorlab) + videolink

Like "The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot' this song started with a maritime theme from Dan, to which Dick found the highly original subject of Napoleon's jailor on the island of Saint Helena. There are conspiracy theories (rumours of arsenic poisoning, etc) about what really happened in Napoleon's last years, although both sides of the story are well documented. Dick was inspired by some research he made via the British Library's website. For more information follow these links -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Lowe
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Napoleons-Exile-on-St-Helena/

It is always a pleasure to get the opportunity to work with such wonderful collaborators. Please check out their clouds if you haven't already. This will become part of a set of songs that relate to nautical themes with more to follow soon.

Original Music, All Other Instrumentation - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Violin, Additional Drums, Lyrics, Vocals, Vocal Melody, Final Mix and Video - @oorlab
Additional Lyrics, Vocals and Artwork - me

Link to video - youtu.be/_PVXdPRpitc

Hudson Lowe took his ship
To horizons far & wide, 
As long as he was sailing,
He felt no need to hide,

Fighting for King & country,
God & honour ran through his veins,
Securing domains,
In campaigns,
With the insane.

Writing letters from quarters,
Beyond the sea,
From an island full of rats,
And devoid of trees.
The Emperor still conniving,
For an escape, that he was striving.

Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act

The Emperor & his jailor,
Prisoners in time, 
Six times met face to face,
In Longwood’s walls of his disgrace 
The Corporal was waiting 
For his final hour,
Using his power,
The Ferryman’s come.

Endless streams of blood,
In Europe's ground, Europe's soul. 
This prison below the equator,
For them both, it would take its toll.

Where is the purpose,
Of rising through the ranks,
When your ship is stranded,
On history's treacherous banks.

Yet Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act
Hudson Lowe
Long ago
Played his part,
Final show.

The Ballad Of Hudson Lowe (with Dan Lockhart and Dick Vestdijk)+videolink

Another song to add to our collection of 'Songs from the Sea'. As before, Dan offered a slow celtic air, which had such a beautiful melody that it felt like a 'boat song'. I was inspired to write a lyric about the herring fishing industry that was once so important to so many nations. Dick and Dan added some more lyrics, then the tempo had to quicken to convey the joy of the fishermen returning home and once it had all three of us singing, it began to really take shape. Thank you for taking the time to listen and comment.

Original Music, All Other Instrumentation, Vocals, Additional Lyrics, Final Mix - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Violin, Vocals, Additional Lyrics - @oorlab
Vocals, Lyrics and Artwork - me
The image, I believe to be of 'Herring Girls' in Scarborough, North Yorkshire but I can't be sure and unfortunately I have no source to thank and credit either.

Sunrise on the horizon,
Beyond tired and cold,
Dawn begins to brighten,
Homeward if this course we hold
'Til we roam again

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

With only wood and nails,
Between us and peril,
With the wind in our sails,
And herring for the barrel,
'Til we roam again.

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

Neptune and Saint Peter,
Bring us to the shore,
Bounty from the ocean
Harvest the sea once more
'Til we roam again.

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

Homeward, 
Landward,
Home

The Silver Darlings (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)

The story of Grace Darling to me as a child felt like the ultimate example of female heroism imaginable. This year celebrates the bicentenary of her birth. For more information on her life please visit these links –
http://www.gracedarling.co.uk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Darling
http://rnli.org/aboutus/historyandheritage/museums/Pages/Grace-Darling-Museum.aspx

This song was different from most of our other collaborations in the way it developed. It started from a lyric for almost all of the song from myself, which Dick added to, especially in the chorus as well as coming up with the music and vocal melody. Dan came on board later with backing vocals and more instrumentation as well as the final mix.

I’d like to thank Dan and Dick yet again for their patience and creativity and for enabling me to realise this piece. I’d also like to thank some other fellow Soundclouders from the North of England for some invaluable advice whilst we were researching this subject -
https://soundcloud.com/the-secret-red-orchestra
https://soundcloud.com/sciencebase
and https://soundcloud.com/gibson-j-4-5

Mark J Bennett – Lyrics, Vocals, Artwork
https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart – Backing vocals, Mandolin, Bass and Final Mix
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab – Music, Additional Lyrics, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Drums and Video.

Videolink - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V31JV3Bqz8&feature=youtu.be

Witnessing the wreck from her window,
Showed her mettle when facing peril.
With her father, she braved the storm
Little thought of fear or harm.
Survivors clamour for dear life,      
On half a ship as if cut by a knife.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Rowed a mile in a Northumbrian coble,
Was an act so selfless and noble.
They rescued four men and Sarah Dawson,
Too late for the vicar and her children.
Newspapers clamour for her story,
And bathe in her reflected glory.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Eighteen were saved from the sixty-two, 
Gifts and donations they did accrue,
From circus, Duke and even the Queen.
Such fuss, they could not have foreseen.
Artists clamour for her likeness,
Yet something faded from her brightness.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Unwanted celebrity was hard to maintain,
The pressures of fame, proved a strain.
Already reclusive on her island retreat,
Her admirers became indiscreet.
Visitors clamour for a token,
Grace’s calm, forever broken.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.


Grace Be Brave (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)+Videolink

Kings of Manguareo Present:
All of Me(Mark Simons / Gerald Marks)

Three Owls are:
Mark Bennett: Vocals
Dick Vestdijk: Violin
Régulo Tortolero: Cuatro, Bass, Brushes, Cymbal, Maracas
Recorded between Edinburgh (Scotland), Amersfoort (Netherlands) and El Limón (Venezuela) and
Mixed at NoHum Studio, April 20 2016 / July 16 2018, El Limón-Venezuela by R.T.
Photo: R.T. ©® 2006

All of Me

All Of Me (Mark Simons / Gerald Marks)

This was initially intended to be a new version of a previous song (https://soundcloud.com/alexis-roche-2/sur-la-toile) but it became a new song on its own, one that matches the "original momentum" more closely.

[Remixed Jun 21, 2019]

Je mets les voiles 

Vois la grisaille
Qui voile la ville
Moi je fais bye bye
En remontant par l'écoutille

Je mets les voiles
Mets les voiles
Mets les voiles
Vers mes désirs qui se dévoilent

Vois-tu la faille
Au-dessus du vide
Assez de regarder la paille
Lassé de moi terre-à-terre aride

Je mets les voiles
Mets les voiles
Mets les voiles
Peut-être à la prochaine escale

Cherche un amer
Un bras de mer
Capte un signal
Des étoiles, des étoiles, des étoiles

Je mets les voiles
Mets les voiles
Mets les voiles
Vers mes désirs qui se dévoilent

Alexis Roche's Album

Je mets les voiles

Continuing my series of sea-related songs, I am very pleased once more to welcome DD "clari magique" John (https://soundcloud.com/ddjohn) onboard. 

Au-dessus des poissons

Hissée voile
Prends le vent
Les courants forts
Sur l'océan

Cap au nord
Fends l'écume
Baleines à tribord
Reflets de lune

Terre en vue
Sémaphores
Passé le phare
Bord-à-bord

Sur la vague
Dans le vague
Ramé en galère
Par vent contraire

Le tout c'est de rester dans le vent
De toujours regarder devant
Pour voir quelquechose à l'horizon
Au-dessus des poissons

Au taquet
L'aventure
Et des embruns
Pleins la figure

Découvert
L'Atlantide
Bordé de sirènes
Aux chants fluides

Des voyages
Des naufrages
Il restera
Des coquillages

Disparus
Sous l'écume
Avec les murènes
Les poissons-lunes

Au-dessus des poissons (with DDJohn on clarinet)

The legendary Leslie Speaker and Amp created the waffling sound of the Hammond organ, which was used in so many great jazz and blues and rock ensembles and recordings.  Introduced in the 60's, it was  strong competition to a Marshall stack, and also held its own in a jazz club.  What a warm sound that the Leslie created.  You'll recognize it in the middle part of this jazzy, Hammond driven original.

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

Leslie

Salsa Bingo Boy

with backingvocals from https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett 

Doggerland

I have been waiting 
for the rain to come.
The land was drying,
under the heavy sun.

Doggerland's sinking
into the sea,
up on trial is infinity
Doggerland's sinking
going so deep,
under the tide
from which time can leap.

But now it is raining
and the sky will fall
I didn't heed that
final stormwatch's call

Doggerland's sinking
into the sea,
up on trial is infinity
Doggerland's sinking
under the tide
going so deep
from which time can't hide.

I have been waiting
for you to change your mind - 
You should be wiser,
how could you be so blind?

Doggerland's waiting
to tell its tale
whatever we do
the tide prevails...

So here is tomorrow
there goes today:
Watch it unfold
I should be on my way.

Playing blindman's bluff
in a hall of mirrors,
in the winter cold.
Where is the land
where is the ground
that we can hold?

I'll keep searching 
for Doggerland

Doggerland

Bandcamp

Doggerland (feat. Mark J. Bennett)

Don’t Give Up The Day Jobs - based on the original collaboration invitation https://soundcloud.com/dave-mckeown/dont-give-up-the-day-job
Music by Dave McKeown https://soundcloud.com/dave-mckeown
Lyrics and vocals Mark J Bennett 
Some vocal melodies and a line or two I owe to my dear friend, the late NiggyQ https://soundcloud.com/sanigar

Just when you thought,
It couldn’t get much worse.
Zero hours contracts,
Universal Credit curse.
Without Gran there’d be no childcare,
Without the food-bank, the cupboard’s bare.
Don’t give up the day jobs,
Work nights as well.

I’ve always been a grafter,
Never one to shirk,
Early morning papers, 
And weekend laundry work.
No time left for more education,
No energy left, nor motivation.
Don’t give up the day jobs,
Work nights as well.

Why does it have to be this way?
Why don’t debts ever go away?
Still we’ve lived to fight another day.
I fear it’s the way, that it’s going to stay.
Accept the lot you’ve got, the life you live from day to day. 
Day to day, day to day.

Just when you thought,
It couldn’t get much worse.
I made an insurance claim, 
But they wouldn’t reimburse.
Is it worth it just to keep standing still? 
We can’t afford to ever get ill.
Don’t give up the day jobs,
Work nights as well.

Don't Give Up The Day Jobs (Dave McKeown/Mark J Bennett)

Sick Brother

Blues in the Closet

Blues In The Closet (Oscar Pettiford)

Dear listener, Feel free to leave comments and I'll try to reply.

I've been making music for around 16 years now but because of the wonderfully generous community that is SC, I have learned so much in a short time. I look forward to learning even more by collaborating. 
I suppose my strengths are in lyric-writing and singing. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with some stunning compositions by some very talented SCers.

My very best to you, Mark

Some links to recent Continental Collision streaming sites, etc are available below:

All Of Me (Mark Simons / Gerald Marks)

Kings of Manguareo Present...

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