So happy to hear your new song, Luis! Always blown away by your voice and phrasing, love the softness of delivery and harmonic choices!

I like the lyrics, too, very stylish, it takes wisdom to ask those questions

Gorgeous and peaceful. Lovely voice. 🎶👏

So good, Luis, and the way your vocal melody weaves through the chords is enchanting

I can't find a way out

Composição de Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges e Márcio Borges, de 1972.
Voz Angelina Gaúna, violão Davi Avansini.
Gravado e mixado no Pro-studio SP, por Cassio Martin.
Abril de 2015, Ipiranga, São Paulo, Brasil.

Clube da Esquina nº 1 - Angelina e Davi

Thanks to Angelina Gauna (https://soundcloud.com/angelina-graciano-gauna) and Luis Santos (https://soundcloud.com/luissantos-1-1) for initiating this interpretation with their vocal performances, and allowing me to chip in on keys.

(Thumbnail image of postage stamp featuring the artistic work of Martha Poppe and celebrating the composer Heitor Villa-Lobos obtained from Wikimedia Commons; it's public domain)

Melodia Sentimental (Villa-Lobos) with Angelina and Luis

Initially I was messing around, just on keys, experimenting with applying some Barry Harris (the best music teacher ever) harmonic techniques, and using this legendary Beatles tune as a canvas.  But then decided to do a little lighthearted (OK, cheesy) multitracked arrangement, 'cause why not?

(Photo taken by me, though I can't take credit for the whimsical sticker additions; those creative enhancements were already in place)

The Fool On The Hill (Lennon/McCartney)

Not This (24/02/2022) by Irina

My heart is bleeding, worn and torn
Do not resuscitate
I don’t know where I am from
In a crisis state

Believed in better, trusted lies
At least I had some pride
But now, a war before my eyes
The terror bona fide

Unsure of my identity
What will keep me safe
Culture losing sanctity
Digging its own grave

Hypocrisy and bitter crime
“Civilians won’t be harmed”
Strangled by the darkest time
The Earth – shaken, alarmed

Although I’m not responsible
I’m feeling shame and guilt
I thought it wasn’t possible
But they grabbed the hilt

A slash, another, children scream
Displaced by politicians
God, let this be an awful dream
Inhumane conditions

My heart is bleeding, worn and torn
I cannot bear to witness
Generations not yet born
Never seeing kindness

Endless sanctions, tensions, greed
Fighting one another
Nothing’s ever been agreed
Upon I now discover

Who am I? Afraid to ask
Powerless, that’s what
Distance is no easy task
Cannot stay afloat

A ghost has occupied my place
Emotions go to slumber
Cannot bear to see my face
While fields shall burn to umber

Aggression, a cold-blooded act
But real blood will be spilled
How many people won’t know home
How many will be killed

Historical event, God, no
Don’t want to live through this
My heart is broken, all time low
Not this, not this, not this


Music in background: 
Cello Concerto by Edward Elgar I. Adagio - Moderato
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Maria Kliegel, cello
Michael Halasz, conductor

Not This

(Edit Dec 2022)... I stole the general chord sequence and bass line from the lovely tune written by Christine McVie and recorded by Fleetwood Mac called As Long As You Follow.  That framework inspired me to try some specific techniques on keys.  I did this a few months ago, and it's sad to learn of Ms. McVie's passing (yesterday, relative to the moment I'm editing this description).  So, I'd like to let this stand as a tribute, though unplanned as such.

weekend Rhodes vibing (edited description December 2022)

The late great music educator Barry Harris would do this thing where he would draw 4 numbers randomly from the set of integers 1 through 8, and then improv a tune on piano based on the drawn numeric sequence.    Youtube has a clip with one such occasion, where the sequence 2-6-4-7 was drawn: https://youtu.be/0-IRJsAi0ek?t=91.  My simple interpretation here on soundcloud is in the spirit of tribute.  To accompany my keys I also used a beginner level lap steel guitar (electric) I recently got (been trying to learn basics of C6 tuning w/ fingerpicks... I'm not good at it but it's fun and I like the added atmosphere).

Barry Harris 2-6-4-7 (a tribute interpretation)

wrote out a chord progression on a napkin (trying to throw in a bunch of 2-5 and 2-5-1 sub-progressions, gratuitously, 'cause I never tried that), and demo-ed something out real quick on Ableton just using keys.  Silly, yet the process was more fun than I thought it was going to be.  Might try a different instrumentation and/or arrangement in future.  (Quickly/crudely tried to approximate a wobbly-onset Lyle Mays style synth lead sound using Operator on this).

(Photo snapped by me; I never know what to use for photos in this context so I tend to use a pic from a local park and/or trail, something mundane but pleasant, e.g. "this was a little part of my day" kind of thing)

Sunday chording

Mambembe, de Chico Buarque, cantada no palco do EM&T em 2029.
Voz: Angelina Gaúna
Violão: Daiv Avansini

Mambembe - Angelina Gauna e Davi Avansini

Letra do professor Marcos Antônio da Silva

Tu sabias sabiá
que a vida dura pouco
exceto pra quem é louco
e só canta o que não há?

tu sabias sabiá
que a rima é armadilha
como um prato de lentilha
com mais resto de fubá?

tu sabias sabiá
que toda canção persiste
quando falta até alpiste
no desejo que nos dá?

tu sabias sabiá
que a harmonia falha
se a melodia é palha
no fogo que espalhará?

tu sabias sabiá
que a morte é na vida
composição compartida
e a partida é pra já?

tu sabias, sabiá,
que meu canto se encerra
sob a chuva sobre a terra,
porém frutificará?

tu sabias sabiá?

Sabias, Sabiá? (Luis Santos; Marcos Silva)

Uma das maravilhas com as quais Cartola nos brindou...

Sabias, Sabiá? (Luis Santos; Marcos Silva)

Luis Santos

Recent comments

Greg

Annie Smart

Irina

Irina

Related tracks