Sound Gallery Rough Mixes II

Air on a G String performed with Double Bass (Neil Todd) and Alto Sax (Charlie Hearnshaw). Recorded in the old cowshed at Home Farm, Craddock, Devon.

Air on a G String, Johann Sebastian Bach

A selection of six numbers from a live performance by the Neil Todd Sextet at the Double Locks Hotel in Exeter on 9th April 2011. This was the occasion of a musical reunion as well as an opportunity to celebrate my half century not out. 

Alto Sax and Clarinet, Charlie Hearnshaw; Tenor Sax, Lou Gare; Tenor and Baritone Sax, David Ellingham; Piano, Chris Lee; Drums, Tony Plato; Acoustic and Electric Bass, Neil Todd. 


Blues For Alice

Joy Spring

Black Orpheus

This Masquerade

This is a rough mix of my piece "Heading South West", formerly entitled "Bossa Nova in A". A relaxed groove Bossa which captures the feeling of leaving stresses behind to head out on a road to somewhere nice. It was recorded in Sound Gallery Studios on 7th March 2015 with sound engineer Duncan Chave. The musicians were Chris Lee on piano, Charlie Hearnshaw on tenor sax, Tony Plato on drums and Neil Todd on acoustic bass. It will be one of the pieces to feature on my forthcoming album entitled "éveil" or "Awakening". 

Heading South West

This is a rough mix of my piece "Waltz in Blue and Green". An abstract and moody piece in 3/4 which resolves positively. The title reference to Miles Davis's "Blue in Green" is intentional. The image is a painting by artist Ivan Leudar. The track was recorded in Sound Gallery Studios on 7th March 2015 with sound engineer Duncan Chave. The musicians were Chris Lee on piano, Charlie Hearnshaw on tenor sax, Tony Plato on drums and Neil Todd on acoustic bass. It will be one of the pieces to feature on my forthcoming album entitled "éveil" or "Awakening".

Waltz in Blue and Green

This is a rough mix of my piece "Rondo for clarinet, piano and acoustic bass". A gentle jazz waltz originally composed some 30 years ago it gives an impression of youthful optimism.  The track was recorded in Sound Gallery Studios on 7th March 2015 with sound engineer Duncan Chave. The musicians were Chris Lee on piano, Charlie Hearnshaw on clarinet, Tony Plato on drums and Neil Todd on acoustic bass. It will be one of the pieces to feature on my forthcoming album entitled "éveil" or "Awakening".

Rondo for clarinet, piano and acoustic bass

This is a rough mix of my piece "One Blue Foot". An atmospheric 6/8 minor blues which remains unresolved. The title is a reference to Eric Satie's Gymnopédies.  The track was recorded in Sound Gallery Studios on 7th March 2015 with sound engineer Duncan Chave. The musicians were Chris Lee on piano, Charlie Hearnshaw on tenor sax, Tony Plato on drums and Neil Todd on acoustic bass. It will be one of the pieces to feature on my forthcoming album entitled "éveil".

One Blue Foot

This is a rough mix of a live studio rendition of my adaptation of the Australian bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda". As its title suggests, "Waltz for Matilda" is in 3/4, in contrast to the usual 4/4 march rhythm. The harmonisation and arrangement make reference to the hymn "Abide with me", which seems appropriate for the ANZAC unofficial anthem, especially in this year, the centenary of Gallipoli. It was recorded at Sound Gallery Studios on 22nd May 2015 with sound engineer Duncan Chave. The musicians were Chris Lee on piano, Charlie Hearnshaw on tenor sax and Neil Todd on acoustic bass. It will be one of the pieces to feature on my forthcoming album, now entitled "From out of my music box". PRS Tunecode: 182019DU.

Waltz For Matilda (Live)

A synthesized version of a slow reel in D minor (dorian mode) arranged for violin, flute, guitar and bass under the title "Song for the Mermaid of Zennor". It was composed after a recent folk session in the Tinner's Arms at Zennor, near St Ives, Cornwall. The tale of the Mermaid of Zennor has inspired many works of art, including poetry, opera and music. This composition is different in that it is intended to be heard by the mermaid herself in the hope that it might lure her from the waters along the shores of Zennor! In my dreams maybe!?

Song for the Mermaid of Zennor

This is rough mix of a recording by the Neil Todd Quartet of “Those ancient feet in steps of three” (alternatively “Those ancient feet in three time”),  a jazz take on the popular English anthem “Jerusalem”, originally a hymn written by the poet William Blake and later set to music by Sir Hurbert Parry during WWII.  The Neil Todd Quartet were made up of Charlie Hearnshaw on alto sax, Chris Lee on piano, Neil Todd on double bass and Massimo de Majo on drums. It was recorded on 21st October, 2017 at Sound Gallery Studios, Exeter with engineer Duncan Chave. “Those ancient feet in steps of three” is copyrighted at the PRS for Music.  TUNECODE: 298104LQ.

Ancient feet in steps of three

Those ancient feet in three time

This is rough mix of a recording by the Neil Todd Quartet of “I yearn for thee” (alternatively “Yearning for you”), a jazz take on the popular English anthem “I vow to thee my country”, a poem by Sir Cecil Spring Rice set to music by the composer Gustav Holtz. The Neil Todd Quartet were made up of Charlie Hearnshaw on alto sax, Chris Lee on piano, Neil Todd on double bass and Massimo de Majo on drums. It was recorded on 21st October, 2017 at Sound Gallery Studios, Exeter with engineer Duncan Chave. “I yearn for thee” is copyrighted at the PRS for Music. TUNECODE: 298104LV.

Yearning for you

A rendition of "Lou's Loose Bloose" performed at the Lamb Inn Sandford by the Neil Todd Quartet on Friday 20th October 2017 in memory of tenor sax legend Lou Gare who died on 6th October. The NTQ were made up of Charlie Hearnshaw (tenor and alto sax), Chris Lee (piano), Neil Todd (bass) and Tony Plato (drums).

Lou's Loose Bloose

"Round About Midnight" (Theolonius Monk) performed at the Lamb Inn Sandford by the Neil Todd Quartet on Friday 20th October, 2017.  NTQ were made up of Charlie Hearnshaw (alto sax), Chris Lee (piano), Neil Todd (bass) and Massimo de Majo (drums). The following day the NTQ recorded some new tracks at Sound Gallery Studios for Neil's new album.

Round About Midnight

"The Gospel according to Abdullah" is a piece by Neil Todd performed live for the first at the Lamb Inn Sandford by the Neil Todd Quartet on Friday 20th October, 2017. NTQ were made up of Charlie Hearnshaw (alto sax), Chris Lee (piano), Neil Todd (bass)and Massimo de Majo (drums). The following day the NTQ recorded this track at Sound Gallery Studios for Neil's new album.

The Gospel according to Abdullah

"Bossa do verdo" is a piece by Neil Todd performed live at the Lamb Inn Sandford by the Neil Todd Quartet on Friday 20th October, 2017. NTQ were made up of Charlie Hearnshaw (alto sax), Chris Lee (piano), Neil Todd (bass)and Massimo de Majo (drums). The track was originally released on Neil's album "From out of my music box".

From out of my music box

Bossa do verdo

"All the things you are" (Jerome Kern) performed at the Lamb Inn Sandford by the Neil Todd Quartet on Friday 20th October, 2017. NTQ were made up of Charlie Hearnshaw (alto sax), Chris Lee (piano), Neil Todd (bass) and Massimo de Majo (drums). The following day the NTQ recorded some new tracks at Sound Gallery Studios for Neil's new album.

All the things

A Sibelius synthesized demo of one of the new tracks for my forthcoming album which is based around reworking popular anthems. Estrela Brilhante Bossa is a Samba version of The Star Spangled Banner!

Estrela Brilhante Bossa

A Sibelius synthesized demo of one of the new tracks for my forthcoming album which is based around reworking popular anthems. Twinkle Twinkle Red Star Do is a Calypso adaptation of phrases from the Chinese National Anthem the March of the Volunteers.

Twinkle Twinkle Red Star Do

A Sibelius synthesized demo of one of the new tracks for my forthcoming album which is based around reworking popular anthems. "Papa's last song" is gospel version of Joseph Haydn's "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser".

Papa's Last Song

A Sibelius synthesized demo of one of the new tracks for my forthcoming album which is based around reworking popular anthems. "The rose thorns of Tralee" is modal inversion of Charles Glover's "The rose of Tralee".

The rose thorns of Tralee

A Sibelius synthesized demo of one of the new tracks for my forthcoming album which is based around reworking popular anthems. "The rose thorns of Tralee" is modal inversion of Charles Glover's "The rose of Tralee". Here it is scored for string quartet.

The Rose Thorns Of Tralee - String Quartet

A Sibelius synthetic demo of "Square Guitar Man Blues", a blues in C minor arranged for small jazz ensemble with vocals. Here the vocal part is taken by guitar. Registered at the PRS: EJNW-191019-0099-00. 

Lyrics as follows.

Verse 1:  Square man, he just doesn't get it; got his Real Book, but it don't mean a thing. Square man, he just isn't with it; he plays the chords, but they ain't got no swing. 
Chorus:  Square man, square man blues; square man, he's got the square man blues. 
Verse 2:  Square man, he really wants to fit in; looks around town, to get himself a spot in.  Square man, those jazzers really hate him; he comes to their club, but they won't let him in. 
Chorus:  Square man, square man blues; square man, he's got the square man blues. 
Verse 3:  Square man, he's feeling very sad; he tries very hard, but they say he's so bad.  Square man, those jazzers really slate him; they say he can't play, and that makes him mad.
Chorus:  Square man, square man blues; square man, he's got the square man blues. 
Verse 4:  Square man, he does his exercises; with his metronome, he gets his notes on time. Square man, he doesn't do rubato; but he doesn't speed up, and that ain't no crime.
Chorus: Square man, square man blues; square man, he's got the square man blues. 
Verse 5:  Square man, his notes are syncopated; so no need to swing, to get a groovy lick. Square man, he's really motivated; the street cats really like it, and that makes him tick.
Chorus: Square man, square man blues; square man, he's got the square man blues. 
Verse 6:  Square man, he told them where to stuff it; those jazzers need to listen, and go back to school.  Square man, his rhythm's really clickin'; they're really very groovy, because square is cool. 
Final Chorus:  Square man, square man blues; square man, he's got the square man blues. Because square is cool, he's got the square man blues. Yeah!

Square Guitar Man Blues

"Stella by Starlight",  a classic jazz standard by Victor Young from 1944. 

Stella by Starlight

"Black Orpheus" (or "Mañana de Carnaval" in Brazilian) was the original theme tune by composer Luiz Bonfá to the 1959 film Orfeu Negro. 

“Let's dance together” is the latest addition to a growing list of tracks for my forthcoming new album based on a reworking of popular anthems. In this case the original source was a baroque dance tune "Il Ballo di Mantova" (The dance of Mantova) attributed to the Italian tenor Giuseppino del Biado from around 1600, which subsequently became widely popular in countries of central and eastern Europe, including Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. Perhaps most famously it was employed by the Czech composer Smetana in his symphonic poem “Vltava”. More recently from the late 19th century it was taken up by the Zionist movement, which had its origins in eastern and central Europe,  and forms the basis of the melody of the Israeli National Anthem “Hatikva”. 

My reworking is based on two transformations, one melodic and the other rhythmic. The European diatonic minor mode of the original melody has been exchanged for an alternative Arabic mode (or maqam) in this case the Shad ‘Araban (شد عربان). The rhythm is derived from the popular Iranian Bastaki (بستکی) style. In this Sibelius synthetic demo track the melody is carried by an oud, a traditional Middle Eastern lute-like instrument, along with a clarinet and violin. The rhythm section is a standard jazz trio, but the drum kit could be replaced by traditional percussion instruments of the Middle East. The result to my ear is quite klezmer in feel, which is entirely appropriate. The intension of the piece is in very much in the spirit of West–Eastern Divan Orchestra founded by Daniel Barrenboim and Edward Said. The stately dance feel is also very much in the spirit of Giuseppino del Biado's original “Ballo”, and its other many manifestations, not least the Greek Μπάλος, from which the term derives. Registered with the PRS  EJNW-180520-0401-00.

Let's Dance Together

A string trio/quartet arrangement of some interlude material from J. S. Bach's B minor Fugue from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. The principal sequence of diatonic seventh chords is identical to the opening bars of the popular jazz tune Autumn Leaves.  The effect is quite kaleidoscopic with almost infinite possibilities. Douglas Hofstadter's book "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid" comes to mind. The arrangement was synthesized using the Sibelius software.

Jazz Fugue Interludes

I have been playing jazz bass and piano for some 30 years based in the South West of the UK along with a main career as an academic. I recently made a career change, gave up the day job and went freelance as a writer, composer and consultant.

As part of this career change I also dusted down some of my compositions which I had accumulated and put these together for a forthcoming album entitled "From out of my music box". I assembled some of the best musicians that I've played with over the years in the Neil Todd Quartet to record some great studio performances.

Neil Todd

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