Such a comforting and sparkling way to start my day!

Weekly Wave

"Through My Eyes" (Edit.: Mastered with iZotope Ozone 11 on December 4th, 2023)

This is a partly improvised "smooth jazz" or "lounge" track made as a humble tribute to my - for the most part American - collection of the wonderful musical adventure called smooth jazz that has given me so much over the years (maybe also the term "Westcoast music" could be relevant here). 

I shall call this track "Through My Eyes" because it kind of tries to capture and present something about the American smooth jazz tradition - as seen through my eyes. 

This track was loosely inspired first by Mr. Keith Jarrett's two wonderful songs, "The Good America" and "Country" which both express an enormously positive and hymn-like feeling, and second by Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in F Major, III. Poco allegretto (Op. 90), the beauty of which has been "haunting" me for many years (and maybe also to some extent by Mozart's Symphony No. 40, I. Molto allegro, and Schubert's Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished", I. Allegro moderato, etc.).

I have not found out much about the origins of the two Mr. Jarrett's songs but in a recent interview he talks about them and rightly describes - if I understood correctly - the song "The Good America" as almost like a prayer. I also got the impression that both of these two Mr. Jarrett's songs kind of represent a view of America. 

I have also gotten inspiration here from the music of one of my all-time favorite jazz bands Spyro Gyra and from all the wonderful music that Mr. Carlos Santana has provided to the world. Last but not least as a source of inspiration I shall mention the music of Mr. Burt Bacharach (especially his breath-taking song "Bells of St. Augustine"). There is again also a bunch of other classical and popular music and jazz lurking on the background as a source of inspiration. 

The instruments and plugins I have been privileged to use here are once again my old workhorse Korg SGProX digital stage piano (master keyboard), Yamaha Montage 8 synthesizer (CFX Concert) and the wonderful instruments from Scarbee (Rhodes, EP-88S), Native Instruments (Abbey Road 80s Drummer), the UVI SonicPass and Arturia V Collection. The drum grooves, fills etc. are from the 80s Drummer and edited by me.

Through My Eyes

“Pinto”
LoFi track from our Eastern LoFi Lab.
Cover pic: Arpad Kajel www.facebook.com/arpikirandul

Pinto

в этот раз, похоже, получился спейс-рок, а не лоу-фай хип-хоп // this time it seems to be space rock, not lo-fi hip-hop 

все дороги вселенной

Words and music written by Bartley Charles Mastin
Performance by Bartley Charles Mastin
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

Lyrics:
Don't want to be a rose
You want to be a wildflower
Never mind the sun
You want to take a moon shower

Half a mile from here we'll disappear aboard the midnight train

You say you're getting old
You say you've reached a milestone mama
You're tired of being sold
You're tired of all the hometown drama

Half a mile from here we'll disappear aboard the midnight train

I love the way the moon glows
I love the way the wind blows
When it goes
Through your hair

Gonna be a wild ride mama
Gonna be a rodeo
Gonna be an LA drama
Gonna have to rope me down

Half a mile from here we'll disappear aboard the midnight train

Half A Mile From Here

Hidden World

The Return

Cast of Characters:  

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– acoustic guitar, electric guitar solo, mix, production, and mastering

J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- Yamaha Genos 2 piano solo 

K2 and the Three [and the Four] -- @k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1– Warwick 4-string fretless bass, piano, mandolin, and vocals

This is an old Jerry Jeff Walker song from a live album that Josh's dad played countless times while driving around in his his old pickup truck while he was growing up. Josh decided this year's musical gift to his father would be a recording of this song, which his dad has always loved. When he asked his bandmates in the Eclectic Collective to help him with it, they all generously and enthusiastically agreed to do so.

  Josh began the song by laying down the piano you hear throughout. He then added the bass before asking Ken to lay down the drums. Ken learned the song very quickly, and added perfect drums to it. Stephen then added his solid foundational guitar. Then, Josh went back in and added the mandolin before singing the whole thing. Before it was done, however, Josh tapped JJ to add the piano solo after the first chorus, which he did with grand style and flourish.

  Once it was in the can, Stephen was kind enough to mix and master it in his always professional manner. 

  Josh is very grateful to his bandmates for helping him give the gift of music to his dad once again this year. His dad has alwasy supported him with his music, from the time he was a little kid, and is very proud of his musical skills to this day. We hope you enjoy listening to this

Pickup Truck Song - (Eclectic Collective)

The title is motivated by some new sounds I have created. The sounds for Blofeld, Microwave, ANA 2 and other synths are partly orientated on the sound of orchestral instruments from the woodwind section.
But since this is a classic EM track, I designed the video accordingly. There are hints of electronic music from the 80s/90s in the song and the video.
____________________________

Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l5rq5Bu7Na0
____________________________

Der Titel ist Motiviert durch einige neue Sounds die ich erstellt habe. Die Klänge für Blofeld, Microwave, ANA 2 und andere Synth orientieren sich teilweise an dem Klang von Orchester Instrumenten aus der Abteilung Holzbläser.
Das es sich aber um einen klassischen EM Track handelt, habe ich das Video auch dementsprechend gestaltet. Im Song und im Video finden sich Andeutungen zu elektronischen Musik der 80/90er Jahre.

Reed & Wood (ink to video inside)

“Dessau Dreaming “ by Luke  (in memory of my brother) 

Long time ago during the Cold War in a small apartment in Dessau 🇩🇪
a 2 year old brother was introduced to his new baby brother, both boys were adorable with blonde hair & blue eyes.. 
one year later the older brother went by train to visit his Oma in Berlin.. 
that was the last time the brothers ever saw each other again..
the barbwire went up & the wall was enforced, forcing the 3year old brother to stay in the East while his younger brother (and Mother) made it to Aachen to live with the other Oma.. 
20years later the wall came down only boy left was the younger brother who grew up with the PolarBears in🇨🇦Canada..
he was a Diesel mechanic by trade
but he’s been writing & creating music since he was 6 years old..
I Created this song In memory of my older brother..
Dieter Schüßmann ❤️

“Dessau Dreaming” by Luke

Cast of Characters:
Stonerjazz-- @user-911083679 -- narration of questions
Surfers Like Us– @user-411502040 –Artur– guitar
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark -- piano, organ, clavinet, synth, synth effects, harmonica, jaw harp, flute, VST instruments (horns, upright bass, guitar, fiddle, strings), drums, percussion, vocals and lyrics, production
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – guitar and production
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– guitar, banjo, slide, sitar, and production
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –electric piano, organ, synth, bass, drums, vocals, and production
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums, percussion, and vocals
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- guitar, bass, madolin, keys, banjo, lap steel, sitar, and vocals

Huge thanks, too, to the other featured musicians to whom we're very grateful to for sharing their music and talents with us this past year. They are the fuel that drives the EC into new musical realms. They include:

CGMANESS-- user-419254289-15129531
TEA R. SEA-- @tea_are_sea
STEVE'S PLANET-- @steve-vervaet
JOHN ANTHONY-- @john-anthony-871225464
ELPIVERSE-- @elpiverse
SCOTTY (ONE MAN VERITY SHOW)-- @one-man-verity-show
ROY ROY-- @user-967672349
MARK FOSELLA-- @mark_f_2019
FRANS BEELAARD-- @user-936947521
THE MYSTERIOUS DECIBEL-- @themysteriousdecibel
DAVID MARCONI-- @david-marconi-917184705
RON LEWIS-- @ron-lewis-779503933
JEFF ROBERTS -- @jeff_roberts
JAMES TOBUREN (WITCHES OF THE ALAMO)-- @witchesofthealamo

Well folks, it's that time of year again. It's time for the Eclectic Collective to take stock of the fruits of the year previous, and reflect on what making music together means to all of us. We hope you all take a chunk of time and indulge in our thanks to you. We wanted to address every one of our SoundCloud friends with our voices as an intimate way to connect with each of you.
This has become a tradition within the EC now that we've made it to our second (and a half) year of making music together. For the second time, JJ asked our friend and sometimes collaborator Jeff (Stonerjazz) to ask some interview questions of us. Then, we all came up with the answers and sent them to JJ to assemble the project.
This motley music machine we've created, that manages to release a new song every Friday, wouldn't mean anything if no one was listening. Which is why we want to extend our very sincere thanks to you for tuning in and supporting our efforts, and inspiring us with the amazing music you share as well! With that, we hope you enjoy hearing us voice our thoughts over the highlights of our musical year as much as we enjoyed a year rich in music and comradery. Happy New Year!
Here's a breakdown of the time stamps for each of our individual questions and answers:
1:28 TEZ Q1
2:20 TEZ Q2
2:37 TEZ Q3
4:42 KEN Q1
7:36 KEN Q2
13:04 MARK Q1
18:42 STEPHEN Q1
23:21 JOSH Q1
27:36 ARTUR Q1
32:00 J.J. Q1

The 2024 Eclectic Collective Rockumentary

The Righteous Brothers were one of the most inspiring music acts to me growing up in the 60’s. I always dreamed of singing like Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield  and this song is one of their numerous classics of the era. Written by Cynthia Well and Barry Mann, I made a raw iPhone recording and simply added some harmony vocals, complete with living room noises and generally lo-fi ambience. But I thought it captured my passion for those times and those dreams of my younger days. Dedicated to the yellow roses...

Soul & Inspiration (Righteous Brothers cover)

Coming Home (2025)

Cast of Characters:
E Ruizzo-- @ruizzoidman21centurions -Manuel-- composition, lyrics, Squier Stratocaster electric guitar, vocals, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- piano, accordion, and horn
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Jose Ramirez nylon stringed flamenco style guitar, and mastering
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – four string Fender Precision Bass bass

This song began all the way back when Manuel was 16 and found love that summer with a girl named Carmen. He remembered her, though, and wrote this song about her all these years later. The title of the song means "Your name has the song," and the lyrics spell out the girl's charms using the letters of her name. Check out the lyrics and the translation below. 
  Using that inspiration, Manuel came up with the song structure and the vocal melodies to a rudimentary drum track with his electric guitar. He then asked Josh if the group would be interested in taking it on. Josh, never being one to refuse a challenging piece of music, and always on the lookout for interesting musicians with whom to collaborate, accepted his kind offer and created a project for the rest of the Eclectic Collecitve to join. He started the whole thing off by adding his bass, to which Ken added his innovative drums, to which Josh redid his bass, as is the typical process in the EC.
  Next up was JJ, who you'd think he'd grown up with Spanish music the way he added the horns, accordion, and piano. Then Stephen stepped in and added his psychedelic and intricate acoustic guitar to the stew. 
  It was all done, except for the mix at this point. Manuel did the honors, and did it very expertly. Stephen mastered it to give it more volume and dynamism, too, as he always does. 
  This was the first, but we hope not the last, time the EC has collaborated with Manuel, although we're all fans of the incredible music on his page. He was a true delight to work with, giving honest, encouraging feedback and helping us shape his song to meet his vision. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Otiginal lyrics by E Ruizzo:

TU NOMBRE TIENE LA CANCIÓN  /  YOUR NAME HAS THE SONG

Qué es una lágrima en el desierto?  /  What is a tear in the desert?
Cae sin ruido, se evapora y se olvida.  /  It falls without noise, evaporates and is forgotten.
No tiene tiempo de brillar, su vida  /  It has no time to shine, its life
es corta y su camino tan incierto…  /  is short and its path so uncertain...

Ce del calor del desierto y su sol,  /  ‘C’ for the heat of the desert and its sun,
a del adiós por el que lloré tanto;  /  ‘a’ for the farewell for which I cried so much;
erre del río que forma mi llanto;  /  ‘r’ for the river formed by my crying;
eme de miedo, de magia y de amor.  /  ‘m’ for fear, for magic and for love.

E de esperanza, de espacio rosado,  /  ‘E’ for hope, for pink space,
de espina clavada, de suelta emoción;  /  for stuck thorn, for loose emotion;
ene de noche de un tiempo pasado.  /  ‘n’ for night of a past time.

Carmen, tu nombre tiene la canción  /  Carmen, your name has the song
de todo aquello que has significado:  /  of all that you have meant:
Carmen de luz, de sonrisa y de adiós.  /  Carmen of light, of smile and of goodbye.

Tu Nombre Tiene La Cancion-Eclectic Collective w/E. Ruizzo

Bright Stars In The Haze

Star lights

Between writing sermons as a small-town pastor, I was also engaged in writing songs, some you have heard in my "Scenes of St. Francis". This particular song came to me after reading an article about love and marriage--ministers do a lot of reading for sermon preparation--but this one knocked me a bit sideways.  Turns out men on average will fall in love between five and seven times before meeting their wife, and then 1-1/2 times afterward!  This song is about the 1-1/2 times afterward, a little different kind of love song for Valentine's Day. 
I have sat on the text and melody for over forty years but thought I better do something before time overtook it as it had overtaken my singing voice.  I heard Axel sing in his magnificent song with Sarah Paradise-Brown "What We Still Feel" and felt he could give the song the vocal it needed, an international voice of "everyman".  When he received the guitar parts he set to work on it and gave the song a stunningly beautiful orchestral setting as well.  Thank you dear Axel for lavishing your vocal and orchestral skills on a song that needed both. I am deeply honored and indebted.  Hear more of Axel's beautiful music @axel-m-501052973.
"Faithful and True" lyrics:

I recall the day I said "I do",
I never thought that I could love anyone
Like I love you,
But of late I'm really not so sure
That the promises we made can hold
Us together as we both grow older
With each day.
Is it possible for love to endure?
Chorus:
But I've made up my mind.
I've made my choice,
This feeling will pass but never the voice,
That tells me I must remain,
Faithful and true.

Bridge:
It doesn't stop the pain of admitting what can never be,
But if love has any meaning it is found in trust,
And not in what we feel.

Instrumental break...

Repeat bridge:

There's a sadness as I say farewell
To a love that promised more than I could ever tell,
Or at least that is the way it seemed
To a man who found himself in love
With another 'till he counted the cost of fantasy.
It was more than he ever dreamed.

Repeat chorus and end.

Faithful And True (David Dunham with Axel Menningen)

Alte Bande (M:KR 2011,Remix:W.Eggert,Label:ZOUNDR 2020)

Heavy Punk Rock 'n' Roll band turns into Synthwave nowadays! Brand NEW album "Ultraviolet Cosmos" available NOW!
https://shockthealgorithm.bandcamp.com/album/ultraviolet-cosmos

Classical guitarist/pianist who writes & produces music. I love crossing boundaries and genres in my original music.

Star lights

Paul Chantrill

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