The birth of Spamenco

Flies On My Shoulder

New bluesy tune I wrote the other day while fighting with my E flat key with my alternate tenor neck. Landed on a lick that I could tell had potential and developed it into this. Enjoy!

Ivy's Blue (single)

Ivy's Blue With Minerva Too

Happy Birthday, Sis, I love you!!!
(might be a little wordy, but this is why I think of my sister when I hear/play this song)
I've been trying to play more music lately as I've really fallen out of the habit in recent years and it bothers me. That, coupled with the fact that today would have been my sister's 50th birthday made me want to record this arrangement I pinned about 6 or 7 years ago while playing with some really great musicians.
The last time I saw my sister, Julie, was a couiple weeks before her 37th birthday and just a couple of months before she passed. I was doing a lot of singing and always had an imaginary set list going in my head of songs I wanted to play around with and maybe even record someday and I told her I was thinking of adding this to the list. The funny thing is the first time I heard it, what stuck out to me was how much I didn't enjoy it. It was on a rerun of The Lawrence Welk Show. I'll admit I'm not a fan of that show in general, but now and then they had some decent arrangements; this was not one of those times.
What changed my mind, which I recalled to Julie, was seeing the film Hudson Hawk where the protagonists (a pair of hip Rat Pack type cat burglars) used popular recordings to time their heists. Swingin' on a Star was the first one used and the way they did was fantastic; so much so that I still prefer their order in verses to the original. It was long after seeing that movie that I was given several recordings of a jazz pianist/composer named Joe Augustine by the man himself and the CD that feature this song as the title cut because a staple in my mother's car.
As I told Julie about how I had at first disliked and then grew to love this piece of music she asked me to sing it to her. I remember fighting to find a good key (Joe's cut of this was not at all in my range and it had been drilled into my head at that point), but muddling thru it. After I finished we sat in silence for a moment as I was massaging her swollen hand. "Will you sing it again?" she asked. Of course I would and did! I don't remember how many times I sang it for her, but I wish with all my heart I could sing to her just once more.
After she passed I couldn't get thru it or even attempt to start it for a very long time, but it was always in the back of my mind; stirring around until I could find an arrangement that would do it (and her) justice. This isn't a perfect recording, but it's more or less that arrangment. I managed to get a take I'm happy with which wasn't easy as my stomach has been getting progressively unsettled this morning and I'm about to go lie down before it gets the better of me.
Thanks for taking the time to read/listen. I know it was wordy, but I need to say it... and sing it.

Swingin' on a Star

philknowlton

Related tracks