Favs By Roger Whittlesey

Words and Music by Roger Whittlesey. Georg Boehme arranged and played all saxes. All other sounds by Whittlesey. roduced in New Hampshire and in Cologne, Germany. ©2024. Thank you, Georg, for participating in this process and for offering your awesome talents. 

What's this song about? String Theory is the notion that all time exists on a string—a string that never disappears. I'm a fan of the podcast/television show Closer to Truth, an American production hosted by a neuroscientist. The host interviews the leading experts on many scientific and philosophical subjects. In a recent podcast, scientists discussed String Theory, which became the inspiration for this song. 

One scientist explained that if you imagine a string along which all time exists—past, present and future—then you can understand that right now both the future and past still exist on that string. So, in theory, the past never disappears and the future is waiting to happen. He likened it to a DVD of a movie. At any point you can rewind or move forward. He suggests that this may be possible with time. 

What I drew from this notion is that all that has happened in my life, all the people I have known—in particular those who are no longer here—are, according to this theory, still existing on the string. Is this a comfort? I think it is for me. 

This is why in the refrain I sing, " I will always be with you." Even when I no longer exist, I will exist along the string, a string that connects me to a past before my own existence began and to a future that I will never see. 

Perhaps you will draw something different from this song and from the theory. In any case, I hope you enjoy the musicianship on this recording. Georg and I worked hard to produce parts and solos that we're proud of. 

Roger Whittlesey
February 18, 2024

See the video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0mjns4dHvk

String Theory (Featuring Georg Boehme)

Words and Music by Roger Whittlesey. Arranged by Whittlesey and Audric Jankauskas. Guitar and synth by Jankauskas. All other sounds by Whittlesey. ©2024

Dear Reader, 

What is existence? Who made time? Is there a governing force? These are questions that cannot be answered with any certainty. Humankind has spent thousands of years creating stories to answer these questions and there are as many answers as there are cultures. 

When something good happens, there is a tendency for some to thank a deity. But what about when something bad happens? Some will say that this event was the deity's doing too, and that it is all part of some grand plan. 

I prefer not to twist myself into a pretzel attempting to apply logic to what are leaps of faith. And so, I follow science as it attempts to get closer to truth. In this song, I apply—in a whimsical way—a religious trope (Say Amen) to what is my secular belief. I encourage all to follow their own beliefs, whether sacred or secular. I cast no aspersions no matter what your beliefs, so long as those beliefs do not impinge upon the beliefs and freedoms of others. 

My special thanks to Audric Jankauskas for joining me on this song. His immense talent as a guitarist may be known to those of you who have heard him play on several of my other songs, but you should also know of his great musicianship, arranging and compositional skills. Audric added those beautiful angular lines toward the end of the song, which I think are so cool. 

This has been a great summer for me. I've had the opportunity to collaborate with at least 12 other musicians—talented players and singers from all around the globe. The autumn approaches, but the music will continue—I still have much more music that I am eager to release. 

Thank you for your continued support.

All My Best, 

Roger Whittlesey
August 2024

Say Amen

Words and music By Roger Whittlesey. Saxophone arrangement by Georg Boehme. Boehme plays soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes. He also plays the bass clarinet. Noel Barrett plays the bass guitar. All other sounds by Whittlesey. © 2024.

Dear Reader, 

In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," Ophelia drowns herself in what is a terrible and tragic scene late in the play. 

The idea for this song came when I recognized that the grief of loss, missed opportunities, and mistakes compound as we age, and they don't leave us. Instead, these emotions seem to haunt us—often surprising us when we least expect it. And so, these feelings are akin to the tragic drowning of Ophelia, except that they seem to happen again and again—hence the title of the song. 

Georg Boehme, a brilliant arranger, composer, and horns player from Cologne, Germany, joined me on this piece. I sent Georg the basic tracks and gave him no instructions. He knows what to do, and he always exceeds my expectations. His playing on this piece is amazing. As you get to know Georg's music, you will begin to see that he has a unique style, and it shines through in all that he plays. Thank you, Georg, for lending me your immense creative talents. 

Last week, I sent what I believed was the finished version of this song to Noel Barrett, an outstanding bass player from Cork City, Ireland. I knew he would dig the work that Georg did on the track. And he did. Without any prompting, he replaced the bass part that I laid down—and improved the tune tenfold in the process. Noel has rock-solid time and brings a melodic sensibility to everything he plays on the bass. It is a great pleasure and honor to have him guesting on this song. 

Finally, I thank you, my devoted listeners, for your comments and for your repeated returns to my channel. 

I have much more music to write. This is only the beginning of the journey. 

Highest Regards, 

Roger Whittlesey
July 9, 2024

Ophelia Drowns Again

Words and music by Roger Whittlesey. Lead guitar by Audric Jankauskas. Bass by Noel Barrett. 2024.

Crossfire

Words and Music by Roger Whittlesey. Bass by Noel Barrett. All other sounds by Whittlesey.  2024.

The Minutes of Night

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Roger Whittlesey is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter from the Boston area. He often composes and records pop music with intricate harmonies and deceptively sophisticated chord changes. Many songs spring from his 60s, 70s and 80s influences, but his music is original and unique. Whittlesey often collaborates with instrumentalists and singers from the world of jazz, folk, and pop to create a hybrid form.

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