Exhilarating soundtrack..captivating & mesmerizing..love the feel..infectious atmosphere..excellent mix & recording production!

A collection of my bass playing on various instruments.

Demo Sampler

This is me performing Fred Marshall's bass part to Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time is Here". This song was originally written, produced, and published in 1965.

"Christmas Time Is Here" by Vince Guaraldi

MIRAGE

Another take on creating a track from a saxophone line. The original is heard up front. I have also added two drum loops. The bass, guitar, and piano are played by me. I think I have finally found a bass sound for recording. What you are hearing is my 5/8 sized Shen double bass with Corelli strings through a Rode NT1 Signature Series condenser mic placed about 2 feet away from the bridge. It then went into an SSL 2 audio interface with the 4K button engaged. I then added some eq to cut through the mix and a touch of room reverb. What do you think of the sound?

Counterbalance Evolution

Got up this morning and got this tune stuck in my head. I decided to practice some chord inversions, rootless chords, and chord substitution on the jazz guitar. I used some drum loops from loopcloud on this one, but the guitar and bass is me. Jazz guitar is recorded direct to my SSL2 along with a RODE NT1 signature series, with 4K on, about 16" away from the top. The bass was recorded with just the NT1 about 2 feet away from the bridge. I did use a little bit of compression on the bass here. Low compression ratio. I usually don't like compression on the double bass, but this seemed palatable and got my overall level of the bass track up without a lot of work.

I actually switched to standard guitar tuning for this track. For a while now, I have been sticking to fourths tuning on guitar. I realized, that with just a little bit of effort, I could play my shell voicings on the guitar. Most of the chords on this track are just three notes on the guitar. Primarily 1 3 7, or 1 7 3. Unless I am utilizing inversions or using the guitar register to add tension notes to the overall harmony.

Darn That Dream

X-Smoky Kooky

I do not own the copyright to this music. I am not profiting from it's dissemination. I encourage the listener to seek out versions of this tune on a streaming audio platform of their choosing. "On Green Dolphin Street" is a 1947 jazz standard composed by Bronisław Kaper with lyrics by Ned Washington.

If you would like to hear more of Bill's awesome guitar playing, check out his soundcloud page:

@https://on.soundcloud.com/8qL4O2gBXyRBEB5yds

Pitstop Jazz Jam - On Green Dolphin Street

Taken from "The Goddess Pages" by Laurie Sue Brockway

For Those Who Want To Move On

i put a little spin on this four tops classic to suit my inclinations. 

peppermint oil face cream every morning
quirky shirt statements for every occasion
convos for every grocery store associate
cares for the underdog kids at the highschool
sings at the drop of a hat every day
always finds something kind to say
loves me for all of the way that i am
puts the moves on me makes me feel like a man
words of affirmation is her loving language
she'll light one up any time she can manage
brings me a drink when it's hot outside
knows what she wants and lays it on the line
messages her family and keeps up with her friends
early in the morning wakes me up with a grin
best damn woman that i ever seen
the illustrious velumptuous monika j. jean

ain't no woman (like the one i got)

lyrics

I'm on the way
Won't be long now
I'm on the way
Won't be long
I'm on the way
I won't be much longer now
I'm on the way

Fight in the woods
Smoke in the cud
Fight in the woods
Smoke in the cud
I'm on the way
I won't be long now
I'm on the way
now

I'm here
It's on
I'm here
It's on
I'm here
It's on
I'm here
It's on
I'm here 
It's on

no more

on the way

"May every sunrise hold more promise and every sunset more peace." ✌️

Mastering by @bahram-dashtii 🙏

Here comes the sun

Existential  Pop...written 2020 during Covid Lockdowns

"I only want to be"...the wish of everyone and everything .....in this absurd universe  life is still precious... sometimes it helps to forget the questions and answers and just enjoy the ride while it lasts...

(intro sound clip is the lovely Geena Davis from David Cronenberg's The Fly)

The Chosen One 

That luncheon lady she's so Ubermensch preachy   
Always quoting Herr Friedrich Nietzsche   
Thus spake this and thus spake that 
 I'm kind of fearful of her nihilistic moan                                                                        
I'm a soon to be victim of her deinfestation
A subject not wanted in a hundred nations
Passport check, I'm a fly, a dust speck
I was born into this hostile home

I just want to roam                                                    
I only want to be                                                        
Escape this shell, the world is wide                     
All these ruminations ruining me                            
I just want to sail                                                       
Through the sand and sun                                       
Asking too many questions                                     
I don't know the answers                                          
I thought I was the chosen one                                 
The chosen one                                                           

That lady's talking to walls, she got an outsider view
She's been writing, she been reading some Celine and Camus
Debating this, disregarding that
In our unholy, existential zone

I'm an insect man buzzed on hope and glory
Fablizing, fairytaling all of these stories 
With Kafka creep and doublespeak 
It's untranslatable, my twisted tone

I just want to roam
I only want to be
Escape that swatter splat
My world is flat
Got a wordy woman chasing me
I just want to bail
Out  the window and run
Asking too many questions 
I don't know the answers
I thought I was the chosen one
The chosen one

She said Don't try                         
This is a NO FLY zone                
God is dead                                
Your life is mine, time to recall the loan 
She said Don't fly                         
This is a NO TRY zone               
God is Dead, like Nietzsche said, time to disconnect yer phone 









The Chosen One

Back in 2003 I was in a covers band called Airplay and we went in the studio off the advice of our agent to record 3 live cover tracks for promo.
This was so we had a product to use as a reference for bookings. 
The Darkness -I believe in a thing called Love (On My Cloud ) 
James - Sit Down (On My Cloud)
& The Undertones - Teenage Kicks 

Teenage Kicks" is the debut single by the Irish punk band The Undertones, released in 1978. It was written by John O'Neill in about 5 minutes and recorded at Wizard Recording Studio in Belfast. Initially released on the Good Vibrations label, it gained significant attention after being played by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who famously declared it his favourite single ever. This led to the band signing with Sire Records and a re-release of the single, which reached number 31 in the UK charts. The song is known for its raw punk energy and catchy melody, and has become an iconic track in the history of punk and new wave music. 

Feargal Sharkey, the former lead singer of The Undertones, has become a prominent campaigner for clean water in England, focusing on the dire state of the nation's rivers and the role of the water industry and government in addressing pollution. So fair play to Feargul.

This is Airplays version of it, my covers band from back in 2003. The tune today as been covered  many times but remains an absolute banger !

I give you Airplay the covers band with me on lead vocals.
Lee Hughes - Guitars
Andy Harris -Bass
Kev Smith - Keyboards 
Dave Robins - Drums

Teenage Kicks (The Undertones) Airplay

miss begotten notions packing her knapsack for a lark of a weekend in the countryside 

miss begotten notions

This composition, "Memoriae Gregorianae," features three "Kyrie Gregoriani" themes:
The first was sung (and notated by me) at the Mass for the enthronement of Pope Leo.
The second theme is the Kyrie theme from the Mass "Cum Jubilo" (IX. - In Festis B. Mariae Virgis).
The third theme is taken from the Mass "In Dominicis Adventus et Quadragesimae" (XVII).
The themes are prepared, introduced, and varied by me very freely.

Questa composizione, “Memoriae Gregorianae” presenta tre temi di “Kyrie Gregoriani”:
il 1° è stato cantato (e da me annotato) nella S. Messa di intronizzazione di papa Leone.
il 2° tema è il tema del Kyrie della Messa “CUM JUBILO” (IX. - In Festis B. Mariae Virgis).
il 3° tema è tratto dalla Messa “In Dominicis Adventus et Quadragesimae” (XVII).
I temi sono da me preparati, introdotti e variati molto liberamente.

Memoriae Gregorianae

This is my version of the tune written by the great percussionist Mongo Santamaria. I play the melody on a piccolo bass as well as the 6 string bass for the groove. I have programmed the percussion and harmonic accompaniment on my BOSS Jamstation.

Afro Blue

Welcome to my SoundCloud page. My tracks are mostly highlighting my bass playing. I also play guitar, ukelele, some keyboard, sing, and whistle. Thanks for checking out the tunes.

Pitstop Jazz Jam - On Green Dolphin Street

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