COMPOSITIONS - JAZZ
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
These pieces loosely fit a jazz or "contemporary jazz" heading.
JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Thelonious Piano Solo The Process Jazz Band Tenagne Jazz Orchestra You Strike A Chord Jazz Orchestra Back Again Jazz Band Saturday Is Here Jazz Orchestra Thursday In San Francisco Jazz Band The Best Friend of My Best Friend Synthesizer Blues For Lynn Piano & Cello Saying Goodbye Piano & Cello My Baby's Favorite Jazz Band Happy Jazz Band You Have A Right Jazz Band Movin' On Jazz Band CELLO ENSEMBLE & IMPROVISATIONS
How I Feel Cello I Wish Cello Touching A Pasacaglia Cello & Synthesizer Life Cycles Cello & Synthesizer Chartres Cello Ensemble Lakeport Friday Cello Preludium & Sarabande Cello Ensemble & Ukelin Sarabande Cello Ensemble Midnight Dance for Two Cello & Piano THE FRANKFURT COLLECTION
Friday Jam Guitar, Cello, Keyboards, Synthesizers Persian Dance Cello & Synthesizer The City (Frankfurt) Guitar, Cello, Keyboards, Synthesizers On My Way Synthesizers, Keyboards On The Last Day Synthesizers, Keyboards, Cello, Voice Won't You Come Back? Synthesizers, Keyboards, Cello, Voice Diane (Keeper of Songs) Synthesizers, Mandocello, Cello, Voice Santa Barbara Guitar, Cello, Keyboards, Synthesizers Oh Yeah! Jazz Band
Jazz Ensemble
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
Thelonious
[Back To The Top Of This List] [Back To Top Of Page]A very short piece for Piano that just came out sounding like something Thelonious Monk what have played.
Thelonious Prices
The Process
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An experiment in 7/4 time that took place shortly after I bought the Roland W-30 Sampling Keyboard in 1990. I am fascinated by the fact that I can now compose music that I hear without the need to find musicians good enough to play and record it without a tremendous hassle. The Process is pure fun for me, and represents a new kind of music I am seriously thinking of marketing commercially.
The Process Prices
Tenagne
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In 1990 I met a very special woman named Tenagne Mekbeb (pronounced Tenania). I was so impressed with the musical quality of her name as it is pronounced in Amheric (the language of Ethiopia) that I wrote this piece, which uses her name as a musical motif. From the beginning to end of the piece, the word "Tenagne" is played by every instrument. The three note motif changes rhythm slightly to indicate the different inflections and ways with which her name can be said.
Tenagne Prices
You Strike A Chord
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In 1990 I met a very special woman named Tenagne Mekbeb (pronounced Tenania). I was so impressed with the musical quality of her name as it is pronounced in Amheric (the language of Ethiopia) that I wrote this piece, which uses the phrase "You Strike A Chord" musical motif.
You Strike A Chord Prices
Back Again
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Another piece of music that has had to wait for an electronic band to find it's place in the world. The piece was composed while I was in college, but the hassle of finding people to rehearse and record it was too great. The piece is deceptively difficult because it changes meter in almost every measure. It is called Back Again because the melodies are all derived from the beginning theme, only played backwards, upside down, and backwards and upside down!
Back Again Prices
Saturday Is Here
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Another word-colored piece. The phrase "Saturday is here!" is echoed throughout the composition. You can also hear "I'm telling you - Saturday is here" and "You know that Saturday is here, now".
Saturday Is Here Prices
Thursday In San Francisco
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Thursday In SF Prices
The Best Friend of My Best Friend
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I was angered by something that happened between myself and two women who were best friends with one another, Ms.P. and Ms. J. When I developed a crush on Ms.P., I was told that Ms.J. wanted me for herself, but couldn't decide what to do with me. Ms.P. told Ms.J. that we were more intimate with each other than we were, so when I became romantic towards Ms.P. she was confused by me. Sounds like a soap opera, huh? Anyway, it all got sorted out, but I went home late one evening after feeling like I had made a fool out of myself, and created this piece at 4:00 a.m.
The Best Friend Prices
Blues For Lynn
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A friend of mine was feeling "Blue" ... she was having boyfriend trouble at the time. She told me she was going to spend some time at the beach. I composed this for her during the time she was apparently at the beach. I wanted it to be a kind of soundtrack for real life.
Blues For Lynn Prices
Saying Goodbye
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This is an improvisation that was recorded with a multi-track deck, but without editing. After listening to it, I decided to add the synthesizer sounds at the end. It is called "Saying Goodbye" because the two instruments seem to be like two old friends who are needing to part for a while.
Saying Goodbye Prices
My Baby's Favorite
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My friend, Tenagne heard my fooling around on the cello one day and really liked the pizzicato passage I was doing at the time. Presto - changeo ... a new song, which is dedicated to her.
My Baby's Favorite Prices
Happy
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Yamaha manufactured a wonderful little device called the QY-70, which features an amazing assortment of features for the electronically-inclined composer. My wife calls it a "composer's walkman". "Happy" is one of a number of pieces for Jazz Band I composed using the device.
Happy Prices
You Have a Right
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Yamaha manufactured a wonderful little device called the QY-70, which features an amazing assortment of features for the electronically-inclined composer. My wife calls it a "composer's walkman". "You Have a Right" was originally going to have lyrics, but I never got around to that.
You Have a Right Prices
Movin' On
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Yamaha manufactured a wonderful little device called the QY-70, which features an amazing assortment of features for the electronically-inclined composer. My wife calls it a "composer's walkman". "Movin' On" is one of a number of pieces for Jazz Band I composed using the device. It was used as the introduction to a local TV show in Fremont, CA.
Movin' On Prices
Cello Improvisations
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
How I Feel
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Another one of those cello improvisations that has stuck in my mind over the years. I was actually in an orchestra rehearsal when this popped in the first time.
How I Feel Prices
I Wish
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This cello piece is interesting (and very difficult) because of the middle section, where a progression is repeated in half steps up the neck. This is perhaps one of the most guitar-like of the jazz cello pieces I've composed.
I Wish Prices
Touching A Pasacaglia
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This piece is called "Touching A Pasacaglia" because the repeated plucked open strings form a pasacaglia passage throughout. Interestingly, this piece is an unedited free-form improvisation. The various sounds of plucking and bowing are all done at the same time p; this is not a multi-track recording! I actually began it as a test of the new Barcus Berry pickup for the cello, but it was starting to sound so good, I dared not stop once I got started.
Touching A Pasacaglia Prices
Life Cycles
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This piece is a free-form improvisation using a Roland D-550 synthesizer and Cello. The synthesizer was controlled by a Roland W-30 Sampling Keyboard. The improvisation was recorded to the W-30 memory, then played back while the cello was played against it. This recording is as is one take for each improvisation, with no editing.
Life Cycles Prices
Chartres
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This is my musical impression of the cathedral at Chartres, France. It is a magnificent structure with a curious and striking double tower. Unlike most cathedrals, where the two towers are exact copies of each other, Chartres has two towers that are quite different from each other. It has been called the most perfect example of mideaval "flying buttress" architecture. The intensity of the blue contained in the stained glass is known world wide as the color "Chartres". In this piece I attempted to capture the sensation of always looking up to follow the imposing, yet delicate lines of the cathedral. This piece is an improvisation for four cellos and piano I recorded after a trip in 1996 to Chartres.
Chartres Prices
Lakeport Friday
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Lakeport Friday Prices
Preludium & Sarabande
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Preludium & Sarabande Prices
Sarabande
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Sarabande Prices
Midnight Dance for Two
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While working on the synthesizer portion of the cantata entitled "Case Study: A Young Woman's Suicide" at the Electronic Music Studio at UCSB, I performed and recorded this piece for piano and cello. At midnight I took a tape recorder into the piano booth and improvised for 20 minutes. I was lucky to have captured what is probably the most inspired bit of piano playing I will ever do in my life. I could not believe the results when I took the recorder back to the studio listened to the improvisation. I then used a multi-track recorder to mix in the improvised cello part. I did not want to disturb the "flow" of that evening, so I did not edit the piece at all. I improvised the cello part by listening to the preceding material, rewinding the piano recording to where I wanted to add new material, and then simply "played" the cello along with the piano. This piece, which took two hours to complete, is the result.
Midnight Dance for Two Prices
The Frankfurt Collection
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
Friday Jam
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Friday Jam Prices
Persian Dance
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Persian Dance Prices
The City (Frankfurt)
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Okay, I admit it... I was pretty depressed when I composed this song in 1981. I was living in Frankfurt Germany at the time, it was winter, and I was not happy about being away from the people and the weather I love so much in California. At the time, I actually lived in Sachsenhousen, just South of Frankfurt. You can hear a kind of Germanic influence in this song.
The City (Frankfurt) Prices
On My Way
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On My Way Prices
On The Last Day
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On The Last Day Prices
Won't You Come Back?
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Won't You Come Back? Prices
Diane (Keeper of Songs)
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This song was composed for Diane Fortenberry. She and I almost married each other, once a long time ago. We've grown a lot and we've learned much about life away from each other. The wonderful thing is that our love survived our youth.
Diane (Keeper of Songs) Prices
Santa Barbara
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Santa Barbara Prices
Oh Yeah!
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Oh Yeah! Prices
