[Keith Ridenhour]

This is so polished and tasty! I'm really enjoying this.

sounds great Blaine. love your tenor tone. song and background are great K

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

sounds great Blaine. love your tenor tone. song and background are great K

new thing

 

[blaine hoopes]

sounds great Blaine. love your tenor tone. song and background are great K

Thanks Keith. Much appreciated!

 

[whamptoncourt]

Great feel and perfect vibe- did the ending stop abruptly?

Yes, no outro. I'm just following the form of a collaborating guitarist's template and giving it a melodic line. Most of the tunes I'm doing are collaborations in which I'm providing the melodies/lead, but not the changes. Glad you liked it. Maybe I'll post a few more?

 

[Roundmidnite]

Yes, no outro. I'm just following the form of a collaborating guitarist's template and giving it a melodic line. Most of the tunes I'm doing are collaborations in which I'm providing the melodies/lead, but not the changes. Glad you liked it. Maybe I'll post a few more?

Yes post more anytime- the more the better I think!

 

[Roundmidnite]

This video really illustrates how the clave and montuno and tumbao bass lock together like puzzle pieces. When I first started to hear these kinds of rhythms it just blew my mind trying to figure out what was going on. I still have to work really hard to try and feel it. My ancestors are from Switzerland - so I've got completely different natural rhythm and would always find myself pulling back onto the "one" and squaring it up. But when I can get my brain out of the way and just feel this rhythm, it's a pretty magical thing. Notice how the bass never lands on the "one" ... also notice how he has the 2-3 clave playing while showing how the puzzle pieces fit together and then the clave drops out and all the pieces are still locked into that 2-3 clave rhythm - that clave is the essence and the glue that holds it together even if nobody is actually banging out an actual clave:

This is exactly the kind of info I need for where I'm at on my original right now. I decided to do a rumba- and I am admittedly cheating with percussion loops, but I need to put a bassline and chords now so hopefully your info will help!

 

[Roundmidnite]

OK ... I got up this morning and started fooling around with piano chords. I had Latin in mind but somewhere along the way the "Latin" seems to have faded out of it so I'm not entirely sure if this qualifies for this thread or not. If you have any idea what you would call this style, please tell me -- it's just what popped out when I started playing chords on the piano. I didn't put any percussion behind it and perhaps the right drum or conga groove would lead me to re-record the backing track with more of a Latin feel.

https://soundcloud.com/user-460666353%2Fnew-thing

Your tune definitely has that vibe in the beginning and changes feel, which is cool. I like your melody! There does seem to be a different feel going on with your groove playing tenor and the bassline. Would be great to hear with percussion added.

 

[Roundmidnite]

This breaks my own rule a little! .This is my arrangement (vs. an original) of “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts. I made it awhile back during record-breaking cold just after a blizzard in Maine (it was therapeutic!) and attached a pic of a summer day playing a gig in Castine,Maine on my website.I play saxophone, flute and synths I used the Partido Alto groove for the verses. The partido alto groove was very difficult to play my melody with for some reason and I'm not entirely happy with it because it seems kind of choppy or something, but no matter how I tried to do it differently it just didn't seem to improve it, but it does contrast with the other section that used a more traditional dry swing drum loop.

I'm working on an original Rumba though so stay tuned!

Summer Breeze

Sounds: The verse uses Partido Alto loops/samples from Celso Alberti, fretless bass, jazz guitar and Rhodes. In the second verse I use a new device called Humana in the DAW I use (Reason) which has great samples of the human voice. The last verses are solos- first tenor, then synth (Rhodes put through a polyphonic arpeggiator), and finally flute for the outro. The chorus has a more traditional dry swing drum loop, a “low simple sub” bass, a guitar sound called “Vollenweiderustica” and a synth called “Shoals”. The contrasting, more tranquil sounds in the bridge are synths called “Ambient Bamboo” and “Cinematic Justice”. The Rhodes accompanies, and there is an Udu sample.

 

[Roundmidnite]

Partido alto notation
Partido Alto

 

[blaine hoopes]

I play saxophone, flute and synths I used the Partido Alto groove for the verses. The partido alto groove was very difficult to play my melody with for some reason and I'm not entirely happy with it because it seems kind of choppy or something, but no matter how I tried to do it differently it just didn't seem to improve it, but it does contrast with the other section that used a more traditional dry swing drum loop.

I'm working on an original Rumba though so stay tuned!

This is really interesting! Nice production and playing! Now I want to pull out my flute and start practicing and see how long it takes to get my lips to remember how to make a sound.

Looking forward to hearing your original - I'm gonna get ready to Rumba!

I've got another song idea I started on with a B3 organ playing an unusual rhythmic pattern alternating between the organ chords and the organ bass - sort of with the bass notes playing only in the holes between the chords - or at least that's what I'm attempting. I fooled around with beats to put behind it and it's almost a Cha Cha - but sort of a perverted Latin Cha Cha with a 2-3 clave in it. I'm not really that up on Cha Cha - but many years ago I was doing cover tunes as a solo act with drum machine and singing playing piano and the dancers wanted a Cha Cha and so I did Simply Red's Holding Back the Years as a Cha Cha and they seemed to approve of it.

I've got some lyrics for this tune but I'm not sure if my voice will cooperate. And the lyrics have sort of a Brazilian thing - so maybe I should be making it a Bossa instead of trying to force it to be a perverted Latin Cha Cha Having fun working on it though.

 

[Roundmidnite]

This is really interesting! Nice production and playing! Now I want to pull out my flute and start practicing and see how long it takes to get my lips to remember how to make a sound.

Looking forward to hearing your original - I'm gonna get ready to Rumba!

I've got another song idea I started on with a B3 organ playing an unusual rhythmic pattern alternating between the organ chords and the organ bass - sort of with the bass notes playing only in the holes between the chords - or at least that's what I'm attempting. I fooled around with beats to put behind it and it's almost a Cha Cha - but sort of a perverted Latin Cha Cha with a 2-3 clave in it. I'm not really that up on Cha Cha - but many years ago I was doing cover tunes as a solo act with drum machine and singing playing piano and the dancers wanted a Cha Cha and so I did Simply Red's Holding Back the Years as a Cha Cha and they seemed to approve of it.

I've got some lyrics for this tune but I'm not sure if my voice will cooperate. And the lyrics have sort of a Brazilian thing - so maybe I should be making it a Bossa instead of trying to force it to be a perverted Latin Cha Cha Having fun working on it though.

I think the more creative we can be with this the better- so have fun with it and we’d would love the vocals!

 

[blaine hoopes]

Well I gave it a try singing and had a real hard time with my voice wavering all over - just really out of shape. I tried doubling two vocal takes and that made it even worse. I was only able to sing one verse and I'll have to rest my voice a bit - but I think if I start singing every day it might come back. 40-50 years ago I was singing 5 sets a night 6 nights a week but I haven't sung much at all in the past 30 years. It was fun to pull the flute out too.

Here's a sampler taste of the tune. Or is that wrong of me to show the work in progress -- should I wait until I have it finished? I'm hoping by showing the work in progress I might get some suggestions about where to go with it. The expected form is the 2nd verse will come right where this little sample fades out and then a short solo (probably Tenor Sax?) and chorus out.

Note: Você é Gata --- someone was telling me that this is Portuguese for "You're a Cat" but that it's used in Brazil to mean "You're so Sexy". I don't know for sure if that's true and I'm certain I'm not pronouncing it right.

https://soundcloud.com/user-460666353%2Fvoce-e-gata-first-verse-with-flute

 

[SaxNutz]

OK ... I got up this morning and started fooling around with piano chords. I had Latin in mind but somewhere along the way the "Latin" seems to have faded out of it so I'm not entirely sure if this qualifies for this thread or not. If you have any idea what you would call this style, please tell me -- it's just what popped out when I started playing chords on the piano. I didn't put any percussion behind it and perhaps the right drum or conga groove would lead me to re-record the backing track with more of a Latin feel. Please let me know what you think and suggestions -- it's a work in progress. I'm going to post this and then go make tacos for lunch and maybe that'll give me some ideas

Hey, that is really good! Nice playing again and I like the chord changes. You have a nice tenor sound, what is your setup?

 

[SaxNutz]

Well I gave it a try singing and had a real hard time with my voice wavering all over - just really out of shape. I tried doubling two vocal takes and I'm not sure if that makes it worse or if it helps hide the flaws. I was only able to sing one verse and I'll have to rest my voice a bit - but I think if I start singing every day it might come back. 40-50 years ago I was singing 5 sets a night 6 nights a week but I haven't sung much at all in the past 30 years. It was fun to pull the flute out too.

Here's a sampler taste of the tune. Or is that wrong of me to show the work in progress -- should I wait until I have it finished? I'm hoping by showing the work in progress I might get some suggestions about where to go with it. The expected form is the 2nd verse will come right where this little sample fades out and then a short solo (probably Tenor Sax?) and chorus out.

Note: Você é Gata --- someone was telling me that this is Portuguese for "You're a Cat" but that it's used in Brazil to mean "You're so Sexy". I don't know for sure if that's true and I'm certain I'm not pronouncing it right.

https://soundcloud.com/user-460666353%2Fvoce-gata-first-verse-with-flute

Very cool, you have a good voice. Nice flute playing.

 

[SaxNutz]

This breaks my own rule a little! .This is my arrangement (vs. an original) of “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts. I made it awhile back during record-breaking cold just after a blizzard in Maine (it was therapeutic!) and attached a pic of a summer day playing a gig in Castine,Maine on my website.I play saxophone, flute and synths I used the Partido Alto groove for the verses. The partido alto groove was very difficult to play my melody with for some reason and I'm not entirely happy with it because it seems kind of choppy or something, but no matter how I tried to do it differently it just didn't seem to improve it, but it does contrast with the other section that used a more traditional dry swing drum loop.

I'm working on an original Rumba though so stay tuned!

Summer Breeze

View attachment 139533


Sounds: The verse uses Partido Alto loops/samples from Celso Alberti, fretless bass, jazz guitar and Rhodes. In the second verse I use a new device called Humana in the DAW I use (Reason) which has great samples of the human voice. The last verses are solos- first tenor, then synth (Rhodes put through a polyphonic arpeggiator), and finally flute for the outro. The chorus has a more traditional dry swing drum loop, a “low simple sub” bass, a guitar sound called “Vollenweiderustica” and a synth called “Shoals”. The contrasting, more tranquil sounds in the bridge are synths called “Ambient Bamboo” and “Cinematic Justice”. The Rhodes accompanies, and there is an Udu sample.

Love Seals and Crofts! Man it's kind of jolting when you're used to the song, especially the chorus. You have some crazy time changes in there. Great sounding flute and sax. Cool how you make it your own.

 

[blaine hoopes]

Hey, that is really good! Nice playing again and I like the chord changes. You have a nice tenor sound, what is your setup?

Thanks. Much appreciated.

How much of my setup are you asking about? You mean reed and mouthpiece? Horn? Microphone/DAW etc.? I'm glad to answer just not sure how much you want to know

The thing is I sound pretty much the same no matter what gear I'm using - if my gear sounds dark, I play it brighter and if my gear sounds bright I blow darker. It's not conscious - but I can rarely hear a difference in my recordings when I try to make equipment comparisons.

 

[SaxNutz]

Just curious on your horn, mouthpiece and reeds.

 

[blaine hoopes]

Just curious on your horn, mouthpiece and reeds.

We can discuss in more depth in a PM if you like so we don't send this thread into a rabbit hole - but here's what I was using on that particular track:
4 digit purple logo YTS-62 (bought it new the first year they were available) with Jim Schmidt gold foil pads (I put those in about the first year he came out with them). The mouthpiece is one I refaced/repaired - it is a Syos that the owner hated and had taken a belt sander to it in disgust . I was repairing his broken Drake and when the subject of Syos came up he went and got his destroyed Syos and gave to me to experiment on - it now has a .115 tip opening and a step baffle that opens to a large chamber - I burnished the table and rails and step baffle so they are smooth and don't show the printing artifacts ... it isn't going to translate to any off the shelf mouthpiece they sell. This is the first track I've used that mouthpiece just because it happened to be on the horn with the cheesy Syos ring ligature. The reed is a Jazz Select 3M

Here are a couple of pics so you can see the step baffle and the large chamber

 

[whamptoncourt]

Well I gave it a try singing and had a real hard time with my voice wavering all over - just really out of shape. I tried doubling two vocal takes and I'm not sure if that makes it worse or if it helps hide the flaws. I was only able to sing one verse and I'll have to rest my voice a bit - but I think if I start singing every day it might come back. 40-50 years ago I was singing 5 sets a night 6 nights a week but I haven't sung much at all in the past 30 years. It was fun to pull the flute out too.

Here's a sampler taste of the tune. Or is that wrong of me to show the work in progress -- should I wait until I have it finished? I'm hoping by showing the work in progress I might get some suggestions about where to go with it. The expected form is the 2nd verse will come right where this little sample fades out and then a short solo (probably Tenor Sax?) and chorus out.

Note: Você é Gata --- someone was telling me that this is Portuguese for "You're a Cat" but that it's used in Brazil to mean "You're so Sexy". I don't know for sure if that's true and I'm certain I'm not pronouncing it right.

https://soundcloud.com/user-460666353%2Fvoce-gata-first-verse-with-flute

Really nice production that's got the right balance of push and ease. Too easy for a track like this to become too laid back (smooth) or trying to be too pushy with overly technical solos. You've got a great natural sense of balance for your productions. The vocals work well in not being too forward and everything working together.

 

[mascio]

Here is a little piece I wrote called : Salsa.