Twisty, Curvy Roads

 I found this recording while I was cleaning up the drive on a computer I was planning on taking to the GoodWill Store. It was evidently recorded at a gig sometime around 2010. Probably in a restaurant or bar in Austin, Texas. I'm not certain who the musicians are except for Tom Griffith on keyboard. I think the drummer may be Dave Bedrick.  The tune is a 1933 hit called Stompin' At The Savoy .

Another lost recording. 2010 at the SPJST Hall in Taylor, TX playing with Dave Bedrich's "Czech Melody Masters"! It was supposed to be a polka band but we got in one swing tune. I am on tenor and vocal but I can't remember who else was in the band.

    On Easter Sunday, I attended services at the Round Rock Baptist Church. It is a beautiful little church that reminds me very much of the church that was an important part of my early childhood.    Round Rock Baptist Church When I was just a tad, Wednesday night was reserved for Choir Practice and Prayer Meeting. It was an unbreakable ritual. Grandmother would hold my hand as we walked the few blocks past the rail depot to the little Baptist church in the center of the village. If I could go back and visit that village today, I'm sure that I would see that the walk was only a few blocks, but to someone who was not even old enough for kindergarten, it seemed to be an epic journey. I was grateful to have my Grandmother's hand to hold!   One of the songs that I remember from those church meetings was George Bennard's wonderful old hymn, The Old Rugged Cross. Even though that hymn was not in the program on Easter Sunday, the melody and words kept coming back to...

    Score and parts are available here Scored for Chamber Orchestra, Fanfare of Freedom is appropriate for junior or senior high-school musicians, yet sophisticated enough for professional orchestras. After the introduction, the dynamic volume drops and begins a slow build toward a powerful climax. This makes Fanfare of Freedom perfect for a voice-over presentation of patriotic or other material of your choice.  There is much discussion of "freedom" these days. But the word "freedom" has more than one meaning. Perhaps the most common meaning in everyday conversation is "freedom from coercion". However, in another sense, the word "freedom" implies that one possesses the means to pursue that which is worth pursuing.    This second meaning of the word encompasses and expands the common meaning of the word. If I wish to compose music, no one is stopping me from doing so - but I cannot compose music until I have submitted to the discipline ...

    (See the score to this composition here .) The song " Daisy Bell " was composed British composer Harry Dacre in 1892. It is famously the first song that was ever sung by a computer! In 1961 an IBM 7094 became the first singing computer when it performed " Daisy Bell ". In Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film, 2001:A Space Odyssey , The rogue HAL 9000 computer sings " Daisy Bell " as "Dave" works feverishly to disconnect HAL's circuits. Of course, everyone is familiar with the piano. The piano is a common instrument in musical styles from classical to jazz. The musical bicycle is not as common. In fact, I found it necessary to design the bicycle for this project from scratch. My musical bicycle has most of the features of standard bicycles but one uncommon feature is that it has three handlebars arranged in tiers much like the keyboards of a large pipe organ.  Sound generating devices are mounted on each tier of the handlebar set. The sound ge...

    I hope that you will enjoy listening to this performance of my original song, Love, Love, Love At Christmas.  There is a story behind this song. For several years, my band, The Second Line Jazz Band, performed a monthly gig at a coffee shop in Round Rock, Texas. We developed quite a following. There was one lady in particular that always showed up at our gigs. She was an older lady, but her spirit and excitement always made her stand out. After a performance one even, she came up and said that she had written a Christmas poem and would I be willing to set it to music. I couldn't say "no", so she handed me her poem typed on a much-folded sheet of paper. I put the paper in my instrument case and finished breaking down the equipment. Several week went by before I though of the song. I got it out and looked at what Gloria had written. It was a bit long and rambled a bit and the meter was not really consistent, but, here and there there were lines that I could work with. ...

The arrangement (score and parts) is available here !   This composition for woodwind quintet was based upon a melody by Netherlands composer, Gijs Bikker. Gijs and I met via Marc Sabatello's " Mastering Musescore " school.  There are four short variations, each with a different take on the original theme.  I. Adagio - The first variation begins quitely, with the horn playing a long, sustained note. Then the flute and oboe introduce the theme and are gradually joined to build, and then recede from the climax. The movement ends with the sustained note from the horn. II. Gigue - A gigue is a lively dance characterized by leaping movements. The melody has been transformed from the slow 3/4 of the first movement into a fast 6/8. The bassoon takes the lead and everything progresses from there!  III. Humoresque - This is my favorite movement! The mode changes to minor in an almost "circus"-like two-step. The melody is beginning to loose all semblance to the original,...

 I just finished this arrangement of the Wang Wang Blues for brass quintet. I think this is one of my best arrangements for a brass quintet! Check out all of my compositions and arrangements on YouTube .  The scores and sheet music is available from  SheetMusicPlus .

Score and parts available In memory of Elizabeth Anne White Clieno Scene I: Tapestry Life is a tapestry woven from many threads. This short introductory movement presents several musical statements which are then developed in the following movements. In measure one the flute introduces the theme that will become the basis for Scene II. In measure 9 the violins introduce the theme that will become the basis for Scene IV. There is also some non-musical symbolism in Scene I. The single sustained note played by the french horns in m. 7 introduces a descending major scale that represents the forces of fate that influenced the lives of so many who were born during the 1920s. The generation endured both the Great Depression and WWII. Every life was lived against this backdrop of tragedy. In m. 16 the direction reverses and the major scale, voiced in the french horns, begins an assent that is symbolic of Faith and the resolve born of that Faith. The final cadence, again in the french horns, is...

Words are inadequate to express the deep revulsion that many of us have to the events taking place in Afghanistan. There is little doubt that Joe Biden wanted nothing more than to be able to brag that he had "brought the troops home" by the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. This misery is entirely due to the ego-driven actions of Mr. Biden! I composed this piece to reflect the pain that so many of us feel when we see the death of not only our own soldiers, the American citizens that Joe Biden has abandoned, and the many Afghans who have died during this disastrous political event. 

Here is an arrangement for strings of a Welsh folk song. It was popular for barn dances. Score and parts available here

  The Caliph is a four movement orchestral suite! This project began simple enough, but as I worked, it expanded! I began to listen carefully to what I had written, and, as I did, I saw visual images began to take place in my imagination. I realized that I wanted a larger pallet and so expanded, not the length, but the vision. The visual that I have is a set from the Arabian Nights! An isolated palace beside an oasis in the desert. In the distance, a caravan approaches the palace. As the caravan approaches the gates to the palace courtyard, a fanfare announces its arrival. The gates swing open and a marvelous procession enters the courtyard. The tension builds as the procession nears the great hall of the palace. No one knows why this powerful ruler has chosen to come to this isolated spot. Everyone is wondering if this event presents a danger! The piece comes to a dramatic end just as the Caliph arrives at the main hall of the palace. I used perfect intervals and a heavy percussio...

Here is a little reminder of Mardi Gras!

 

Announcing a Hot New Jazz Arrangement All Of Me Check it out and get your copy at Sheet Music Plus Arranged as a jump/shuffle a la Louie Prima, this is a jazz standard that will have your audience dancing in the aisles! It is perfect for swing dancing. It is arranged for trumpet, tenor sax, trombone, baritone sax and full rhythm section.  Download the free  WOODSHED TRACK  of the rhythm section. Use the Woodshed Track to practice the tune before jamming with others or even to perform with only the four horns! Be sure to join our blog so you will receive notices each time we publish a new piece!  Here is a demo of the tune!   Jim Ivy, REALTOR® Central Metro Realty, LLC (512) 341-9103

Announcing a Hot New Jazz Arrangement Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me Check it out and get your copy at Sheet Music Plus Part of the Trad Jazz Pub Repertoire Builder Series, the arrangement comes with leads and full rhythm section parts. There is also a free  WOODSHED TRACK  so you can practice the tune before jamming with others. Be certain that you subscribe to our blog so you will receive notices each time we publish a new piece! Just add your email to the field on the left. Here is a demo of the tune!  

  Frederick M. Lehman wrote this tune in 1919 before the telephone was common in rural America. The song became popular at church camp meetings. It also makes a great jazz tune that can swing its rear end off! I have tried this tune several different ways, including having a male chorus sing the melody.  But I finally decided that this version was the better and also a bit more straight forward.

"Lives there a man, bereft of imagination and of stunted soul, who has never dreamt of writing a country song?" - Shakespeare (That's Marvin Shakespeare. He lives down on 34th Street)   Of course not! So here is my country song:     Well, now I want to write a country song 'bout life the way it is, 'Bout all them women what done me wrong, and what it's like to be in show biz. I've been looking for the words to use and a melody that'll fit the blues But so far, friends, I'm telling you true, I ain't figured out just what to do. ...Maybe something like Refrain: Do-whack-a-doo whack-a-do whack-a-doo whack-a-doo, whack-a-do whack-a-doo whack-a-doo Do-whack-a-doo whack-a-doo-doo-doo, whack-a-doo whack-a-doo, whack-a-doo. Do-whack-a-do whack-a-doo doo doo, whack-a-doo whack-a-doo, whack-a-doo. Do-Whack-a-doo whack-a-doo-doo-doo whack-a-doo whack-a-doo, whack-a-doo.   Well, as you can see that I had a case of lyrical constipation, combined with a ...

Here is Louis Armstrong's classic, "Someday You'll Be Sorry" arranged for a piano trio consisting of violin, viola, and piano.    This arrangement is available from Sheet Music Plus .

 ... or at least it will be soon!   I composed this little Christmas song a couple of years ago. Here is an arrangement for two flutes and piano. This might make a perfect gift for that flutist in your life! It is not very difficult and can be performed with or without the second flute (of course it is more fun with two flutes). You can purchase it here at Sheet Music Plus . Jim