Here is my contribution for this month. I tried to make something different this time.

http://www.box.net/shared/p76rsmr08q

TB

TB - Is this another original composition? Very pretty. It does create a "blue feeling".

Hi TB. Nice job on this song. Did you write it? I'm wondering how it would sound if you voiced the RH louder than the LH to emphasize the melody a little more. I went back and listened to your "Story of a Young Girl" which I like very much. Same voicing issue might apply there too. Maybe I'm just thinking about this voicing thing because that's something my teacher is emphasizing with me right now. It's a real challenge for me to voice LH and RH differently. It makes it even harder to play evenly. Did you record these on your Essex?

TB - delightful piece - not so much "blue" as nostalgic - very well played (as we've come to expect) - I admire your compositional skills greatly!

JF

Hi Everybody, here's a song I wrote a couple years ago called "sultry". I remember that the LH came to me first, and I played it over and over for a few days until the RH part "arrived". As you listen, imagine yourself on a hot summer evening relaxing with a glass of iced tea after a hard day's work.

http://www.box.net/shared/6zcz73vdus

Very nice TureBeginner! Very soothing to listen to, and not so blue, (Hey, I like that rhyme!)

Beautiful piece, and beautifully performed!

Maybe I’ll come up with another original for the December bar. You have inspired me!

Rick

Laurie has on her Christmas sweater:



The Gounod/Bach Ave Maria. You'll probably recognize the keyboard part, the Bach prelude in C from the WTC book 1. I think it's in the back of Alfred Book 3. Gounod decided that it needed a melody, so he set "Ave Maria" to it. He added a measure in the middle, repeated the first four as an intro, and changed the key. I transposed it back to C to suit the recorder.

Notice my feet tucked up under the bench? No sustain pedal on the harpsichord, or any of the instruments available to Bach. The notes stop sounding when I release the key, so I don't play it as written. Instead I hold the notes until they are plucked again or the end of the measure. Sometimes I have to release a bass note early to move my hand for the next chord. Tuck your foot up under the bench and try this on the piano.

And there are no dynamics on this particular harpsichord, so I can't play any louder or softer...

Anyway, we had fun with it - hope you like it.

Sam

TB, I thought it had a Christmasy feel to it, like some of the more subtle, subdued Christmas music. Very enjoyable.

Sam

WoW! You guys don't mess around. It's not even noon yet and already 3 great pieces in the bar!!

Can't believe it's December already!

TrueBeginner, that's another pretty composition from you! Very delicate and lilting.

Larry, nice jazzy/bluesy piece! I could see the sitting on the porch with iced tea angle, but I could also see it as a Gershwiny strolling around New York City piece, too.

Sam, I really enjoyed that duet. I'm amazed at how well the "Ave Maria" works over the Bach prelude. You make me want to learn it so I can talk force my daughter to play her flute with me on it. Give my compliments to Laurie... she confronts that Red Dot like a pro with no sign of nervousness!

Sam, very nice performance. I enjoyed very much listening. Please give my congratulations to Laurie for a fine performance as well!

Ah, True Beginner, what a lovely gift for this morning. I think I'll listen to it every morning, since December is going to be really busy this year with work, and you piece calms the waters. Beautiful.

Cathy

Larry, loved the piece! Nice use of chords and interesting harmonies. I could really hear this in an orchestra for some reason.

Thanks everyone for listening and commenting. It is my original. I haven't listened to other pieces this month yet, as I am still trying to finish listening to all the recital pieces. I am way behind.

Larry, I recorded it on my Casio Privia via line-in. Originally it came out ok (RH sounds more distinct) but then it had loud static noises when you turned up the volume, which bothered me very much. I put the file through the low pass filter (Audacity) to reduce the static noise and it modified the tone and made it like that. I tried to use equalizer to increase the higher frequency, but it did not help much. I swear it sounds better on my Essex Santa really needs to give me a Zoom H2 or H4 this year By the way, I love all your compositions and Chris' (Kalai1)

TB

Thanks Monica, if you want the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria in the key of C just send me a message. Gounod's version is in F which might be awkward on flute. I entered it into Sibelius so I can supply it in any key.

Sam

Ooh... this could well be my first foray into Bach! Let me ask my daughter what key she'd like the piece in and get back to you.

Excellent, Larry! I really like your original compositions! (The playing is excellent too!)

That is great, Sam!! You and your wife make a great duo!! I enjoyed the PM from you the other day!

Let's see, I wonder if I should record something new, or post something I already have on YT? Some of the stuff I have on YT is over a year old and I would like to think my playing has improved since then. Decisions, decisions!

Take care,

Rick

Truebeginner, Larry, and Sam: all pretty pieces. I enjoyed listening to them nice job!

Truebeginner, great work! Your composition reminded me a bit of an old song called If They Made Me King. You seem to have really good hand independence, keeping those left hand apeggios going while playing different melodies in the right hand. Well done.

Larry, excellent composition. I especially like the ending, where you took a simple line and harmonized it in an unexpected and interesting way. Also - that grace note is in just the right place! Very sultry, indeed! Well done.

Sam and Laurie, I have always felt that was one of the most moving pieces of music ever written. I remember that Duke Ellington said one of the things that drew him to music was that, when he was a kid, his mother played this piece so beautifully that it made him cry. You played it superbly! Nice teamwork.

My piece this month is Blue Trane, by John Coltrane. I am playing the piano, but the drums and bass parts are on a backing track that was provided to me.

http://www.box.net/shared/f1kvi1nk9l

Ed

Larry, I agree with Monica about your piece, it is bluesy but with all the interesting harmonic chords, it also sounds at the same time modern and urban. so I definitely get the New York city vibe

Sam, that is a very nice rendition of this piece. I think it works well with this two instruments (harpsichord with repeating chords while recorder playing the continuous melody). In this piece, your harpsichord sounds like an acoustic guitar and with the tone of the recorder, it gives a rural folksy feel.

Riddler, I don't know how you did it, but I guess it must be hard to put the drum, the bass and your playing together and synchronize them. Your pieces always sound great and like a full band.

TB

TB,

I'm on the road so can't find the time to listen to everything on the bar yet ( I can't believe it's already December!!) but I did listen to yours. You really write some very delightful tunes my friend! It does seem blue, kind of longful, to me. I'm down in NY putting up Christmas decorations for my mom and it's kind of sad as my Dad always did it and now he has passed away. Your tune would have been a perfect backdrop for how I felt out in front of the house this morning putting lights on the bushes and railings.

Wonderful composition TB. Beautifully played with delicate dynamics and feeling.

Good one larry, a very interesting composition. Like the mood of this one, just not long enough.

Larry - very nice. You are a talented writer and performer. Well done.

Riddler - I really like it when you play upbeat pieces with the band - you are the ABF King of Swing.

Sam and Laurie - Outstanding. I'm glad to see that Laurie finally got to sit down. I love the way the sun is shining on your hands - at first I thought you were wearing Micheal Jackson gloves.

My submission this month is a Piano Bar standard (I think I remember at least two other versions of this song). The introduction was performed by the Roland String Quartet but they left when I started singing - go figure.

Beautiful duet Sam. You and Laurie make a good team.

The cat likes to take advantage of the photo op huh?

Ed: "Blue Train", very well done, sounds professional just like a trio with the backing and all.

Bill, one of my favorites and one of the best renditions of "Georgia" I've heard in a while.

Good job.

This is the first time I've submitted something to the piano bar. I hope to do the recital some time also. I've been playing with my Zoom H4n recorder and just recorded Tchaikovsky's Italian Song: http://www.box.net/shared/si0n3x5ybp

That was great, Bill! You do a wonderful job with the playing and the singing on that song! That is a song I like to play, but my version is no where near as good as yours! Your version sounds more like the record!

(By the way, it ain't easy to play that well and sing too!!:-)

I enjoyed it much!

Rick

foxyw - What a delightful piece and performance. I admire the way you kept the tempo bright and lively. The Zoom is working well as the recording was very clean and crisp. Well done.