Well, here's another one that is going to be on my CD on which I mix classical piano music with traditioanl and contemporary genres and arrangements.

I need to do a little more editing on the cut. The guitar is a little too loud in the instrumental breaks; I am going to cut back on the guiro (that raking sound you hear on the right channel); there are some balancing issues with the percussions...they seem to drift a little between left and right for some reason; and I am going to make the intro and the ending blend better with the rest of the song. The trumpets are midi, and, well...they're midi!

Just wanted to post this to get a little feedback before I recut it. Thanks in advance for any comments and/or suggestions. Here is my Soundclick link. This is the first song on the page:

http://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/01/default.cfm?bandID=276329&content=music

Hey Alan...."Tall and tan, dark an lovely" the girl from Ipanema.....it doesn't sound like that....but that always comes to mind with this type of music.....the only thing I don't like is the midi trumpet....other than that....I really like it....Bob

Hey Alan:

I thought this was very well done. Loved the guitar, as usual. Although it sounded very nice, I'm not sure it will have the same impact as the other songs on your CD. Simply because, to me, it didn't have that same melding of styles feel that the others had. This one sounded pretty solidly in the bossa nova camp to me - though I am hardly an expert!

Maybe some more classical piano if you replace the midi trumpet?

Just one uninformed opinion - don't give it more than it's worth...

Scott

Hey Bob !

How's it going down in GA? All is fine here in St. Louis. It was beautiful day, weather-wise, and Helen is feeling reasonably good.

Thanks for checking in on this one and giving me your thoughts. I'm going to be replacing that trumpet midi with something...I don't know, maybe Janet Reno singing "Ain't I Beautiful" or something. Anything but that trumpet!

And yeah, almost any traditional Bossa Nova song will usually bring up that huge Astrud Gilberto song from 1962. In fact, it is one of my all time favorite songs. It is the song that introsuced Bossa Nova music to the American masses.

Thanks for the visit. Take care, Bob. All the best to you and your family.

Alan

Howdy Scott!

Thanks for checking this one out. Thanks for the nice words on the guitar. But, that's what I do, ya know! I'm a guitar picker by trade. But, I do appreciate your kind words.

And you are very correct in your assesment about the status of this sog versus the others that will be included on the CD. Classical and jazz, particularly Latin jazz, have a lot in common in many ways. And Bossa Nova is a type of Latin jazz, much akin to the Samba. In fact, it is such a comfortable fit that the classical piano barely distinguishes itself from the this genre. It is almost a natural fit. All that said, you are right that it will not stand out as noticably as the others. But, maybe a short break from the contrast of the other cuts will be welcome.

Thanks for stopping in. Always appreciate it.

Alan

Nice job on this one. The guitar and piano are good. The soon to be replaced trumpet needs to be there, but maybe a new sample. Maybe something like Reason could boost the sound a bit.

If you have the trumpet on a midi file I could play with it.

Rick

Rick...

Thanks for the listen. Apprictae it a lot. And, yeah, I like trumpets there, as well...just NOT these trumpets! let me see what else I can do. If everything comes up lame here, I'll get back to you with your generous offer. Thanks! Glad ya liked the rest of this one. Take care, and all the best to ya!

Alan

Hi, Alan. Really enjoyed the guitar solo, very nice!

The general feel is very good. For me what was missing was the complex multi-measure rhythm structures in the percussion section that really make this music for me. It adds a lot of richness to it. I don't know enough to help on that kind of thing, but I know just enough to notice that it seemed to be lacking.

It's a very nice mood piece, though. Enjoyed bopping along to it very much.

- James

Loved this. Took me to a nice state of mind. Sounds professional. Yearned to have it go alittle stronger at parts w/more drums I think. Liked those guitars beginning around the 2:34 mark. Quite different and quite nice!

Best,
Lynn

Hi James!

Thanks for taking a listen. I really appreciate that.

The Samba is a derivative of the Bossa Nova. It has a much more complex percussion involvement. The Bossa Nova is more noted for its laid-back, simpler sort of latin jazz; whereas The Samba is more melodious and "busy". Is it possible that you are thinking of The Samba?

Another possibility is that the piano parts are actually Baroque Classical music, rather than Bossa Nova. That is the theme of the CD: Classical Baroque piano music thrown into traditional and contemporary music genres. Perhaps that is another factor that detracts from the true Bossa Nova sound. But, to some degree, that was part of my intention. I wasn't trying to morph the classical piano parts into the genre of the song. Rather, I was trying to blend the two styles, while maintaining some of the integrity of both styles.

Did I just confuse you, rather than adequately explain the goal I had in mind? I hope not!

Regarding the guitar parts, thank you very much for your kind words. I have played lead guitar for over 45 years. I guess I learned a little bit along the way! Although when I was still performing, which I do only on occasion these days, I played almost exclusively Country and Southern Rock. But, I have always enjoyed most other forms of music. I am now playing around in those other genres...and having a heck of a good time!

But, I will play around with the percussions and see what happens. You never know! I am open to consider anything that might make this a better cut. I do appreciate your observations and passing them on to me. I will give them some serious thought. Thanks!

Al

Hi There, Lynn!

Thanks for stopping in to take a listen. Glad you did. And, also, thanks for taking the time to comment.

I am so pleased that you enjoyed this. I really like this style of music, too. I like almost all forms of latin music, particulalrly the various forms of Latin Jazz.

Regarding the guitar parts, the first guitar lead was played very basic and simple. The second lead guitar part, the one you mentioined at 2:34, was intended to be much more involved and more complicated. It's sort of a building thing. Start simple and build up to a little more complexity. Apparently I did acheive that goal. Thanks for verifying that I might have succeeded!

As far as the drums/percussion, if you would like to, you can go back and read what I said to James for a little bit of explanation. But, as I told him, I will play around with the percussions and see what happens.

Thanks again for the listen and the comments. All the best to you!

Alan

Hey, Al. Thinking about this got me poking around the internet. Here's a great web page discussing typical syncopated rhythms (usually in a two-measure repeating pattern) for Bossa Nova. This is what I was talking about. It's a subtle thing, but I noticed that it was missing:

http://www.guitarpeople.com/jazz/jazzprog.asp

Even adding a clave in the background with the first simple rhythm shown on that page would add depth to your piece, I think.

Hope that's of some use.

James...

First, I truly hope that I did not come across as being defensive in my previous reply. I was just explaining my reasoning for the way I did it...not trying to say that it was the only or best way. I appreciate you taking the interest and time to offer your suggestions. And, I am open to any suggestion that i think will improve this.

Thanks for the URL. Will check it out tomorrow. I use claves quite abit in my jazz and latin music. I also like a cabassas if it's not overdone.

But, I think you might be right about the claves. I'll go back and find one that I like and put it in and see how it sounds. The thing I have found that makes claves sound full and rich is to give them a little bit of upper-mid treble and a fair amount of standard reverb. They sound bright without that thin, half-empty sound, but at the same time do not override the rest of the percussions. And, perhaps a low ride cymbal in the chorus will help, too. With the Bossa Nova rythm, I try not to clutter it too much with background percussions because it is the simplest and least incumbered of all the latin rythms. I fall back on the Bossa Nova that defined the genre in this country...Astrud Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema". It is so simple and sparse with instrumentation. And wow..what a song! But, you might be right about the claves.

Thanks again for the link. Will check it out tomorrow. Check back over the weekend, or early next week, and see if this sounds a little better. And thanks a lot for trying to make this a better piece. That is why I posted it before doing a final cut. Appreciate the help!

Al

No problem. I just want to make sure we're communicating. There's an instrument called claves and there's a clave rhythm that appears in most Bossa Novas that has a syncopated beat, sometimes played on claves. (The first example on that page is the most basic clave rhythm I've heard.)

I didn't even pay attention to any of this stuff until I became good friends with a professional Jazz drummer. Boy, have I learned a lot about rhythm from him - enough to know that I don't know much about it! It has changed the way I listen to things, though.

It's that little syncopation sway in the background that my ear was expecting to hear from the clave rhythm. Here's a midi version on a web page of "Girl from Ipanema"; once you get through the intro you can hear the rhythm I'm thinking of in the background (sounds like rim taps on the snare drum, maybe?) http://wilstar.com/midi/ipanema.htm

Looking forward to hearing the next edition of the piece. It has a nice, smooth feel to it. My only real complaint was that I wanted it to keep going when I reached the end. That's a good thing!

- James

Really enjoyed this one Al.Back in I believe about 1977 when General Motors re-introduced the Chevy Nova.I was approached to write a song for the add.As it turned out I wrote a Bosa Nova tune.
The commercial was good ..it showed a new Nova being driven through the country side while my song playing in the back-ground.
My point is..Your song is a heck of a lot better than the one I wrote and it got on tv.
There's a Market out there for everything
RIKY

James...

Thanks again for the comeback and the new link. Will check out both of them this evening. Again, thanks for your interest in this song and your generosity in trying to make a better work. Means a bunch!

I am going to be posting another song here on the MP3 Forum in a few minutes. It is another cut from the upcoming CD. It is two classical pianos "dueling" in a funky jazz setting. It's called "Funked Up Pianos" And yeah, ya have to be careful when quoting that title!

All of these songs from the CD that I am posting here are work copies...not final cuts. It is through the help and kindness from a bunch of folks here at JPF, yourself included, that I hope my effort to cut a decent CD will be reasonably successful. I do not think it will have a lot of general appeal; but, what the heck. I'm having a great time with it!

Thanks again.

Al

RIKY...

I know you will think that I am just BSing you; but, I do reemember that commercial! I was living in Denver, CO. at the time. I commented to my former wife that I doubted it was pure coincidental that the Model was a "NOVA" and the music was Bossa "NOVA". Nice story...and nice job.

Thanks for the very kind words about my song. As far as it being better than yours...that's probably a subjective issue. But, I am delighted that you have that opinion. And yes, it does always rekindle to hope to read about such success stories.

Thanks for sharing that, and for your very nice words. I am going to rework the song a little and see if it is any better. James had a couple of suggestions that might do just that. Thanks again!

Alan