The Songs:
During my active road-band years I didn’t write songs, in fact I was envious of the few musicians I knew who did write. The bands I played with did cover tunes, mostly in drinking establishments, sometimes in ski lodges (my favorite). By the mid to late ‘80s I was too busy with my day gig to play out, so I put together a very modest recording set-up and took my first shot at songwriting.
Tom
I was enamored with Michael Franks at the time, so I tried to write some latin jazz/rock tunes. I wrote a few that were sort of entertaining, but a bit esoteric. Then I slipped into an approach that was more natural for me, i.e. to write the lyrics, then sit at the keyboard and see where the lyrics took me. For me, it seems that the musical style and structure of a song follow from the rhythm and emotion of the words. Turns out that I write some country, some blues, some R&B, some jazzy rock, etc……just depends on the tune. I hope the songs have been influenced by my favorite artists and songwriters, e.g. Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Randy Newman, Billy Joel, John Lennon and Willie Nelson, to name a few.
Categories:
I list the songs by category, but the categories are somewhat arbitrary, i.e. some ballads could be pop ballads or country ballads, some R&B tunes might be ‘rock and roll’ in the hands of some bands, jazz in the hands of a different group. Hence I also categorize the songs by ‘plot’ or lyrical message’.
Linda
Collaborators Welcome!!!
It is very unlikely that I will quit my day job and hit the road with a band. I would hope that a few musicians or songwriters might take an interest in a few of my tunes and contact me to collaborate.
My arrangements and to some extent my melodies are a product of my production environment, i.e. I have only my keyboard simulations and my voice to work with. Hence the possibility that more effective arrangements and vocal interpretations might emerge does not shock or dismay me in the least…I would welcome that. There is no question in my mind that I could have arrived at a better product in many cases if I had the luxury of a few talented guitarists and drummers to start with.
My arrangements don’t suck, but they are limited in scope, And my voice does not reflect years of careful training… Although when I was 5, I used to sing songs for my neighbors for a dime…but back then I was really cute. But the songs are a genuine reflection of my life and observations of people around me. I hope you enjoy the music, and that you are occasionally touched by what I was feeling when I wrote it.
Sincerely,
JB/TEE