Welcome to the blog of Dennis J. Woodyard - Journeyman Artist, and Dragonfly Entertainment. Former TV animation producer/director, storyboard artist, character designer, writer, concept artist, Flip book designer, and other professional credits.
Today Sunday Music Muse day find me offering a Bill Frisell twin spin, one as a leader and one as a sideman. First up. Bill Frisell Valentine, which I think is his second release on the Blue Note label. This is a collection of tunes with longtime bandmates, Bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston. This definitely will be find plenty of time on my CD player. Bill is solid favorite of mine.
My second selection is drummer Paul Motian Time and Time Again. which finds Bill Frisell's guitar supporting the leader along with Joe Lovano on Tenor saxophone. 2007. There's much to explore in this tasty ECM release from 2007.
As always try to enjoy as much good music in these chaotic times. It's good for the soul. Stay safe, safe healthy.
Such sad news to heard of the passing actor Chadwick Boseman, best known to comic book fans for role as the Black Panther. His passing the anniversary of Jack Kirby's 103rd birthday is stunning.
I get a chill thinking this Alex Ross art is Jack greeting Chadwick to the Cosmic Realm. I've save copy of this to my screensaver last year, but with the passing of Chadwick Boseman, I need to add this tribute and print this out and put on my wall.
What more can be said than. Rest in peace, Chadwick Boseman, and thanks for greats role you left behind.
Here's a belated Sunday Music Muse Day post, because time slipped away from me yesterday as I worked finishing my Warped Sky Stray Clouds tune. But first, here are two selections from a trip to the Hi-Fi Lounge record shop, my first in four months. First up, Pat Martino Quartet Undeniable. The title is appropriate when talking about the legendary guitarist Pat Martino. This 2009 live set is fine addition to my Pat Martino collection.
My next selection is Charlie Byrd Homage to Jobim. Another welcomed addition to my CD collection by an another jazz guitar great. The pairing of Byrd and the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim is pure heaven.
As part of my Dragonfly Views blog I have a Sunday Music Muse Day post where I always hoped to present original music that I had filed away mostly unfinished and unheard. I can feel like Loon in this cartoon, sometimes.
Continuing my Warped Sky Stray Clouds tunes, here's "Shattered Man - Acid Jazz Mix". Shattered Man is a original tune, written in 1981 by Richard Miceli, my creative partner in the undiscovered Warped Sky Band, in 1981. It was adapted from a poem of his and I came up with music for him to improvise a vocal and flute against. Richard is big fan of Tom Waits, and I aways hear strains of the in his poems/lyrics. I'm amazed at the insights on personal relationships has lyrics reveals. The original version. with Richard's vocal and flute playing is included at the end of this video.
Again, that 1981 version was a 1st take we played it together. Although I screwed up, losing timing playing with the drum machine, it is a good version of the tune.
This new version was made with my vocals and guitar playing, and using a backing track created in Band in a Box music software. The "Acid Jazz Mix" in the title comes from the rhythm track used from the Band in the Box music program. You write in chords and a lead line and it creates a backing track, and even a solo performance, with varying degrees of success. I'm often surprised how simple tunes sound fleshed out by a full band, even an artificial one.
As I get older it becomes apparent waiting for perfect has become an excuse not to do anything. So, these music posts are a way to finish off forgotten musical ideas, for the plain fun of it.
Enjoy.
This Sunday Music Muse Day find me featuring two of my favorite guitarists, with a twist. Both selection were acquired online for different reasons. First up is Bill Conners Swimming with a Hole in My Body, his second solo acoustic guitar released on ECM, after Conners left Chick Corea's Return to Forever after being their original electric guitarist, before Al DiMeola. I have the original 1979 vinyl album release, but wanted to this CD for convenience, since my turntable is only connect to my computer (I thought, briefly, I'd digitize my vinyl collection. I give it that idea, first) . Also I recently picked up the ECM reissue of his follow up Of Mist and Melting, a group recording on CD. It seems 'Swimming...' wasn't released in the U.S. so this is a Japanese CD. Such I don't mind except I can't read the liner notes, and the cover title type is not as nice. The music is just as wonderful as I remember.
Next up is "Upojenie (English: Rapture) is a 2002 collaboration between Polish folk and jazz singer Anna Maria Jopek and jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, recorded in Warsaw, Poland. It features Jopek's compositions and traditional folk song arrangements, as well as some of Metheny's well-known tracks, such as "Are You Going with Me?" and "Follow Me"...In 2008 an international edition of the album was released by Nonesuch Records. The running order of the selections is different and three additional songs are included." from Wikipedia.
I found this by accident on youtube, as it has version of one of my favorite Metheny tunes, "Tell Her You Saw Me", on it with Anna's vocals.Some of it can sound a little smooth jazzy, but when you're in the right mood, it hits the spot.I still just amazed at the range of musical output of Pat Metheny. Again, I ordered this online, since I'venever seen a copy here in the U.S.
Here's another song in my Warped Sky - Stray Cloud series. The song, Take a Walk with Me is a original tune, written by Richard Miceli, my creative partner in the undiscovered Warped Sky Band, in 1978. It was adapted from a poem of his and I came up with simple shuffle for him to improvise on flute against. The original version. with Richard's vocal and flute playing is included at the end of this video. This was actually the first we played it together. Although I screwed up, losing timing playing the drum machine, it is the better version of the tune. Richard vocals and flute really caries the tune.
This new version was made with my vocals and guitar playing, and using a backing track created in Band in a Box music software. You write in chords and a lead line and it creates a backing track, and even a solo performance, with varying degrees of success. I'm often surprised how my simple tunes sound fleshed out by a full band, even an artificial one. I admit this new version doesn't have the funky charm of the original. Still, it one more for the archive.
My thanks to my good friend Mark Heller for letting use his photography in the videos. Enjoy.
Here's a belated Sunday Music Muse Day post, one day late. I did get to go to my second favorite record shop. Record Archive, on Saturday, for the first time since Covid-19 closed everything down. Record Archive open with all the health guideline in use, masks required to enter, hand sanitizer, social distancing, and even re-routing of entry and exit. I'm glad I found two good selections. First up is Cindy Blackman Another Lifetime. "Lifetime" in this context is in tribute to this talented drummer's mentor and inspiration Tony William, and his original Jazz-Rock Fusion band "Tony Williams Lifetiime". The original Lifetime included John McLaughlin on electric guitar and Larry Young on organ, with Jack Bruce (of Cream fame) joining the group on their second album. Blackman Another Lifetime features songs from those early Tony Williams album, had a touring group Another Lifetime that played that music also. I also have a CD, Spectrum Road, of a Tony Williams Tribute band featured the late Jack Bruce and Cindy listed as "Cindy Blackman Santana". Cindy's playing does her mentor proud. She a dynamic drummer. Worth a listen.
My next selection is Giacomo Gates Fly Rite who's become a surprise favorite jazz vocalist of mine. For one, I much more into instrumental music, of all sorts. Giacomo Gates laid back style grew on me. He's some what of a throw back to classic jazz scat singers, but he throws in a Jimi Hendrix tune, to keep things interesting. I managed to see him live soon after moving to Rochester, and was surprised to discovery my friend, Mike Melito was the drummer on the gig (it was before Mike and I were introduced by Bob Snieder. Fly Rite is Giacomo's second release from 1998.
As part of my Dragonfly Views blog I have a Sunday Music Muse Day post where I always hoped to present original music that I had filed away mostly unfinished and unheard, always putting it off because my playing leaves much to desired. But as I get older it becomes apparent waiting for perfect has become an excuse not to do anything. But, sometimes you just have to get things out of your system. So, rough edges and all here is the song, "Dream Again". Dream Again is one of my original tune, written in 1981. I think it was my first 3/4, waltz tempo tune. The original version is included at the end of this video. This was actually the first time my friend Richard Miceli, who plays flute on it, played it together.
This new version was made using a backing track created in Band in a Box music software. You write in chords and a lead line and it creates a backing track, and even a solo performance, with varying degrees of success. I'm often surprised how my simple tunes sound fleshed out by a full band, even an artificial one. Enjoy.
So, even in these strange days of a pandemic, there always a time for some good music, if nothing else, to help keep your sanity. Be safe, stay healthy, and wear a mask.
This Sunday Music Muse Day I get to celebrate my first visit to one of my favorite record shop since the pandemic hit four months ago. I finally returned to the Bop Shop Record, yesterday, they're on limit 3 day schedule and are following all the proper covid-19 guidelines for retail store. Actually, Tom, the owner, had called me earlier in the week about a special order I placed back in January. Unfortunately, since I wasn't sure when the shop would open, or if he found the CD, I bought it online. But, Tom was good about it, and I was able to get one of this week selection instead. I picked up John Scofield Swallow Tales, his new release from ECM. The is special CD as it celebrates and is a tribute to Steve Swallow, legendary jazz bassist and composer, who plays on the set, and is long time friend and playing partner of Scofield. You can tell the music is a labor of love by Scofield. Well worth checking out.
My next selection is Impulse release of Charlie Haden and Jim Hall, a live duet CD including several favorite Haden tune I associate with records with Pat Metheny. This CD is a real treat by two giants in the world of Jazz. I can easily highly recommend it.
As part of my Dragonfly Views blog I have a Sunday Music Muse Day post where I always hoped to present original music that I had filed away mostly unfinished and unheard, always putting it off because my playing leaves much to desired. But as I get older it becomes apparent waiting for perfect has become an excuse not to do anything. But, sometimes you just have to get things out of your system. So, rough edges and all here is the song, "November Night 2020". November Night is one of my favorite original tune, written in 1980. The original version is included at the end of this video. This was actually the first time we, my friends Rodney Means and Richard Miceli, played it together. That version was posted back in 2008.
This "2020" version was made using a backing a backing track created in Band in a Box music software. You write in chords and a lead line and it creates a backing track and even a solo performance, with varying degrees of success. I'm often surprised how my simple tunes sound fleshed out by a full band, even an artificial one. One area I need to work on is sound mixing in Garageband, I'll get there. Enjoy.
This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us in our 4th of July holiday weekend. In these days of pandemic and political chaos, I chose to have a low-key holiday and stay close to home. I spent most of 4th stacking and organizing CD collection in our new CD storage unit.
In moving the CDs I came across a many I haven't played in ages. My pick for today's Sunday Music Muse Day is one of them, Pure Moods. a 1994 compilation CD of New Age music, for lack of better description. I remember seeing TV ads for it, a thought it was cheesy. I must have picked it up out of a discount bin, and actually it has some good tunes on it, like TV show themes from X-Files and Miami Vice. Plus Artists like Enya, Mike Oldfield, and David Byrne (of Talking Heads). But My favorite tune is Native American group and song, Sacred Spirits - "Yeha-Noha". It's natural beauty is stunning.
Sunday Music Muse (Part 2) (Actually another (embarrassing) attempt to clear the backlog of undeveloped and unfinished music ideas.) "The Wise Fool" is another original tune written by friend Peter Grosett back in 1982 and a really favorite tune of mine. (You can see my last post for Peter's "Flowers" for a fuller a background) I was hoping for a little Gary Burton Quartet feel with the vibraphone. This backing track was created in Band in a Box music software. So, rough edges and all here is the song, "The Wise Fool". I hope it gives a hints of the great song Peter wrote. I grabbed photos Pete has shared to make this video. I hope it serves as a tribute his continuing creative spirit.
Here's an extra Warped Sky Stray Cloud entry, a tune inspired by this image post by my friend and former co-worker at Bright Memorial Library. It's silly tune I wrote back in the '80, and I always thought it would be a good kid's library tune. Working at BML, I thought it would be a nice theme for BML story time. So, I made this fake promo for the library, and with the quality of my vocal you can consider it satire.
Hope everyone have a safe 4th of July, all thing considered.
