Details:
Molten Brass, a 3-horn original jazz funk group, played a few live gigs around NYC and I saved a couple of cassette recordings for posterity.
This is a snippet from the head of a Latin-flavored tune of mine and showcases the horn section in tight 3-part harmony. The title is a flippant comment on a lethargic, completely "uninterested in life" attitude that--I guess--must have been annoying me at the time!
As always, great energy by the drummer Michael Dawe sets the tone for this tune.
Molten Brass:
Rich Coffey: trombone,
Al Torrente: trumpet (or Tim Ouimette),
Bill Harris: tenor sax,
Rusty Cloud: rhodes piano,
Bill Derby: electric guitar,
Colin Spence: electric bass,
Michael Dawe: drums
Hidden In The Shadow
- Live from Rio de Janerio! 5 horn funk-swing jazz played by a band of Brazilian All Stars
- Live from Rio de Janerio! 5 horn funk-swing jazz played by a band of Brazilian All Stars...
Hidden In The Shadow
Details:
I had the good fortune to fulfill a lifelong dream and travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and, not only hang out on the beach, but perform and have my music played by some fantastic Brazilian musicians. Don Harris, a crony of mine at the time, hooked me up with a smokin' bunch of musicians and we played a very popular local nightclub.
This is a recording, ironically not of the night I played, but a week later, after I had returned to the States. The band continued to perform on a weekly basis a few more times and I was lucky enough to obtain a recording of one of these gigs.
The groove of the tune alternates between a sparse funk/swing feel in the A section and a jazz swing feel in the B section. Nico Assumpção on bass sets the groove, maintaining that elusive synergy.
Brazilian All Stars:
Don Harris: trumpet (featured),
Serginho: trombone,
Bindinho: trumpet (screech),
Leo Gandelman: alto sax,
Paul Lieberman: tenor sax,
Ricardo Silveira: guitar,
Nico Assumpção: bass,
??: piano,
Carlos Bala: drums
Some Punk Junk
- Hot Ice live in NYC, rock/funk featuring the electric trombone
- Hot Ice live in NYC, rock/funk featuring the electric trombone
Details:
In the early 80s, one of my first attempts with live band was Hot Ice, a small group consisting of a rhythm section and myself only, on trombone and electric trombone.
I had a Barcus-Berry pickup in the mouthpiece as well as a couple of EFX pedals. I was very fortunate, at the time, to perform with some great players (Jeff Golub on guitar: "Avenue Blue" and Jeff Young on keyboards: "Jackson Browne, Sting") and saved a few "low-tech" cassettes of various live performances.
This cut is a straight-ahead rock/funk tune. The title is a "tongue-in-cheek" takeoff of a popular fusion tune at the time: Some Punk Funk (by Steve Khan featuring the Brecker Brothers).
I tried to make use of multiphonics in conjunction with the electronic pickup on the bone. Multiphonics are created by singing and playing (buzzing) the trombone at the same time. Singing an interval above your played note, results in chords. The volume diminishes considerably when performing in this mode and this recording attests to the fact that maintaining a consistent "soloist" volume wasn't always easy!
After the bridge, Jeff Golub plays a rockin' solo and I kick in with multiphoncis over a breakdown funk section. This tune was always crowd pleaser!
Movin' On
- Hot Ice live in NYC, featuring the electric trombone
- Hot Ice live in NYC, featuring the electric trombone
Details:
This tune was a high-energy opener that had a pseudo-disco (!) groove. Colin sets the pace right off the bat with the busy bass figure in the intro. I was playing an electrified trombone at the time and was using a flanger to enhance the sound. This audio snippet fades out after a couple of choruses of the bone solo ...
Used in the "Credits" section of the interactive: "Blowback," this music weaves together three songs into one: (1) The Eve of Destruction; (2) America; and (3) My Country Tis of Thee.
A emotionally-charged pastiche of three songs:
1) The Eve of Destruction (2) America and (3) My Country Tis of Thee
This music was used in the "Credits" section of the interactive: "Blowback," a scathing comprehensive look at the costs and consequences of the American Empire.
-Loops-
- examples of a few audio snippets used in multimedia projects
Little Houses
"Little houses on the hilltop and they're all made out of ticky-tacky..." A Bartok-esque rearrangement of a sardonic 60s novelty hit. This is used as a soundbed for a section of "The Malling of America" (a multimedia interactive on the bittersweet consequences of suburban sprawl)
Lost In Thought
An original tune: Mood music for a section of the "Malling of America" interactive mentioned above.
Three Blind Mice
Various rearrangements of this classic nursery song (jazz, country, Arabic, etc.). This music was a primary component of this bizarre interpretation of big oil's influence on world affairs.
This Old Man
Another nursery song reconstruction set to a military snare drum riff. Part of the Blowback series.
Games People Play
A Mozart-esque string quartet arrangement of the 60s hit. Political posturing, wars and assassinations are examples of the games (too many of our leaders have) played. Also part of the Blowback series.
If I Only Had A Brain
An obvious perfect choice for the opening riff of the interactive "The Dumbing Down of America."
