Too Blue

"This was an improvisation, actually the second take (Blue 2, or "Too Blue"), during which I had the memory of the Monterey Jazz festival firmly planted in my head, remembering the incredible musicians and music I heard all over the fairgrounds, playing jazz, soul, and lots 'n lots of blues…" ~ Laurie Z.
posted by Zebra Productions on May 26, 2009 - 5 comments

Late Thaw

I'm neither a jazz writer nor a jazz singer, but that didn't stop me from trying. It's part of an album I'm gradually releasing online. [more inside]
posted by NemesisVex on Mar 24, 2009 - 1 comment

stopping by woods

Back in either middle school or high school, in music class, I wrote my very first melody with a classmate named Mathias Knutzen. The assignment was to take a text from one of our books and create a song with it. We chose Robert Frost's poem and came up with this pseudo-jazzy tune. I always liked it, so I kept the "digital chord sheet" around and played it from time to time. More than 15 years later, here now is a brand new recorded version -- complete with brushed drums and falsetto background vocals. [more inside]
posted by edlundart on Jan 20, 2009 - 4 comments

But Not For Me

Hope to revisit this one day-- piano by the talented Wang sisters: http://www.youtube.com/user/lipatti [more inside]
posted by StrikeTheViol on Dec 1, 2008 - 1 comment

When I Fall In Love

I started singing back when I was darn near tone deaf and had the breath control of someone recovering from a pool accident. I think I've gotten better, so I'd like people who don't know me to have a listen. [more inside]
posted by StrikeTheViol on Apr 7, 2008 - 6 comments

Misty

Some jazz noodling on that classic standard Misty. My friend Steph on the alto sax, me on the piano.
posted by chrismear on Jan 10, 2008 - 8 comments

Don't Go To Strangers (piano/vocal rehearsal)

Another 2006 rehearsal recording... cleaned up but obviously very rough still. Don't Go To Strangers was written in 1954 by Arthur Kent and David Mann, with gorgeous lyrics by Redd "Frim Fram Sauce" Evans. Many people have covered it, but Etta James' version is the one that infatuated me to give it a go myself. Gorgeous piano work provided by the perpetually kickass Tamir Hendelman
posted by miss lynnster on Feb 22, 2007 - 3 comments

After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It (piano/vocal)

Another 2006 CD rehearsal. I love timeless lyrics... and this 1920 tune by Irving Berlin captures human nature perfectly. It was repopularized by an arm-swinging Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The Nat King Cole Trio did it better though.
Piano fabulousness by the astoundingly talented (and now Grammy Nominated!) Tamir Hendelman
posted by miss lynnster on Jan 24, 2007 - 3 comments

Smackbillie

I was in Amsterdam in 1995 and found an old Billie Holiday bootleg CD. Years later I found an interesting sample on there and imported it into the totally awesome audio program....SoundEdit16. Stretched it, pulled it, squished it, doubled it and looped it. This is the end result in all of its 16bit glory. I originally released this under the name Skycraft. By "release" I mean I burned 10 copies in 1999 and gave it to Ray at The Quaker Goes Deaf in Chicago and a bunch of friends. 10 Blank CDs cost a lot back then.
posted by chillmost on Dec 11, 2006 - 3 comments