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Description:
Duration: 10:48
(You need headphones or good speakers to hear the string bass; when I play it through my laptop speakers it is barely audible.)
Your basic 12-bar blues… sort of. Lots of chord substitutions. All notated (no chord charts; all voicings written out), except the drums which was improvised. Written for piano, trumpet, drums, and string bass. This was my first attempt at a jazz/contemporary classical crossover piece.
Image: Back when I dreamed of being a professional musician and worked for a bus company, I'd frequent a small jazz club after a late shift, where the music was always smoky, but hardly anyone would be there to hear. I'd listen for as long as I could, just absorbing the music, wishing I could play that well one day. Eventually, I quit my job and began studying music, and this composition was written as a kind of remembrance of those late nights spent by myself listening to very fine jazz music.
Performed here, once again, by colleagues and students. This recording was done after a concert of my music. This particular piece was not recorded properly during the concert, so the players had to come back to record it again in the empty concert hall, with the lights turned down low, after everyone had gone home. They were pretty burned-out after giving it their all during the concert, which actually works to the advantage of this piece, because that lazy, hazy late-night groove is captured pretty well.
It's a little "out there," so it may not be to everyone's taste. Comments always welcome; my basic question with any of my music is, does it speak to you in any way?
Lyrics:
(instrumental)
Hardware:
Mac,
Software:
Mosaic (notation software by MOTU)
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Feel Like &mdash 01/22/06 - 04:43:05 PM
I've stepped into some late 1940's flick with a down on his luck private
detective nursing a bullet wound and a broken heart at the end of the bar.
Very evocative and well done. [ Reply to This ]
Feel Like &mdash 01/22/06 - 05:39:14 PM
Thanks Mungo, I love your imagery! Thanks for the compliment as well.
I just left a comment for you about your Robot song (which I really like), BTW.
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Last upload: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/17301">Late-Night Music</a>. Visit <a href="http://www.clarkross.ca">my website</a> for lots more music. [ Reply to This ]
So deep and wonderful! &mdash 01/22/06 - 04:52:19 PM
I heard this on your website. Man, I am so I'm glad you posted it for all Macjammers to hear.
The story about the performance and production of this composition really emphasizes the mistique and richness of this piece.
I feel like I'm sitting in that smokey club.
You really delve into the depths of late night 'cool' and stay there for what seems an eternity.
Jazz Noire
Thanks so much for posting, Clarke.
10s/fav/keeper [ Reply to This ]
So deep and wonderful! &mdash 01/22/06 - 05:45:16 PM
Thanks very much for the enthusiastic comments, E.C. It was you who
suggested I upload this piece to MacJammers, so I'm glad you found it and
voted. Here's hoping a few more folks will find it!
Oh, and thanks for all the great tunes you've suggested I listen to. Great
suggestions, and very much appreciated!
All the best,
Clark
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Last upload: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/17301">Late-Night Music</a>. Visit <a href="http://www.clarkross.ca">my website</a> for lots more music. [ Reply to This ]
Miles Davis meets . . . &mdash 01/22/06 - 06:31:37 PM
. . . Anton Webern! (I meant that in a good way.)
Very atmospheric piece. Well-performed and skillfully constructed.
I hear shades of "Round Midnight" and "Sophisticated Lady" in these
chords.
I'll have to take your word for it, that this is a 12-bar blues. With so
many substitutions, it's hard to hear a blues here. Doesn't mean I
don't like it -- I do like it. But "blues" is not a term which would spring
to my mind upon hearing this.
All your players sound great. The drummer especially is very talented.
An excellent piece. Shows evidence of much care and planning. [ Reply to This ]
Miles Davis meets . . . &mdash 01/23/06 - 07:56:36 AM
How could a Miles Davis/Anton Webern crossover be anything but good? :)
Thanks, John. Interesting comment! Calling it "your basic 12 bar blues" was
kind of tongue in cheek on my part. The truth is, this is a relatively old piece
for me (maybe about 17 years), and I don't remember the compositional
details very well, except that I *think* I had a 12-bar blues model in mind
when I was composing. I also think I may have had some sort of 12-tone row
idea going on somewhere, but again, if it's really there, it's pretty hard to
find. Mostly I remember that I was writing this at the time I was preparing for
my doctoral comprehensive exams, one of which was an 8-hour exam in
late-romantic harmony, so I was trying lots of chord substitutions, and
substituting even more chords for the substitutions!
Thanks for the compliment regarding the drummer. He was a student here
when this was played, and now (maybe 12 years later) he's much, much
better. He has spent years gigging on cruise ships and working in Miami, for
for some reason he's back on the island working in a call centre, only gigging
occasionally. I still jam with him from time to time.
TOO MUCH INFORMATION! Very sorry about that!
Clark
---
Last upload: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/17301">Late-Night Music</a>. Visit <a href="http://www.clarkross.ca">my website</a> for lots more music. [ Reply to This ]
Yes this is good &mdash 01/22/06 - 07:16:43 PM
really, very, very good. I now download. I later enjoy many times. :)
thanks for sharing
I smell smoke. [ Reply to This ]
Yes this is good &mdash 01/23/06 - 08:10:04 AM
Thanks very much for the comment. Glad you liked it. BTW, I just left a
comment about your Blues piece for ya.
Cheers, Clark
---
Last upload: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/17301">Late-Night Music</a>. Visit <a href="http://www.clarkross.ca">my website</a> for lots more music. [ Reply to This ]
it's kind of like &mdash 01/22/06 - 07:19:34 PM
Gershwin and Thelonius Monk, It swings in a dissonant way. Well I like it!
This could be on blue note. By the way where do you teach? [ Reply to This ]
it's kind of like &mdash 01/23/06 - 08:23:27 AM
Interesting comment. I don't really hear the Gershwin, but I'll think about it
some, and maybe the connection will become more apparent. Nevertheless, a
welcome comment, which I appreciate!I teach at the Memorial University School of Music, in Newfoundland, a
large island off the east coast of Canada. When it's 8PM in New York (one of the
places I used to live in), it's 9:30 PM here.Thanks for having a listen. I'm a
big fan of your music, so I'm glad you were able to make a
comment.Cheers, Clark --- Last upload: Late-Night Music. Visit my website for lots more music. [ Reply to This ]
it's kind of like &mdash 01/23/06 - 07:53:36 PM
everyone's taste &mdash 01/23/06 - 07:21:52 AM
Two years ago I would've probably heard a minute or two of this and
just turned it off. Though I was sort of into jazz... I stuck to Dave
Brubeck and Return to Forever, so didn't really have much of an
appreciation for anything slow or oddly voiced. Fortunately, through
studying composition I got involved with the Sonic Art group and we've
been doing things like constructing custom scales and jamming in
Octatonic modes... which, aside from being fun, has really helped me
appreciate stuff like this.
Really like the feel and much of the phrasing of these guys. Great
music for when I'm in a slow or relaxed mood, particulary in winter and
a fireplace somewhere (not right now, because there's firebans all over
Australia). A tad too long and slow for me for everyday listening, but I
still really enjoyed it. [ Reply to This ]
everyone's taste &mdash 01/23/06 - 08:29:04 AM
Something I really appreciate about your comments is your honesty, so thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it. RE: length and slowness, I'll think about the length some;
this is a piece that, in my mind, needs a final compositional edit to get it to
where I think it should be, and maybe a little trim here and there would be a
good idea. I think a modulation at some point might work well too, so if I ever
get back to this, I'll consider those things. The speed I'm okay with, because for
me it seems to suit the slow, languid, hazy, drug-addled mood I was going for.
Thanks again, Clark
---
Last upload: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/17301">Late-Night Music</a>. Visit <a href="http://www.clarkross.ca">my website</a> for lots more music. [ Reply to This ]
Atmospheric &mdash 01/25/06 - 09:15:43 AM
Very graphic piece of work you've created here. I really liked it.
This is going straight to my jazz playlist! It'll really come in handy while
doing my homework :)
Thanks for sharing - great stuff! [ Reply to This ]
Atmospheric &mdash 02/11/06 - 12:16:53 PM
Well, I'm flattered you like enough of this to put it on your jazz playlist! I've
really been enjoying your music too, and I'm very glad you were able to stop by.
All the best, Clark [ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 02/26/06 - 07:28:56 PM
Nice job. Great emotion and feel. You've captured the smokey jazz scene
very well. Great soundtrack for any film noir.
Downloaded. [ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 03/12/06 - 01:04:32 PM
Thanks for the compliment. This is a very old tune of mine,
something like 16 years old or more, so I'm glad some folks are still enjoying it.
Cheers, Clark --- Jennifer's Tune[ Reply to This ]
Excellent mood &mdash 02/27/06 - 01:53:47 PM
Excellent mood &mdash 03/12/06 - 01:08:07 PM
Glad you enjoyed it! Are you serious in saying it's too short? I never really
thought about extending it, but I can certainly think about it!
All the best, Clark
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<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/18317">Jennifer's Tune</a> [ Reply to This ]
great mood &mdash 12/31/06 - 02:49:16 PM
and feel......the blues feel is captured by the minor keys because it isn't apparent from the structure......sounds more like third stream jazz.....i like it.....the swing is a little rigid maybe because of the composed nature of the music.....improvisation is what makes jazz/blues what it is......kudos to the composition....and players....! [ Reply to This ]
whoah! &mdash 01/01/07 - 03:48:42 PM
[jolted out of a deep sleep] Whoah! The last comment on this was 10 months ago... what a cool surprise! Thanks Mcboy.
This is a Very Old composition for me... if I were recording this to a CD today I'd revise it a bit. For one thing, it's a bit repetitive, and that bugs me now, but it's that way because I wrote it very quickly.
I'd like to put in some improvised stuff, but I'm unsure of how well that would work, given that this is atonal. Some people could pull it off well, I'm sure, but some people would have trouble with it.
Thanks again. --- Visit my website for lots more free MP3s and scores. [ Reply to This ]
hej &mdash 01/08/07 - 05:28:08 AM
bra att ni klika favorit saken der ute faktiskt bra fr det var min pappa [ Reply to This ]
Sunshine! &mdash 01/09/07 - 07:52:28 PM
Thanks so much for your kind comment! Your pappa is one of my favorites as well! You are very talented! --- Visit my website for lots more free MP3s and scores. [ Reply to This ]
My two cents &mdash 01/11/07 - 10:21:52 AM
Excellent piece. Reminds me of the soundtrack to the movie "Pawnbroker"
Quincy Jones I think.
Ok, since the drums is improvised you could say it was jazz, and it has a definite "jazzy"smokey feel. I guess if you relinquished control
by adding some improvised sections from the other players it would be
interesting to see what these or any good players would come up with.
Anyway very interesting piece and very well written
Cheers
MB [ Reply to This ]
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detective nursing a bullet wound and a broken heart at the end of the bar.
Very evocative and well done.
[ Reply to This ]