Thanks for sharing.

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This piece has romance written all over it. Thank you Paul, for the feeling.

God bless,

Rick


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Glad you enjoyed the number. Romance? Maybe it's the way I play. I don't know. I try to be sensitive to nuances. Maybe that's what comes through. But I am happy you got a chance to listen to the piece.
Paul

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Sounds fantastically real.

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Hey. Thanks. Glad you could give this a listen. You might want to check out a couple of other things I've uploaded.
Thank you for taking the time to drop me a little note.
Paul

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I wish I could learn to play as this, it is wonderful and I like your discription.... who wouldn't!! he he .......very nice!!!!! I want to play like that!!! The NightBird ~

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(can you say anything about how you created this? did you build it around the chords?)

in a word: gently


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Smokey,
I DID build this around the chordal structure. If you anaylze the number, the same 4 chords keep popping up with a little foray into a minor key a couple of times to keep things at least a little bit less static. The interest is in the free melody. I haven't studied any "classical" jazz, but the structure is always pretty simple harmonically... What gets me going are the endless possibilities for melodic development. Most of the time, though (to be absolutely honest), I just turn my fingers onto auto pilot and leave the rest to the forces of mental synapse. Sometimes it works out; sometimes it's chaos. That's the wonder of composition (in my view). Structure comes with a lot of experimentation and a lot of listening. I think nature provides a certain symmatry that comes naturally. A composer needs to "get tuned" to that natural organization of harmony, melody, rhythm. It's all THERE; it just needs to be READ. Well...sorry for my rambling. I look at my writing and playing more from the perspective of being a medium than actually "owning" the results.
Paul

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thanks for replying. occasionally the muses smile down and let me enjoy improvisation. it's the best thing i know just to have notes flowing out of your fingers - sort of like that "automatic writing" some people talk about...

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B^)

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I like the chordal movements and attention to dynamics. I liked the hard stop about half way through the tune, then the trip into playful chords and melody.

Nifty composition, and very mellow dinner jazz feel. Too bad I don't have a fireplace.

My only complaint is that the piano sounds pretty digital to me, in the harder notes especially. Obviously it is, but perhaps some production tricks would warm up your sound to match your playing?
-g

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Glad you got a chance to listen and I really appreciate your taking the time to send a comment. I agree with you about the digital sound of the "piano." I am 3 weeks into Ivory and just using stock sounds without tweaking anything. It's so much better than what I had been using that I am just happy it's a big step up. But I understand the harshness of the sound--kind of metalic--esp. at ff passages. The soft stuff seems to be awfully good and it sure gets me going. Much fun to play, that's for sure. Eventually I'll get around to fine tuning... I'm glad you though the piece was "dinner jazz." I am so unfamiliar with the genre, but thought that I was at least close to the target.
Paul

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you're quite on target. No need to worry about that. All you're missing is a gin and tonic collecting condensation on top of your piano in the corner of the supper club ; )
-g

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If you find yourself lacking finesse, a big rock will usually make a sufficient substitute.

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I could listen to this all night, happy yet relaxing. keep'em coming.

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Thanks so much for your nice comment. I am glad that you found the piece relaxing. There are some other things I've posted. I hope you have a chance to check them out, too.

Do me a favor: I am new to this whole MacJams business. When I "reply to this" to a comment left on one of my numbers (as I am to your comment), do YOU ever actually get that comment? I seem to get copies attached to the originals sent to me, but I am not sure that my "reply to this" responses ever get back to those who've first sent ME a message. Drop me a note and let me know if I am doing this correctly. Thanks a lot.
Paul

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There are so many nice little touches in this piece; unexpected little flourishes and voicings.

There is a wide range of emotions contained within these few short minutes, the way you shape the various phrases is quite varied. The non-sustained bit towards the end provides a refreshing change for the ear.

This is the second piece of yours which I have heard (the first being "Meditation") and there seems to be a common characteristic: sort of a stream-of-consciousness, improvisatory style of musical presentation.

Somehow you pull it all together into a cohesive whole, because it has a consistent "mood" from beginning to end. Again, there are so many interesting little phrases, that each could be developed into a piece in its own right.

By the way....welcome to MacJams! Your music is a breath of fresh air.....much needed and appreciated.

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Cameron,
Thank you so much for your kind note about "A Little Jazz Peace." I think you have discovered my secret: improvise like crazy but do it within a framework that is logical, sequential, and "in a consistent mood." Over the years I have written out most of the things I compose, but the addition of Ivory software to my keyboard arsonal has really put the inspiration in my fingers and soul. But years of playing has, I think, developed a certain "sense" about such things a general mood and the necessity to not stray too far from the essential elements of any given number. Some days are, of course, better than others. On the tough days, I find myself writing down everything so I won't forget; at other times, I brief sketch is all I need to, as they say, "rock 'n' roll." In any event, I am having a lot of fun and am really enjoying the feedback and suggestions and such. I've been working in a vacuum for so long that THIS feels really great. (I hope you'll be able to check out a couple other things I've written, too.)
I am going to send this note attached to the REPLY TO THIS note that I rec'd from you.as well as posting it HERE. Please let me know if you receive both. I have been replying to a lot of people but am not sure if they are receiving my messages...I just want to do the right thing.
Thanks again for your wonderful note. I'll be headed toward your music, too, post haste.
Paul

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