Shostakovich (by grizzle w/kevmikwa)

ktb

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Description

grizzle posted a song a while back and I asked her if I could add some tracks. She had made a beautiful live recording with her friend Katie and I was able to add some stuff but fitting in any drums proved difficult without the ol' click track.

I asked kevmikwa (Mike Watkins) if he could take a whack at it and he laid in something really spectacular. It makes the whole song gel. Mike you rock, many thanks.

also a quick note of gratitude to Announcer (Bill Brophy) and AndyBM for some much needed advice on mixing. Still a long way to go, but you guys help break it down so I can follow along.

Thanks for listening

grizzle - Vocals & Guitar (with backing vocals from her friend Katie)

Mike Watkins - Drums (crowd roar :-)

ktb - Bass & Keys

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Song Stats

Hits: 741
Comments: 50
Fans: 24
Plays: 91
Downloads: 43
Votes: 3
Uploaded: Jan 26, 2009 - 08:27:44 AM
Last Updated: Jan 26, 2009 - 08:31:30 AM Last Played: Sep 14, 2009 - 07:31:40 PM

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Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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Comments

rabittwhole	rabittwhole said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	oh man .... this is just great Check out my latest song called London is Bitter (Part 1)

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	griz Mr Rabbit, glad you liked it. Normally during a mix session I get to listen "over & over" and Griz's voice made me want to keep mixing just to listen again :-) Check out my latest song called Texas stump

davisamerica	davisamerica said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	:-] wrong avatar .... but this is well worth 2 hits indeed Check out my latest song called No Son(egobandit band)

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	2 hits Jack, always a pleasure to see the DA avatar. Thx for stopping by Check out my latest song called Texas stump

SISTERS	SISTERS said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	well done, kids grizzle's vocal is so good - it's fresh, unaffected, and is a pleasure to hear. bass and keys give this a really beautiful foundation. the strings are a sweet element in the mix and kevin did a great job in the Whack department. good sound, team. anne Check out my latest song called HOW WOULD I KNOW

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	whack I know theres a joke in here somewhere :-) ...but seriously Anne, 'ppreciate the kind words. Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Skean	Skean said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	All is just so great, very nice collab and I really understand hove glad you most been to have Mike's live drums in there... It sounds so live too me.. Thanks for sharing... Cheers Check out my latest song called Let's Go Trippy

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	live drums rule! and in Mike's case thats an understatement. Just the right feel (imho). Check out my latest song called Texas stump

tokai	tokai said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	Fair play you are doing acoustic rock now eh? Very sweet in all departments, with the Mac Jams minstrel shinning on over those melodies. A cultured ride, beautiful singing and a impressive song. Well done John and co. Check out my latest song called maizuru/Bud/Char

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	acoustic as acoustic as I think I've ever gotten Steve...beautiful singing indeed Check out my latest song called Texas stump

drakonis	drakonis said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	Nice & tender Grizzle's singing is great, but the orchestration and Mike's drums really round this out, and give it a very solid, rich foundation... great work building the sounds around this gem. Yes, some tweaking of the mix would add sparkle and kick, but this is shaping up wonderfully. ttfn, Drakonis Check out my latest song called Lullaby for the Inner Child

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	if I only knew what I was doing Eduard! one of those times I wish we could all be together in fancy studio. Lots of potential still, I agree. Thanks for listening Check out my latest song called Texas stump

tempie

tempie said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)

great and great
i'm a big fan of grizzle's vox so I was really happy to hear this. ktb your keys are great man, they just kind of dance over the guitar, very nice. agree with everyone that the drums are terrific also. we have to get grizzle to turn the mic input down - every time I hear her voice hit the static it's like watching a ferrari GT hit a light post. great idea ktb to take this and work with it - that's the super cool thing about MJ.

Check out my latest song called Get Away with Murder Eyes (5XArms Cover)

ktb

ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)

inputs
you and the race car analogies :-) lol...funny you should mention the whole "hot" inputs, we've had a couple of conversation re: red lining, and you'll be happy to know, Griz is on the case. This one we had to work with the original live recording, done a while back. So we made the best of it. I have the exact opposite issue :-) My recordings lack gain most of the time. Thanks to this place I think we're all making headway.

Check out my latest song called Texas stump

kevmikwa

kevmikwa said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)

Shucks
First off, thanks to you, ktb, for looking me up. You have been very effusive with the nice words and they are deeply appreciated. Per my MO, I'm not doing anything particularly creative - it's a pretty standard "drag" beat. There are also a couple of spots that I wish I could have given more time and attention to (most notably, the timing of the turn after the first chorus). I think I say this about every song that I sit in on, but my big goal here was to try and stay out of the way. You and grizzle already had a beautiful song put together - I've already told you how much I love your work on the keys and bass. I am officially deflecting the "crowd roar" you threw my way back to you, griz and Katie. As a PS: this is probably the best my drum tracks have sounded as mixed in to an existing track - excellent job there.

To the other folks saying kind things about my contribution (drakonis, SISTERS, Skean and tempie): my most humble thanks. Heart officially warmed.

Check out my latest song called Piece of Heaven

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	plug & play all i had to do was drop your track in :-) perfect feel dude. Not sure if you notice but the track I sent you didn't have this bass (not sure how i managed that), which makes what you did all the more remarkable to me. Check out my latest song called Texas stump

lank81	lank81 said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	Great Song But I'm not a huge fan of the effect on the guitar. What is that, a chorus? Its just a little too electronic-y sounding for me. Its a great song though with great voices, playing, and its nice and full. Great Collab everyone. Hope to hear more vox with you two. Check out my latest song called Life's a Story

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	chorus? Matt, I'm not sure Griz is using anything on the acoustic. All we had to work with is a live recording of the vocals meshed with her guitar. I'd attribute any lack of fidelity to the mic set up when it was originally recorded. I'll head over later and check the out the White Roses tunage. Thx for the visit Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Moviz	Moviz said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	I Enjoyed this tremendously. Such a great mix and a really nice song sung so well by those two. Nice collab and accompaniment, regards M Check out my latest song called Come Back Billie

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	mix Maurice, thanks for making my day my friend. I struggled with the mix, in the sense of balancing stuff so as not to overpower the gorgeous vocals. Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Feter	Feter said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	Shostakovich WO ...what a awesome vocal work ..the harmonies ..so need ...the ripple piano so effective over it ...o ye the drums so solid and alive let this song so moving ...very very cool song ..wonderful colab ...what a lovely work ..thnx alot for sharin !!!! Check out my latest song called A Night With Feter feat'(Roxylee sloparts crissew johnwhitehead and Yamin AL Yamani )

ktb	ktb said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	ripple Feter! you flatter us. Always great to hear from you Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Dj French Toast	Dj French Toast said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	I like What a Beautiful Voice she has . I love Raw and in your face music and this really is a well balanced mix of music and vocal power . Felt like a live production and very personal . I loved the bass and the grace in which it all came together ... Great song you just got a new fan ! Check out my latest song called Its The French Toast(Colab W/WillBill808)

ktb	ktb said 302 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	live production is very close to the mark. Mike's drums help complete the feel. I'm glad you felt is was balanced, spent some time on the trade offs! Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Jim Bouchard

Jim Bouchard said 303 days ago (January 26th, 2009)

Yup!
I've had some communications with grizzle about her distortion problem, and I so wish she could fix that, but it's a consistent feature of her recordings; I guess there's bigger things to worry about as a singer-songwriter. Having worked with you on a song, I can attest to your lack of gain, and so the mix is a bit off on this. The distorted vocals and the too quiet piano and the too loud guitar really don't do this song justice, despite the just-right drums. It really should probably be all re-done in order to do it justice, but as a demo to point out the potential of a young and growing talent, it's pretty well on point. Congratulations for getting this all together!

Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze

ktb	ktb said 302 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	on the money very valid comment. Griz only had one track > with her Vocal, guitar and Katie. Some red lining saturation and no chance to separate the three. Every time I'd bump the piano it would cover Katie..agghh...still I'm hoping when time permits I can con her into a do over. Then I'm gonna stalk you for the guitar and the production :-) Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Vic Holman	Vic Holman said 302 days ago (January 26th, 2009)
	beautiful tune excellent collab work here folks! everyone sounds great on this wonderful tune. Check out my latest song called November

ktb	ktb said 302 days ago (January 27th, 2009)
	hey Vic, makes my day that a singer/songwriter like yourself digs it. I don't get the chance to work very often with real songwriters (like with lyrics & stuff :-), so having you favorably comment is a big plus in my book. Check out my latest song called Texas stump

paul f. page

paul f. page said 302 days ago (January 26th, 2009)

SOUND...
I am always first drawn by what a number SOUNDS like... This piece is sooo rich in the bass end and I love it for that!! What a great mix of the whole orchestration. Vocals are out front where they belong and easy to hear above everything else (though I must admit to not being able to understand the lyrics -- probably MY problem with fading hearing). There is such a nice overall ambiance about this composition and the arrangement. (Small criticism/suggestion: the drum set is a little too up front for my ears and maybe needs just a tad more "space" to mess more realistically with the whole ensemble. But that's a small point in an otherwise stellar performance.) Bravo to all. Please pass on my kudos.
Peace.
Paul

Check out my latest song called Double Etude

ktb	ktb said 302 days ago (January 27th, 2009)
	bass & drums I'm pleased you felt the bass resonated. I played with lots of different sounds, and this one (emulating a fender precision) seemed to strike a nice balance. 1st time with real live drums, so i may have joyously favored the track :-) thanks for taking the time to listen and comment Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Bubowski	Bubowski said 302 days ago (January 27th, 2009)
	Wow This is a wonderful collab. As others have mentioned, a nice warm mix. I love the dry feel to this, makes it feel really alive. Good job all. --Graham Check out my latest song called Galaxy Band 8

ktb	ktb said 302 days ago (January 27th, 2009)
	dry feel come to think of it, I usually wind up pouring the verb on like syrup :-), but the way the guitar and vocal was recorded I tried to match it up. Now i think I'll try to do this more often in the future. It does sound more up front. Thanks for stoppin by Graham Check out my latest song called Texas stump

thoddi

thoddi said 302 days ago (January 27th, 2009)

swaying
A cool warm sounding song. Beautiful sung and a calm relaxing mood. Couldn't quite pick up the lyrics, but I bet it's about something good;)

Great to hear kevmikwa on drums. Impressive how he manages to play drums to a pre recorded music bed and make it sound this good.

Tasty addition of keys to the quiet singing and guitarplaying:)

Check out my latest song called Don't tell me what I can't w/KTB and Ingve

ktb	ktb said 302 days ago (January 27th, 2009)
	swaying Hei! Venn! Thor, couldn't agree more re: Mike's drumming. I think it adds a real & fluid foundation for the rest to sway on :-) Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Mcboy	Mcboy said 301 days ago (January 28th, 2009)
	kool ................ Check out my latest song called Heros( aclarke/mcboy)

ktb	ktb said 300 days ago (January 29th, 2009)
	hey good to see your avatar. Glad you're still here. When you gonna throw me another gem? :-) Check out my latest song called Texas stump

echoroom	echoroom said 301 days ago (January 28th, 2009)
	The sweetest voice ... i fell in love with the vocals on this... just wonderful. A cool, gentle track - great collab guys (and girls) Check out my latest song called Deeper (w/t Racerat)

Drew Kopr	Drew Kopr said 301 days ago (January 28th, 2009)
	nice very well played parts...nice vocals....ktb's lines and the drums are right on...tune that damn acoustic before recording next time!!! Check out my latest song called WinterSong

ktb	ktb said 300 days ago (January 29th, 2009)
	tuning! well, not all of us have those fancy digital tuners :-) I think we when do a real studio version of this, we'll need some real bass as well. Fortunately, I know a pretty decent bassist (and i bet you own a tuner) lol Check out my latest song called Texas stump

lengold	lengold said 300 days ago (January 29th, 2009)
	Lovely collaboration Great song and performance and your and kevikwa's additions are very tastefully done. Cheers Len Check out my latest song called Dodgy Doughnut

ktb	ktb said 300 days ago (January 29th, 2009)
	collabs Len, this is the site that keeps on giving. Thank you for checkin this out Check out my latest song called Texas stump

Ed Hannifin

Ed Hannifin said 300 days ago (January 29th, 2009)

I'll admit...
...that the distortion bothers me... It bothers me enough that, even though the song is great, I wouldn't download it...

That's rare for me, and it's rare for me to say it, but I think there's so much goodness here that it's worth doing whatever it takes to get that right...

Good rhythm guitar tracks. If I was redoing this tune, I'd make sure to use a mic, even if combined with the pickup, so as to get a more natural sound, which'll match the vocals...

The vocals are, as Anne points out, "fresh, unaffected" and very sweet. The bass and keys anchor the sound and warm it up nicely, and Mike really does a phenomenal job of following the track and kicking it along.

The song itself is great, too...

So I would vote for an eventual re-do, incorporating all the lessons from this one. The song, and the talents represented here, are well worth whatever it takes to get this totally shining....

Ed

Check out my latest song called Next Time Around (w/jiguma)

ktb

ktb said 300 days ago (January 29th, 2009)

absolutely
Ed, you are on the money. To be honest I knew the distortion was an issue goin in, but I started to tinker with the original file and then when Mike generously added a part...my excitement and enthusiasm just snowballed to a post. Definitely, would jump at the chance to do another.

Jim Bouchard doesn't know it yet, but he's going to do the guitar and production on the next take :-)

Check out my latest song called Texas stump

jiguma	jiguma said 300 days ago (January 29th, 2009)
	Rooooaaaaarrrrrrrrrr! Nice tune - some lovely additions guys, and a nice starter Griz. Mike the Wunderkind does it again (blushing yet Mike?). Lovely depth in the recording John. Neil Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)

kevmikwa	kevmikwa said 299 days ago (January 29th, 2009)
	Blushing indeed! I am humbled and flattered by everyone's kindness (even though I didn't do anything particularly creative on this track). I appreciate the kudos, Neil. Now I need to get cracking on that other thing ... Check out my latest song called Piece of Heaven

maxjsl37	maxjsl37 said 295 days ago (February 3rd, 2009)
	Great Very "airy" feel. very calmed, grabs you from the get go! Had to listen to it twice! Great singer! Check out my latest song called National Bastard

maxjsl37	maxjsl37 said 295 days ago (February 3rd, 2009)
	Great Very "airy" feel. very calmed, grabs you from the get go! Had to listen to it twice! Great singer! Check out my latest song called National Bastard

paddler	paddler said 285 days ago (February 13th, 2009)
	great keys love your piano - whole things great. Check out my latest song called Tiger Flame (Halloween Challenge)

paralax	paralax said 280 days ago (February 18th, 2009)
	nice callab very cool song nice team work on this subtle yet rocking . Terry Check out my latest song called let me fly

crissew	crissew said 103 days ago (August 14th, 2009)
	You have the parts for this Why not just redo the vocal and guitar? Do it one at a time this time. Pretty simple song, well worthe the redo. Most of the song is fine, it is just clipping. Loved the song. A crying shame about the distortion. Love your voice, and mike did another excellent job on drums. Check out my latest song called What Does Love Entail w Relic67, ciheins & Filmscorz