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Last December, I was having a problem recording with my Kawai MP8 keyboard. Since I knew Patrick (Futzpucker) had the same keyboard I got him on ichat and, with much hilarity, he talked me through reconfiguring some settings. To be sure everything was now working properly, I hit record in GB and played for a bit. For whatever reason, this version of Amazing Grace, which I’ve been playing more or less just like this for years, is what came out. Having no thought of doing anything with this other than using it to verify that the problem was resolved, I did not use a click track and was certainly not mindful about “leaving room” for anybody else to be playing with me. (I’m a solo pianist – I’m not sure I even know how to leave room.)
A few days later, I actually listened to it all the way through and realized I hadn’t played it half badly. That got me thinking how great it would be to get some MJ’ers to add to it. I first sent it to Fran (ziti) who, unfortunately, was just too busy with his band and realized he needed to pass. It next landed in the capable hands of Damien (damiengh) who played a terrific sax track that made me grin from ear to ear. Damien really encouraged me to take it further, and having now demonstrated that good musicians can find space in a crowd of notes, suggested I contact Neil (Jiguma) for bass guitar. I sent Neil the file and within a couple of days he sent back an mp3 with a great bass line and a midi drum track. When I listened to this new version, I was practically dancing around the room, and was absolutely amazed (no pun intended) by these additions. I really had thought it would be too difficult to do drums to my piano with its wildly veering BPM, but Neil’s efforts showed me it could be done! At this point I also asked Neil if he’d be willing to do the mixing, and he graciously accepted. So now I thought we were done …. but back in Australia Neil had other ideas. Having decided the song required “a proper drummer”, he had sent the file to Mike (kevmikwa) who to my great delight immediately signed on.
Meanwhile, here in Seattle, after listening to the song for a couple of days now with sax, bass and a first try at drums, I began to imagine the wonderful B3 work of the great Futzpucker. Since this had all started in a way because of him, I sent him the file as it was so far, on the off chance he’d be willing to give it a go (even though I couldn’t imagine how he’d find room in the spaces that were never really there in the first place). Literally an hour later I had a new mp3 in my hands with Patrick’s exquisite addition. That guy is amazing (sorry, had to do it again).
To further complicate things, I was thinking of yet another addition – going back to the original idea of guitar. I was talking that crazy notion over with Patrick and the very next day he told me he had a guitarist who was willing to give it a try, but was being very mysterious about the musician’s identity. A few days later another new mp3 arrived with an inspired guitar track that completely bowled me over. Along with that was the delightful disclosure that the guitarist was none other than Patrick’s brother Kevin (and bandmate/cofounder of “The Kevin Barry Band”). So “Amazing Grace” was now a band of six, and a family affair to boot.
All eyes were now on Neil to figure out how to slice and dice, blend and feature, and somehow make this unlikely project come together. I asked Patrick to join the early draft feedback loop and while Neil and Patrick starting talking over all kinds of technical stuff, I added helpful critique like “the guitar sounds a little loud right there” and “WOW”. Towards the end, some timing issues surfaced which tested Neil’s mettle right up to the last draft, but with a smoking email thread zipping around the world, and with Mike adding his awesome expertise to that challenge, they were skillfully resolved. Finally, after multiple drafts, changes, reworks and tweaks, and with the easy temperament of the Man from Oz, we had a version that produced six happy sets of thumbs up!
In case you’ve lost track, the band members are:
Magnatone (Karen) – piano and resistance to rerecording with a click track
Damiengh (Damien) – sax and a vision to make it “bigger”
Futzpucker (Patrick) – B3 organ, hand holding and high humor
kevmikwa (Mike) – drums and percussive wizardry
Kevin Barry Feehan – inspired guitar
Jiguma (Neil) – bass, mixing, eternal patience
A few days later, I actually listened to it all the way through and realized I hadn’t played it half badly. That got me thinking how great it would be to get some MJ’ers to add to it. I first sent it to Fran (ziti) who, unfortunately, was just too busy with his band and realized he needed to pass. It next landed in the capable hands of Damien (damiengh) who played a terrific sax track that made me grin from ear to ear. Damien really encouraged me to take it further, and having now demonstrated that good musicians can find space in a crowd of notes, suggested I contact Neil (Jiguma) for bass guitar. I sent Neil the file and within a couple of days he sent back an mp3 with a great bass line and a midi drum track. When I listened to this new version, I was practically dancing around the room, and was absolutely amazed (no pun intended) by these additions. I really had thought it would be too difficult to do drums to my piano with its wildly veering BPM, but Neil’s efforts showed me it could be done! At this point I also asked Neil if he’d be willing to do the mixing, and he graciously accepted. So now I thought we were done …. but back in Australia Neil had other ideas. Having decided the song required “a proper drummer”, he had sent the file to Mike (kevmikwa) who to my great delight immediately signed on.
Meanwhile, here in Seattle, after listening to the song for a couple of days now with sax, bass and a first try at drums, I began to imagine the wonderful B3 work of the great Futzpucker. Since this had all started in a way because of him, I sent him the file as it was so far, on the off chance he’d be willing to give it a go (even though I couldn’t imagine how he’d find room in the spaces that were never really there in the first place). Literally an hour later I had a new mp3 in my hands with Patrick’s exquisite addition. That guy is amazing (sorry, had to do it again).
To further complicate things, I was thinking of yet another addition – going back to the original idea of guitar. I was talking that crazy notion over with Patrick and the very next day he told me he had a guitarist who was willing to give it a try, but was being very mysterious about the musician’s identity. A few days later another new mp3 arrived with an inspired guitar track that completely bowled me over. Along with that was the delightful disclosure that the guitarist was none other than Patrick’s brother Kevin (and bandmate/cofounder of “The Kevin Barry Band”). So “Amazing Grace” was now a band of six, and a family affair to boot.
All eyes were now on Neil to figure out how to slice and dice, blend and feature, and somehow make this unlikely project come together. I asked Patrick to join the early draft feedback loop and while Neil and Patrick starting talking over all kinds of technical stuff, I added helpful critique like “the guitar sounds a little loud right there” and “WOW”. Towards the end, some timing issues surfaced which tested Neil’s mettle right up to the last draft, but with a smoking email thread zipping around the world, and with Mike adding his awesome expertise to that challenge, they were skillfully resolved. Finally, after multiple drafts, changes, reworks and tweaks, and with the easy temperament of the Man from Oz, we had a version that produced six happy sets of thumbs up!
In case you’ve lost track, the band members are:
Magnatone (Karen) – piano and resistance to rerecording with a click track
Damiengh (Damien) – sax and a vision to make it “bigger”
Futzpucker (Patrick) – B3 organ, hand holding and high humor
kevmikwa (Mike) – drums and percussive wizardry
Kevin Barry Feehan – inspired guitar
Jiguma (Neil) – bass, mixing, eternal patience
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Roxylee
Outstanding talent by all. I'm impressed with the story of how this came into being, and the artwork is the icing on the cake of this rendition of one of the most famous hymns ever written. you guys (and gal) rock!