wishflower
chords, lyrics and notation
Deb told me a while ago that she and Miles had spent some time making wishes on dandelions and here are some of my thoughts about that. Enjoy!
Sometimes a wish’ll get lost in the shuffle
and never heard from again. Poor thing!
So we’ll make another one on the double!
In fact we might make ten! or More!
Gypsy jazz is a musical idiom inspired by the Romani jazz guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt (1910–1953), in conjunction with the French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli (1908–1997), as expressed by their group the Quintette du Hot Club de France. The style has its origins in France and the Manouche clan of Romanis, and has remained popular amongst this clan. Gypsy jazz is often called by the French name jazz manouche, or alternatively, manouche jazz in English-language sources.
The style was popular in France and, via recordings and appearances by the original Quintette, in other European countries before and immediately after the Second World War. It fell out of favour as the “swing era” came to an end, being replaced in its homeland by bebop, mainstream jazz, and eventually, rock and roll. However, it had a resurgence from the 1970s onwards, among performers and audiences at festivals, etc., in particular the Festival Django Reinhardt which commenced in 1968 at Samois-sur-Seine, France (the location of Reinhardt’s last residence) and continues to the present time.
My piece here, “Jira Jira Jira” is inspired by the jazz-manouche style of guitar playing.
“The one human quality that must be developed is self discipline for success. The will power to force yourself to do what you know you should do […]
Normal for the spider
tabs and notation: 071324: Normal for the Spider
This piece was composed using Musescore, a free notation/composition/music tool.
Composition 030125 was inspired by “The Hollow Men“, a 1925 poem by T.S. Eliot, known for its themes of spiritual emptiness, paralysis, and disillusionment in the post-World War I era, famously concluding with the line,”This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper”.
The poem describes “hollow men” who are “shape without form, shade without colour, / Paralysed force, gesture without motion,” trapped in a state of inaction and spiritual limbo, unable to confront reality or “death’s other kingdom”.
The men are “stuffed” with straw, lacking substance and conviction, existing in a state of despair and inaction.
They are unable to act, caught in the gap “Between the idea / And the reality” and “Between the motion / And the act”.
They fear the “eyes” of “death’s other kingdom,” representing a truth or spiritual reality they cannot face.
All_My_Exes lead sheet and tabs
“All My Ex’s Live in Texas” is a song written by Sanger D. Shafer and Lyndia J. Shafer, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released on April 10, 1987 by MCA Records as the second single from Strait’s seventh studio album, Ocean Front Property, following the album’s title track. Becoming his 11th number one hit single, Strait received his first Grammy Award nomination for “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 1988 Grammy Awards.
The song has been used in various forms of media, including Strait’s version in the films Road House (1989), Necessary Roughness (1991), Cold Creek Manor (2003), Power Rangers (2017), and Bumblebee (2018), and in television with Halt and Catch Fire in 2016, Ash vs Evil Dead in 2015, and Chuck in 2011. Canadian rapper Drake name checks Strait and the song in the opening lyrics of his 2012 single “HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)”.
“You have to be willing to eat–or not eat– for it. Then you’re a musician.” – Johnny Copeland
download the l.o.v.e. leadsheet
“L-O-V-E” is a song written by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler, recorded by Nat King Cole for his 1965 studio album L-O-V-E.
The song was composed by Bert Kaempfert with lyrics by Milt Gabler, and produced by Lee Gillette. The trumpet solo was performed by Bobby Bryant. The song had previously appeared as an instrumental track on Kaempfert’s album Blue Midnight (1964).
For international versions of his L-O-V-E album, Nat King Cole also recorded versions of “L-O-V-E” and other songs, in Japanese (mixed with English words), Italian, German, Spanish and French. In this last language, the song was renamed “Je Ne Repartirai Pas” and translated by Jean Delleme.
Stone’s version was released digitally on September 18, 2007, reaching number 100 on the UK singles chart and number 75 on the Swiss Hitparade. It was later included as a bonus track on the deluxe version of her third studio album, Introducing Joss Stone (2007), […]
“Miss Celie’s Blues“, also known as “Sister”, is a song from the Steven Spielberg film The Color Purple (1985), with music by Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton and lyrics by the two of them with Lionel Richie, performed by Táta Vega. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song in 1986.
During the song, composed in a blues/ragtime style, the singer explains to her “sister” that she has her in her mind as a kindred spirit. She sings that after a long period of loneliness on the road, she has finally become “someone” and hopes that her sister is also.
In the 1985 film, the song is sung by Shug to Celie, and portrays the romantic and sexual relationship blossoming between the two women. Although Shug was portrayed by Margaret Avery, her voice was synchronised by Táta Vega, and the harmonica at the beginning of the song was played by Sonny Terry. It appeared in the 2023 film adaptation of the stage musical as a nod to the previous film, performed by Taraji P. Henson as Shug.
This is Kia Hamm on vocals. If you’d like to hear more of Kia and Paul, here you go
“I’m not saying a guy shouldn’t take lessons … but […]
Download the PDF for this lesson here
“Ten Years Gone” is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Record producer Rick Rubin has described the song as, “A deep, reflective piece with hypnotic, interweaving riffs. Light and dark, shadow and glare. It sounds like nature coming through the speakers.”
Jimmy Page had originally intended the song to be an instrumental piece; he recorded around 14 guitar tracks to overdub the harmony section. Robert Plant later added lyrics, which are dedicated to an old girlfriend who, ten years earlier, had made him choose either her or his music. Plant explained this in an interview in 1975:
Let me tell you a little story behind the song “Ten Years Gone” on our new album. I was working my ass off before joining Zeppelin. A lady I really dearly loved said, “Right. It’s me or your fans.” Not that I had fans, but I said, “I can’t stop, I’ve got to keep going.” She’s quite content these days, I imagine. She’s got a washing machine that works by itself and a little sports car. We wouldn’t have anything to say anymore. I could probably relate to her, but she couldn’t relate to me. I’d be smiling too much. Ten years gone, […]
“Angel Eyes” is a jazz standard which has inspired many interpretations. Many singers have recorded versions of the song, including Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, June Christy with Stan Kenton, Chet Baker, Shirley Bassey, Neil Sedaka, Willie Nelson with Ray Charles, and Sting. Ella Fitzgerald, who recorded “Angel Eyes” at least four times, named it her favorite song.
Instrumental versions were recorded not as often as vocal takes, by the likes of Benny Carter, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Dave Brubeck, Kenny Burrell, Joe Albany, and more recently by McCoy Tyner, Gary Thomas and Joe Lovano.
“I’m not saying a guy shouldn’t take lessons … but if you want to play like the artists, you have to go and get what they’re putting on records and take it from there … “ – Grant Green
“Sunny” is a soul jazz standard written by the American singer and songwriter Bobby Hebb in 1963. It is one of the most performed and recorded popular songs, with hundreds of versions released (BMI lists “Sunny” No. 25 in its “Top 100 songs of the century”.) and its chord progression influencing later songs.
Bobby Hebb’s parents, William and Ovalla Hebb, were both blind musicians. Hebb and his older brother Harold performed as a song-and-dance duo in Nashville, beginning when Bobby was three and Harold was nine. Hebb performed on a TV show hosted by country music record producer Owen Bradley.
Hebb wrote the song after his older brother, Harold, was stabbed to death outside a Nashville nightclub. Hebb was devastated by the event and many critics say it inspired the lyrics and tune. According to Hebb, he merely wrote the song as an expression of a preference for a “sunny” disposition over a “lousy” disposition following the murder of his brother.
Events influenced Hebb’s songwriting, but his melody, crossing over into R&B (#3 on U.S. R&B chart) and Pop (#2 on U.S. Pop chart), together with the optimistic lyrics, came from the artist’s desire to express that one should always “look at the bright side”. Hebb has said about “Sunny”:
All my intentions were to think of happier times […]
