Sassdrudge Blues

This is a 12 bar blues piece that I've toyed with for a few years.  The I chord riff is based on a unique approach to the E blues scale.  The IV chord is based on the A Hungarian minor scale.  The V chord is based on the B blues scale.  The big bend at the end of the turnaround was influenced by Tony Iommi.

I prerecorded the main riff and the drum machine on my Boss RC-2 loop station.  I played slide leads over the top of the loop on my Stratocaster.  I tried to capture a sassy, plaintive, vocal-like quality with the slide.

Obituary of the Nations

Here's a groove I've been playing around with.  It's based in B harmonic minor modes.  I used my Walden Natura and BOSS RC-2 loop station for this recording.  The first time through, I let the pre-recorded loop play.  I soloed over it during the second and third loops.  There's a lot of drama in the music.  The solos have some throw away moments, but there are some great moments as well.  Hey, my time and my resources are limited, and if I don't put out imperfect material, I'll never get a record of my musical vision out there.

Another Man Done Gone

Here's my arrangement of a chain gang classic.  I took the lyrics and chords from a book by Pete Seeger called The Bells of Rhymney.  The A minor pentatonic riff I wrote for it is a nice groove.  The solo is simple and tasty, perhaps influenced by Billy Gibbons.

This recording was made in 2006.  I used my Walden Natura.  The vocals and rhythm guitar were recorded on one track.  The guitar solo was overdubbed in one take.

An Augmented Mood

I wrote this piece around the time I moved from Seattle to Utah.  I was in my early twenties.  As I mentioned in another post, I enjoy using the jazz minor modes in funk music.  This was my first composition to do so.  The Bb augmented chord which makes up the third mode of the G jazz minor scale is emphasized in the main riff, as are the two modes built off of the E and F# -7b5 chords.  The solos take place over the C and D dominant chords.  There is a section that features a series of dominant 7ths in a II7-V7-I7 type progression.  These chords briefly take the piece outside of G jazz minor.

I made this recording using my Eric Johnson Stratocaster.  The amp is my Vox 15-watt.  The chords and bass were prerecorded on my BOSS RC-2 loop station.  Some of the leads were worked out previous to the recording, while others are improvised.

Descents Into Sapphire Vales

I wrote and recorded this piece back in 2006.  It features a series of descending major seventh and suspended chords, followed by riffs and solos over major seventh chord progressions.  After repeating this pattern twice, a solo over a dominant seventh chord enters.  Finally, the original cycle is repeated.  There is some beautiful improv here, and the descending chords make up one of the most unique  progressions I've written.  I'm not sure which of my influences to attribute it to.  I used my Walden Natura DC550CE for the recording.

An Angry Blues Jam

This is just me blowing off some steam a few months back.  The rhythm part is a simple 12-bar blues that I pre-recorded on my Boss RC-2 Loop Station.

Spanish Dirge

I wrote Spanish Dirge many years ago.  I usually play it as an introduction to a longer flamenco piece, but I also like it as a stand alone number.  The music definitely expresses a contemplative dance with death.

For this recording, I used my Walden Natura Acoustic.  The pickup inside the guitar is loose, and you can hear it bouncing around when I use vibrato.  I tried playing it to a metronome, but I had a hard time getting the fermatas right, and I preferred the freer interpretation.