I’ve been working hard with Lyda van Tol on five original compositions of hers. She wrote them in 2021. I recorded them for her and compiled some video footage to go with them. I finished them today. Just in time for Christmas! Enjoy! Merry Christmas!
5 Classical Piano Compositions written and played by Lyda van Tol. Written in 2021, recorded on location in South West France during autumn 2022. Each piece recorded as a single take so that it could be enjoyed as if it was a live concert. I asked Lyda what she was thinking when she wrote each piece and used that as my starting point for the video compilation.
For the past 4 years I have put out an album to document my musical adventures. Remembering to Forget is this years album. There’s a range of styles, however, all are heavily influenced by my study of jazz guitar with Matt Warnock. It’s his teachings, approach and creativity that I have put into practice here. I hope you like it.
Here’s some background for each track….. Time to Think… From an original idea by PatrickM. Because sometimes we need time to think, to reflect.
Argo Phosphine… From time to time I get an invite from a local record label to submit a track for a compilation album. The brief – Call for the « PHONOGRAPHIES » project
For the “Phonographies” project, each artist is invited to compose a sound or musical piece containing field recordings. The composition should contain recordings through samples or it may be a raw « one-shot » piece.
I insist on the fact that your composition must absolutely contain sounds recorded around you or in your sound banks: that is the point. This is what will make the link throughout the project.
There were storms at the time, and during the day there was acrid smoke from the forest fires 300kms away, and what seemed like the endless noise of jet engines. I wanted something relentless and disonant. I recorded the sound of the storms, also the sound of the frogs. I used pickscrapes for the sound of the jets. White noise from a flanger and various guitar sounds with the guitar is drenched in reverb and delay. Percussion from loops of unequal lengths and some ‘one shot’ sounds from an old recording. Argo Phosphine is an anagram of Phonographies.
Beseechingly Yours… My tip of the hat to one of my favourite guitar players Derwin “Big D” Perkins.
Pocket Queen… Taylor Gordon a.k.a Pocket Queen on Instagram. Every so often she posts a drum loop and invites musicians to do something with it. This is my attempt at one of those.
Infant Eyes – Wayne Shorter… A cover of Infant Eyes with Lyda Van Tol. This was my Jazz study group’s tune of the month for July (https://www.mwgcourses.com/). Lyda didn’t know the tune, she sight read it from the lead sheet. What a fab voice, and what skills!
Juillet… Simply a tribute to July making use of some tasty chord moves I’d learned in the jazz study group.
Remembering to Forget… The title track. It’s a thing to do at the end of a serious practice session on guitar. Just forget everything and play…..but you have to remember to do that.
Andalusian Cadence… Exactly that. Let the cadence do the work and play the least I can while making sure to hit the ‘meaningful’ notes.
La Belle Riviere Gorre… Another one for the local record label to submit a track for a compilation album. The brief – Call for “CARTES POSTALES” project
(Based on the idea of Argentinean artist Carlos Devizia) Each artist will have to choose one of the most beautiful natural places in the world for them. They will compose a sound (or music) piece inspired by that place. We at Camembert Électrique believe that there are so many beautiful places in our world, that they deserve to be honoured musically.
I chose one of my very favourite places. The River Gorre near Saint Auvent. Just a stones throw from where I live. I walk there often and I find it to be a magical place. I make a point of stopping to just watch the river flow for a few minutes.
There is a Dutch village not far from me here in France. It’s a residential/holiday village. A Dutch opera singer, Lyda Van Tol, retired there recently, and my friend Gijs has been very keen to introduce us. I met Lyda briefly last week and invited her to come and take a guest slot at our booking in the restaurant there (I have no problems jumping in at the deep end!). She accepted, came along, and met Rod (keyboard) during the break. Lyda told us she would like to sing the introduction a cappella then we would join in. I would take a short solo over the A section then Lyda would come back in. This was great fun, and it was a real pleasure to back her. Our audience don’t normally listen this hard. You could hear a pin drop. Lyda went on to do two more songs. I loved it.
