Compositions: It’s Not Baroque Time: 0.56 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar This composition evokes memories of a Baroque string quartet utilizing chords and scales that are not commonly employed in modern music. Try to listen for the droning of the D strings and the harmonic overtones of the minor-6th chords as this short melody crescendos to a conclusion. In choosing “It’s Not Baroque” to open the CD, I have tried to select something that will set the stage for a relaxing adventure through my musical world. Jason’s Party Time: 3.27 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar: Tacoma Thunderchief Acoustic Bass; Various Percussion Instruments Jason is one of my son Zack’s best friends and I played guitar for a very special party for him held at his home. While playing at the party, this melody evolved from an improvisation and captures the joy and celebration of the moment. A special thanks to Howard Simon for loaning me his Tacoma Thunderchief acoustic bass that had just the right tonal quality to complement the guitar phrasing. Say Hello to Yesterday Time: 4.16 Tuning: Standard Instrument(s): Wingert Parlor Acoustic Guitar This is basically a compilation of many melodies that I have been carrying around since I was about sixteen years old. Initially, I play the first melody in duplicates followed by a short duet played over the melody line. The bridge is a little melody I first came up with in high school which nicely transitions back to the original introduction. I call it “Say Hello to Yesterday” as these melodies remind me of days past. Where Have You Gone? Time: 3.30 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar, Fender Electric Jazz Bass, Various Percussion Instruments As we grow older we inevitably experience the loss of family and friends through death. Both Elyse and I have experienced loss of family and friends in recent years. This composition evokes the emotions of that loss. See if you can hear the sadness, denial, anger, and finally acceptance of the difficulties of facing the death of loved-ones as this composition moves musically and emotively forward. Step Down Then Up Again Time: 2.56 Tuning: Drop-D Instrument(s): Wingert Parlor Acoustic Guitar We have two children, Zack and Zoe, who are very close in age and were toddlers both learning to walk at nearly the same time. This composition is my musical impression of them learning to walk stepping down then up again. Metaphorically, the key of this composition moves from D down to C and the up again to D. In the last phrase there is a short duet symbolic of toddler Zack and sister Zoe walking together. See if you can guess who is who… Out of the Woodwork Time: 2.14 Tuning: Standard Instrument(s): Wingert Parlor Acoustic Guitar, Various Percussion Instruments, Yamaha Synthesizer (Ahs) Anyone who knows me knows that I travel a great deal. The basic melody for this composition came to me on a trip to Israel as I was walking towards the old city in Jerusalem. The title “Out of the Woodwork” signifies the huge sound both melodic and percussive that came out of my tiny Wingert Parlor guitar. If you listen closely you can even hear the guitar sing as the song ends. Walking Alone Time: 2.28 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar, Various Percussion Instruments Sometimes we must face life alone. This composition is a journey through adversity and triumph. It is based on theme and variation and utilizes some harmonic and percussive techniques. This was my first original composition in the DADGAD tuning. Here We Go Time: 3.30 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar, Fender Electric Jazz Bass, Various Percussion Instruments About four years ago my family and I moved from Boulder, Colorado to San Francisco, California. Our journey back to California was a bit difficult due to the need for me to be at my new job as soon as possible, I commuted from Boulder to San Francisco for about 4 months. In the process of moving, I made two driving trips to San Francisco from Boulder. This composition was written somewhere between Colorado and Nevada on one of those trips. Standing in the Rain Time: 2.28 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar Rain can be cleansing and sometimes a good walk in the rain can clear your mind and open up new possibilities. Anyone who lives in Northern California knows that we have no shortage of rain in our maritime environment. The melody for this composition came to me while standing in the rain and was written on my John How (http://www.johnhowguitars.com/FP.html) finger-style guitar (not used in the recording). It is probably the most difficult piece to play on this album and I think of it as a “Jungle-Gym” workout for the fingers. Z-Squared Time: 2.15 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar, Fender Electric Jazz Bass, Various Percussion Instruments We have two children, Zack and Zoe both with different personalities and dispositions. This composition utilizes a recurrent theme with an intermittent bridge that may seem at first to be at odds with one another but in the end comes together—just like Zack and Zoe or Z-Squared. Under the Sun Time: 1.56 Tuning: DAGDAD Instrument(s): EVD Custom Acoustic Guitar, Various Percussion Instruments This melody came to me while walking along a beautiful hillside in Northern Italy on a warm spring day. Movement from major to minor chords gives it an ancient tonal quality. The initial background percussion ticking is a kitchen glass played with the hammer from my triangle. I didn’t break it! The Road to Poipu Time: 4.38 Tuning: Hawaiian Open G (Taro-patch) Instrument(s): Wingert Parlor Acoustic Guitar, Various Percussion Instruments Hawaiian guitar grew out of an era when the Paniolo (the Hawaiian cowboys) were taught their trade from the Mexican vaqueros. In the year 1832, cattlemen from Mexico were hired by King Kamehameha III to teach the Hawaiians the art of cattle ranching. The Mexican vaqueros brought many things with them and one was the guitar. The Hawaiians found the standard tuning of the guitar to be troublesome and soon learned to tune down the guitar to slack key or literally “loose tuning”. I have always been intrigued by the ringing and harmonic open sound of slack key (ki ho’alu) guitar and on a trip to the island of Kauai, I stopped at a local guitar shop and asked if someone could show me slack key tuning. I was introduced to an older guy named Bruddah John who promptly tuned his guitar to DGDGBD. He handed me the guitar and said “This is Hawaiian tuning—now play”. The road to Poipu is my first composition in Hawaiian taro-patch tuning. Keiki Lullaby Time: 1.42 Tuning: Standard Hawaiian Instrument(s): Island Ukulele Acoustic Concert Model I bought a beautiful Hawaiian Koa Concert Ukulele on another trip to Kauai. The Ukulele was made by Raymond Rapozo of Island Ukulele (http://www.koaukulele.com/). Sometimes an instrument has a song just waiting to come out. I picked up my concert Ukulele and Kieki (children’s) Lullaby just came out. This composition was recorded with one take and two microphones. Acknowledgements and other stuff Thanks to Elyse, Zack and Zoe for putting up with late night recording sessions and for giving me the time to complete this project. Thanks to Gary Mankin sound engineer extraordinaire at Knob & Tube for taking the time out of his busy schedule to mix and master this CD. Gary is a real genius and made my poor recordings at least audible. Thanks to Edward Dick and Kathy Wingert for making my beautiful guitars. Thanks to all of my music teachers over all of the years: at least some of what you tried to teach me stuck. Thanks to all of you for listening to my CD. If you want to learn more, please go to www.lawrenceblatt.com or email Lawrence at lawrence@lawrenceblatt.com.