Duo Chronicles

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The title for this weeks composition is a ode to the ending of the popular television show "Lost," which is ending this month after six seasons. Much of the appeal of the show for me is not only the individual characters and their stories, but also the u...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CJHI32P5l8

This week continues my trend of writing pieces that were influenced by specific writers or compositions.  "Another Noon" was heavily influenced by a piece called "Hi Noon" by Justin Morell, a guitarist that I've been playing with in the Damian Erskine P...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn_ec0z_Jv4

Most of the time, when I hear music, I have initial feelings about whether I like or dislike it and down the line (maybe next time I'm at a record store) that may influence my decision to buy or not buy the album.  A couple of weeks ago, I came across t...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdPy9xxdbbY

When I was thinking of possible titles for this piece of music, flow is a word that kept coming to mind. Flow, in how it relates to water and also the flow of information or knowledge. By definition the word cascade fits perfectly. One of the definitions...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srH3sPRcM1Q

This piece is different than what we've done before.

As I mentioned in Week 28 (http://duochronicles.com/2010/03/09/week-28-off-kilter/), some of the performances from Norwegian groups at the Portland Jazz Festival (http://pdxjazz.com) inspired me to exp...

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The Ides of March refers to the 15th of March so I suppose we are a few weeks late with this one. Julius Caesar was killed on this day and was warned of his impending death, but didn't take heed. I choose this title more in relation to the fact the Sprin...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cfIXk-D50I

A few weeks ago, Clay and I used the last few minutes of a recording session to take a crack at a tune that I had just scribbled out a couple of days before.  The song didn't have a title, systems were scratched out on the paper, and I didn't really hav...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAyECzvROzA

The initial idea for "Common Ground" came pretty quickly and then details like form and instrumentation came together more slowly. A few things come to mind about this tune. One, is how ideas come about in the composing process. I have tried off and on t...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TxWYrm95a0

Stephen Foster is a composer of true Americana.  His songbook is filled with compositions known by Americans of all walks of life - songs like "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races," and "Beautiful Dreamer."...

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2zkVQDeTY

When we started Duo Chronicles, it was summer.  It was hot out, and going to the park to be able to record a tune outside (http://duochronicles.com/2009/09/22/week-4-legacy/) was an attractive idea to escape the studio where we were recording without th...