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Topic: My new artistic direction on Eharp. |
Bill McCloskey
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Posted 7 Mar 2021 11:41 am |
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I have finally found an artistic direction that will fulfill me the rest of my life: one that I think is unique, artistically interesting, and which people seem to be responding to.
For years, I have loved jazz, but always felt a bit of an imposter. But I also love to improvise.
So lately, I've been using the source material of my scotch-irish heritage, which has a simpler harmonic field, but room for more expression like you'd get from a violin. The idea is to draw upon these sources as my source material for improvisation and composition.
Adding to that my plan on recording all of the Eddie Alkire compositions from the 30's and I suddenly have a very full life's work ahead of me.
I had this up yesterday but pulled it down because I thought I might want to work on it more, but I'm putting it up as a signpost of where I'm headed as artist:
https://youtu.be/82qK7sbLf9E
This is 3 minutes long. I hope you will listen to it. It needs some additional work, but I like it as an example of pretty dramatic departure for my work as an artist. I hope you enjoy it. Other than the guitar backing track this is all played on eharp. |
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Travis Brown
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2021 2:49 pm
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I like it. Like your Hitchhiking track, you've done a nice job of layering all the different elements to get kind of a dreamy effect.
I can relate to your relationship with jazz. It's mostly what I listen to and has been for many years, and I've spent a decent amount of time working on it, but I still can only fake it. |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 7 Mar 2021 3:04 pm
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Thanks Travis.
I particularly like the section starting around 1:20. I am thinking of lifting that section and creating its own composition around it. Someone asked me if I was using backwards tape in that part but it is all done with the volume pedal. And I think the blend at the very end works nicely. |
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Steve Cunningham
From:
Atlanta, GA
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 8 Mar 2021 5:16 am
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| Thanks Steve, Others have said the same. A friend of mine is going to be using these tracks as background for some of his RV travel videos he puts out. |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2021 11:28 am
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Nice Bill. It's kind of got a Bill Frisell vibe to it.
_________________
A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 8 Mar 2021 12:08 pm
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| Good insight Brooks. Frisell is someone I admire a lot and I'm on a similar path of finding inspiration for improvisation in traditional folk tunes from the scotch irish tradition and less from traditional jazz changes. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 8 Mar 2021 12:13 pm
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I like it, Bill.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 8 Mar 2021 2:14 pm
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| That means a lot Mike, coming from you. I appreciate it. |
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Doug Taylor
From:
Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2021 2:52 pm
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| Very nice Bill! You are becoming your own on that tuning. |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 8 Mar 2021 3:25 pm
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| Well one thing: i will never play another tuning. That simplifies a lot. |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2021 9:19 pm
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You sure have traveled a long road, through a lot of instruments, tunings and styles, to, perhaps this time, actually be a a place you can inhabit for a while! Congrats, a lot of us are still on that search...there are some, like Willie Nelson and Trigger, who just somehow bond with an instrument/style/tuning early on...but for more of us it is a longer road...
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https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 10 Mar 2021 5:30 am
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I hear that Steve. You and I both have the sickness. 
But yeah, to finally find the spot you call home is a great feeling. |
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