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BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. #773809 08/14/23 05:06 PM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Good afternoon folks, The merits of working with the Merritts are many and varied. I recently had the opportunity to write a song with Janice and here it is, fully formed and wonderfully informed by her voice & melodic sense, for your ears & eyes. It's a finished piece, mastered et al, but ANY feedback is most welcome. Soundcloud audio: AUDIO ONLY RECORDING DETAILS: Janice tracked & treated by Bud. The vocal FX chain: Izotope Breath Control > Nectar EQ > Nectar Compression > Nectar Reverb The slight reverb is an EMT 140 Plate Reverb sim. The band/instruments: 735 Piano Acoustic Rhythm Jazz ballad Hipass filter Real Drums Jazz Brushes - sticks 1065 Trumpet soloist smooth bluesy w slap back delay, quite a bit of Multiriffing as well as cut n paste work. The additional stuff: Bass - Emperador semi acoustic flat wound strings BDI21 HEAVILY compressed Guitar - Bruno Royal Artist semi acoustic, neck pickup DI hipass + trem Mastered by Fran Ashcroft at HappyBeat Studio. Words (because they do matter to some folk) Back in your arms I'd Learn, listen & grow, There was purpose in the meaning I'd have to take it slow. I'd learn through living They'd teach me with pain. I'd take the experience They'd each leave a stain. Look around you and know where you stand. Be sure that the soil Is part of the land. But be careful of The seed that you sow Be certain which fruit Is going to grow We want no death in the soil, No blood at the root, no! Back on the farm they'd Reap, tend & sow, There was effort in the weeding But some would have to go. They'd avoid using poison As that'd taint the soil. They'd put in the hours They'd put in the toil. Look around you and Know where you stand. Be sure that the soil Is true to the land. But be careful of The seed that you sow. Be certain which fruit You've chosen to grow We want no death in the soil, No blood at the root, no! SOLO Back in time they'd Learn, listen & grow. The fear on which they're feeding And their anger would glow. With their bread they were learning Old lies, oh so plain. Old newspapers said There'd be nothing but pain. They looked around and, Took up flame & gun. Assured that their victims Had no place to run. But be careful of The seed that you sow. In choosing which fruit You've elected to grow We want no death in the soil, No blood at the root, no! Last edited by rayc; 08/15/23 11:41 AM. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773815 08/14/23 11:56 PM User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 8,961 Northeastern USA rsdean Veteran
rsdean Veteran Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 8,961 Northeastern USA	Ray, Janice & Bud, This is an exceptional piece of music... The writing, performance, video and production is of the highest caliber. The RTs sound tremendous - what a great jazz band. I am truly blown away by the vocal - no one does this type of music like Janice. Her performance is superb - controlled, emotional and recorded perfectly. AWESOME collaboration! Would also love to hear this in a SoundCloud link if possible. Bob Robert S. Dean - SoundCloud Song Channel

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773846 08/15/23 04:15 AM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 8,319 Edmonton, Ab, Canada Scott C Veteran
Scott C Veteran Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 8,319 Edmonton, Ab, Canada	This is a cool tune. Very different which really showcases Janice's versatility as vocalist. Excellent lyric video and production. Well done Scott Collingwood https://soundcloud.com/scottt709 https://soundcloud.com/spiritlevel-ca https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritLevel-ge3hm/

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773851 08/15/23 04:25 AM User Showcase
Joined: May 2019 Posts: 5,055 Dallas, PA, USA BabuMusic Veteran
BabuMusic Veteran Joined: May 2019 Posts: 5,055 Dallas, PA, USA	Oh, I already told you how much I love this song. What a great sultry feel, and Janice is the perfect choice. Oh, man, it's all so good. It's a really good video, too. Such a good write, and the best band mixed so well. Very interesting changes with a strong Blues melody. Doesn't get any better. Enjoy whatever happens! marty YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773862 08/15/23 05:36 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,857 Middlesex, NC Guitarhacker Veteran
Guitarhacker Veteran Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,857 Middlesex, NC	I hear your writing style in there. I hear Janice singing the way she does the best. Nicely done to both of you and everyone else involved in this project. You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rsdean #773878 08/15/23 07:59 AM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 16,121 GA USA Janice & Bud Veteran
Janice & Bud Veteran Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 16,121 GA USA	Originally Posted By: rsdean Ray, Janice & Bud, This is an exceptional piece of music... The writing, performance, video and production is of the highest caliber. The RTs sound tremendous - what a great jazz band. I am truly blown away by the vocal - no one does this type of music like Janice. Her performance is superb - controlled, emotional and recorded perfectly. AWESOME collaboration! Would also love to hear this in a SoundCloud link if possible. Bob Bob, I truly appreciate your music and that makes your comments about my performance even more meaningful. Thank you, Janice Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773897 08/15/23 09:54 AM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 851 Florida Elliott Kayne Expert
Elliott Kayne Expert Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 851 Florida	Dark and powerful lyrics, real nice chord changes and melody, well sung and produced. The video was interesting, I listened to it with and without watching. Elliott Kayne elliottkayne@gmail.com https://www.reverbnation.com/kaynemusic https://www.facebook.com/ekayne Health, Wealth, Family, Faith, Friends, and Fun

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773904 08/15/23 10:50 AM User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2016 Posts: 2,361 Heartland, USA firesong Veteran
firesong Veteran Joined: Feb 2016 Posts: 2,361 Heartland, USA	Very interesting composition...very well arranged and performed...love the trumpet solos and Janice's vocal was spot on with the wandering melody and the bluesy feel of the entire piece...well done to all! www.soundclick.com/firesong BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10 You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773918 08/15/23 01:56 PM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,686 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,686 Hamlin NY	Janice, Ray, and Bud, this is one outstanding collaboration. Janice's vocals are always top shelf. The mix is spot on. Fantastic trumpet leads. All I can add is WOW! Tips on how to fall asleep in a living room chair: 1- Be old 2- Sit in a chair 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773926 08/15/23 04:27 PM User Showcase
Joined: Mar 2018 Posts: 7,245 Rustyspoon# Veteran
Rustyspoon# Veteran Joined: Mar 2018 Posts: 7,245	Talents collide! Haunting, dark and beautiful. Unusual, emotional music, double edged lyrics amplified by deep Janice's vocals. Cool experimental tune. Ray, bass is great, guitar a little quiet. It's done professionally and listens well. I am a fan of old time imagery, I found video interesting. Congrats to all participants and thank you for sharing. Misha.

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #773952 08/16/23 05:12 AM User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,541 Pembrokeshire vicarn Veteran
vicarn Veteran Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,541 Pembrokeshire	Well, Ray. I must admit I never got Jazz but I can appreciate the work involved, lyrics and all. The only thing I found slightly irritating was the too up front, upright bass. Clever stuff. Vic

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rayc #774016 08/16/23 07:39 PM User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 8,189 Sacramento, California dcuny Veteran
dcuny Veteran Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 8,189 Sacramento, California	Hi, Ray. I found there was a lot to process in the song. I wasn't sure if the song was meant to be more metaphor than actual event, but kept wondering what event that might be. So when I heard "they", I kept wondering who that could be referring to. I figured it was likely metaphor because you generally don't sow fruit. Then it mentioned a newspaper and victims having nowhere to run, which sounds far too specific to be metaphor. Bouncing between those two was just confusing to me. The use of jazz also threw me, since that particular style is usually for an entirely different subject matter. So while it was well done it didn't draw me in emotionally because I kept thinking about the form and content. But there's nothing the matter with music that makes me think, so I can't really complain. My only real nit is that Janice's voice feels a bit muffled, like someone cut the high end off. It's not the plate reverb, since I can hear that. Anyway, an interesting bit of music, well done. -- David Cuny My virtual singer development blog Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing? BiaB 2025 \| Windows 11 \| Reaper \| Way too many VSTis.

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. rsdean #774031 08/17/23 12:48 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: rsdean Ray, Janice & Bud, This is an exceptional piece of music... The writing, performance, video and production is of the highest caliber. The RTs sound tremendous - what a great jazz band. I am truly blown away by the vocal - no one does this type of music like Janice. Her performance is superb - controlled, emotional and recorded perfectly. AWESOME collaboration! Would also love to hear this in a SoundCloud link if possible. Bob Thank you Bob, a very generous appraisal and one I'll bank any day. Soundcloud link added as per your request. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. Scott C #774032 08/17/23 12:48 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: Scott C This is a cool tune. Very different which really showcases Janice's versatility as vocalist. Excellent lyric video and production. Well done Thanks Scott. Janice is exceptional. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. BabuMusic #774033 08/17/23 12:52 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: BabuMusic Oh, I already told you how much I love this song. What a great sultry feel, and Janice is the perfect choice. Oh, man, it's all so good. It's a really good video, too. Such a good write, and the best band mixed so well. Very interesting changes with a strong Blues melody. Doesn't get any better. Thank you Marty, the changes are me shuffling around in A again though with some influence from God Bless The Child. Yes sir, Janice is as you describe. Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in) bluesy.png (49.04 KB, 51 downloads) Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. Guitarhacker #774034 08/17/23 12:54 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker I hear your writing style in there. I hear Janice singing the way she does the best. Nicely done to both of you and everyone else involved in this project. Thanks, Yes, my stain is hard to miss but Janice's top coat makes up for an awful lot of my bad brush work. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. Elliott Kayne #774035 08/17/23 12:55 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: Elliott Kayne Dark and powerful lyrics, real nice chord changes and melody, well sung and produced. The video was interesting, I listened to it with and without watching. Thanks for going the extra kilometre Elliott. There's an audio link in the O.P. now. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. firesong #774036 08/17/23 12:56 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: firesong Very interesting composition...very well arranged and performed...love the trumpet solos and Janice's vocal was spot on with the wandering melody and the bluesy feel of the entire piece...well done to all! Why, thank you sir. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. MarioD #774037 08/17/23 12:57 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: MarioD Janice, Ray, and Bud, this is one outstanding collaboration. Janice's vocals are always top shelf. The mix is spot on. Fantastic trumpet leads. All I can add is WOW! Ta Mario, I had the trumpet in mind from the get go - given the major influence on this song is Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding and Lady Day's Strange Fruit. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: BLUE JULY Janice & ray with Bud. Rustyspoon# #774038 08/17/23 12:59 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc OP Veteran
OP rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 7,263 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: Rustyspoon# Talents collide! Haunting, dark and beautiful. Unusual, emotional music, double edged lyrics amplified by deep Janice's vocals. Cool experimental tune. Ray, bass is great, guitar a little quiet. It's done professionally and listens well. I am a fan of old time imagery, I found video interesting. Congrats to all participants and thank you for sharing. Misha. Thanks Misha, My guitar playing isn't really up to the standard the RT & Janice set but I gave it a bash and set it at a level that didn't damage the rest. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

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