Last year, my New Year's resolution was to try and record 1 song per week. I'm happy to announce that I was able to get that done.
I'm gonna keep it going in 2026.
This week... "Hangin' at the Hooch", by me, Steve Mohacey.
“Hangin’ at the Hooch” was written during my deployment to Iraq in Spring 2005-2006. Sundays meant a little extra time — church for some, sleep or calls home for others. Still hot, still Iraq… but just enough quiet to turn experiences into music.
It all started with a knock on my hooch door at 7:30am. A Haliburton guy with a Russian accent said he had to pull my A/C off the wall - just as the Iraqi oven was warming up outside. So... I made a pot of coffee, grabbed my smokes, and parked myself on the wooden steps in front of my hooch. An hour and a half later... back inside, A/C cranked. Some moments stick with you.
I hope you enjoy, "Hangin' at the Hooch".
Memo: A jazz waltz featuring organ, bass, and drums. -Examples: Someday My Prince Will Come, Jitterbug Waltz, Genre "Intensity" Score=33/100 _SUNSET.STY. Sunset Organ Trio Waltz All RealTracks. Quartet. *** with Soloist ***Tempo=150 (120-175) Instruments: Ac.Bass, Organ, Organ(solo), Drums RD: SouthernSoulWaltzSw^02-a:Hat, Sidestick , b:Ride, Snare :Land Richards RT546: Bass, Acoustic, Jazz Waltz Sw 140 , Neil Swainson RT1780: Organ, RhythmNoBass JazzWaltz Sw 140 , Mike LeDonne RT1785: Organ, Soloist JazzWaltz Sw 140 , Mike LeDonne RT2827: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm JazzWaltzCompOily12-key Sw 110
The bass on the head of the song, intro and outro, was created by exporting my written bass line in Finale to midi. I put the midi file into Logic, and assigned the "Club Ambience Upright" sound. The walking bass on the solos from Band in a Box.
The saxophones were recorded using a Sennheiser 441 with the "FETHEAD" to boost the gain. The Sennheiser 441 is a dynamic mic. The Fethead gives it a 27db bump via the pre-amp built into my Focusrite Clarett++ 2pre. Dynamic mics do not require phantom power. The FETHEAD uses phantom power to boost the gain and just plugs into the XLR out on my mic.
Backing tracks via Band In A Box 2025 Ultrapak Plus for Mac.
Recorded in Logic Pro 11.
Selmer Reference 54 Tenor Saxophone. Mouthpiece- Dave Guardala Michael Brecker 1 (handmade). Boston Sax Shop Black Box 3.5 reeds (the BEST REEDS EVER!).
Selmer Reference 54 Alto Saxophone. Mouthpiece- Beechler Custome Bellite 7 Boston Sax Shop Black Box 3 reeds (I'll say it again... BEST REEDS EVER!)
Wow! Very soulful, and certainly virtuosic! Supposedly Magic Dick, my harmonica god, learned all his licks from sax greats. But there's no way I could play any of this on my tin sandwich. Great stuff!
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
Hi Steve! I’m not sure what was more enjoyable - your piece or the antics with your playing partner in the video. Great work, and love seeing you in action in the video. Andrew
Wow! Very soulful, and certainly virtuosic! Supposedly Magic Dick, my harmonica god, learned all his licks from sax greats. But there's no way I could play any of this on my tin sandwich. Great stuff!
I laughed so hard at your harmonica god's name that coffee came out my nose :-)
It was a bucket of fun listening to you play, and compete with yourself. I hope to see many more.
Working A/C is important!
I still remember those summer nights as a child I'd put my blanket in the freezer, and take it out for a moment or two of chill bliss before the heat melted the coolness away. And Northern California is nothing compared to summer in Iraq!
Hi Steve! I’m not sure what was more enjoyable - your piece or the antics with your playing partner in the video. Great work, and love seeing you in action in the video. Andrew
Andrew- I tried to make it entertaining. I'm glad you liked it. I'm gonna try to do one of those "mask" style side by sides in the near future. Still reading up on how to do it.
Cool saxes, Steve. It's also cool they still call it Hooch. Man, you sure do play well together --even the solos. Very cool video too. The one listening is acting just like I am here when he enjoys the other's solo. So creative througout song and video. I'm guessing on Sunday's you jammed.
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
I laughed so hard at your harmonica god's name that coffee came out my nose :-)
You know, I never thought about it, but after reading your post, I started laughing, too. His name is Richard Salwitz but he's known as"Magic Dick with the Lickin' Stick.' He's with the J Geils Band, you've probably heard of them. He's a great musician, his intonation is really good, which is hard for a harmonica player to achieve. Here's a link to his signature tune, Whammer Jammer:
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
It was a bucket of fun listening to you play, and compete with yourself. I hope to see many more.
Working A/C is important!
I still remember those summer nights as a child I'd put my blanket in the freezer, and take it out for a moment or two of chill bliss before the heat melted the coolness away. And Northern California is nothing compared to summer in Iraq!
I mainly play tenor sax, but have been getting more calls for alto in the past year. I originally wrote the alto part for guitar, but thought I'd like to hear if my own sound and style were starting to come through on alto. Seems like it. I grew up in Texas. Summers here are brutal. Sure wish I'd though of putting a blanket in the freezer. Thanks for listening.
100% gorgeous! The 2 saes together made it a double treat.
Some favourite Waoist Adages: #1: Play on the Way. #13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you. #58: Bring consciousness to it. #63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made. #92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
I laughed so hard at your harmonica god's name that coffee came out my nose :-)
You know, I never thought about it, but after reading your post, I started laughing, too. His name is Richard Salwitz but he's known as"Magic Dick with the Lickin' Stick.' He's with the J Geils Band, you've probably heard of them. He's a great musician, his intonation is really good, which is hard for a harmonica player to achieve. Here's a link to his signature tune, Whammer Jammer:
I am gonna sit down and write an arrangement of this for saxophones (plural). Cool song! Thanks for sharing.
Cool saxes, Steve. It's also cool they still call it Hooch. Man, you sure do play well together --even the solos. Very cool video too. The one listening is acting just like I am here when he enjoys the other's solo. So creative througout song and video. I'm guessing on Sunday's you jammed.
Thanks. I think the term "Hooch" is here to stay. We had other names for it, but just to crude to post in a public forum. And yes, I do a fair amount of playing in church.
Nice sax sound, but otherwise not your best one I've heard. Maybe because of a mild background and lazy tempo.
I didn't want to mix the backing track too high. I looked for a real track style that had a bit more energy, but just didn't find one I really liked. Thanks for the feedback.
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