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.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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