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A songwriting exercise, chords moving downward in half-steps.. ----------------------------------- MY DEAR My Dear-- A whispy shadow Slips across my view Reminding me of you. My Dear-- I kiss your pillow; My silly, hollow prayer That I might still find you there. Lost in the ether Adrift on the wind, Masked in a candle's flame; Once I heard the whisper of a zephyr Calling your name-- My Dear This heart remembers How passion's embers glowed. Oh, I miss you so. The sound, the smell, the touch, the feel Were once so real! Now remnants of a golden time Gone by. The sound, the smell, the touch, the feel-- So real--Oh, My Dear! ============================ Style=_BLISS.STY. Bliss Bossa Nova Piano Trio RD: BossaBrushes#1 RT711: Bass, Acoustic, Bossas RT2261: Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm BossaSlowKenny\ RT1103: Guitar, Nylon Rhythm Bossa RT477: Trombone Solo Bossa Midi: Fr Horn, Strings, Piano
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Expert
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Hi Tom! I was intrigued how half-step movements would work out - coupled with the theme ‘My dear’, you created a wonderful sense of mystique, captivation, enthralment… when those strings came in, I almost swooned … then when the horns came in … great touches that served the song really well.
I was listening with eyes closed, so when there were a few beats of silence just over halfway, I thought “What? Finished already?” Fortunately, half-steps does not mean half a song, so I was glad it continued to a very appropriate ending.
Well done.
Andrew
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Journeyman
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Hey Tom,
Wow, super smooth. Took me straight to a 1940/50s piano bar. Your vocal on this reminds me of Willie Nelson, a different style and era I know, but I hear it.
Great job.
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Tom, fun exercise and GREAT vocals. Love the backing track. The vocals could be set back a bit in the mix to my ear. Takes a lot of talent to turn an exercise into an enjoyable musical experience. Well done!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Andrew, KW, Ron…thanks for your feedback, very much appreciated.
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Hi, Tom. I'd call that a successful experiment! Pleasant song, nice write! As already mentioned, it's got the 40's kind of language in it, which fits well with the music. The instruments are lower in the mix than I'd like. That's a bit ironic coming from me, because I just spent a good chunk of time this evening re-mixing one of my songs after listening to it in my car and hearing the same problem. Nice work! 
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Love the vintage vibe happening with this one. Excellent write! I like your vocal too, nice tone and phrasing. Mix wise the vocal either needs to come down or the band needs to come up  But that didn't take away from my enjoyment of your song, well done.
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David, Dave..thank you for listening…probably further evidence that I need to use my darn hearing aides when I mix these tracks!!
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Tom, this is a great jazz lounge song and/or one that should be in a 50's musical. Great vocal with a super backing band. A super mix also.
One of your best.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Tom,
I very much enjoyed your song.
Nice use of the BIAB jazz guys. (and your own piano?)
A lovely song.
A lovely track/BAND
A lovely vocal.
fj
(with headphones - I had the opening piano set to the level I expected it should be.
When the vocals began they were far too loud, compared to the track.
When I set the vocal level correctly, the track was too low.
A lovely track. A lovely vocal. Let them meet in the middle. They will make a lovely couple.)
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Thanks Mario and Floyd..I’m not surprised at all the comments about the mix levels…this is excellent feedback for me, something I need to pay more attention to as I go forward.
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Love the instrumentation in this, but that only works so well due to the chord structure. Well done!
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.
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BIAB has really provided the best possible band for this journey through decades to the golden age of jazz. And then the trombone, horn & strings really give a unique flavor to the mood. The chord progression is very natural and lovely, especially heard in the piano solo section. Your voice is full of unexceptional warmth that makes this journey so pleasant - the last "my dear" is delicious, I don't mind that the vocals are upfront, feels like a movie scene, a confession in a lounge and the band is just playing in the background. The skillful lyrics contain diamonds like "whisper of a zephyr" and "passion's embers". What can you say, other than Oh, My Dear!
Janne
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WB and Janne..thanks so much for taking a listen, and I'm glad you enjoyed my little composing challenge!
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Era reviving in arrangement & melody.
Nice.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Nice, Tom. Reminds me of jazz exercises a fellow bassist named Bruce Gertz would send me. Never had the pleasure of having such a wonderful voice singing such a cool melody over them. The lyrics are perfect, too. Much enjoyed, Tom.
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That was an interesting way to write. My mom would have really enjoyed that song because it was a style she grew up listening to as a young person.
I can appreciate the work you put into it even though it's not my cuppa java.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
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Ray, Marty, Herb…thanks for the comments..did I mention that I just celebrated my 125th birthday?
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This doesn't sound like a mere exercise, not to my ears at least. Apart from the beautifully written music, and your quite stunning vocal interpretation (what a voice! honestly, well done!), the LYRICS ... love each word. Bravo, Tom. An exercise to you, maybe, an inspiration to the likes of me. So impressed.
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What a beautiful lyric and vocal and band this is!
This reminded us of something Diana Krall would do.
Janice said the lyric reminded her of our mothers talking about how much they missed our fathers. This line is wonderful:
“My Dear
This heart remembers”
Your vocal is smooth and emotive and the tag line so poignant.
Nice band and airy mix too.
Beautiful!
J&B
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
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