Its the first day of Advent today. My Christmas starts here – so here we go.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
Written by Irving Berlin in 1940 this song has become a popular tune for Christmas and I thought it would be a good song to record as an International collab with Aleck as Producer.
Info - The initial SGU was made in Band In a Box 2013. As a little twist, I gave it a JazzBossa feel and added an Accordion into the mix as well. Why not?! (You should have heard the version I abandoned!! - my Reggae “White Christmas” did NOT work!!)
I mixed some of the J!LUSH midi instruments (Bass, Strings, Piano) with some Real Tracks (Realdrums, Nylon strung guitar, Accordion)
To keep with this laid back feel I asked our PG colleague, jazz expert and friend Aleck Rand if he would review my SGU, add his expertise to it and maybe re-arrange some of the chording etc more in line with what I was trying to achieve. Having been brought up on C,Am,F,G7 (and sometimes without the Am!) some of the chords he suggested were sublime. The final result was to have different chords in the two halves of the tune, a nice mix of Alecks ideas and mine.
Guitar is my Alan Brason built Stratocaster, as usual, on neck+bridge setting - Zoom2000EFTP on Patch 11 for some delay/echo – Korg Ampworks Vox AC30 twin cab – all tracks mixed in Cakewalk GT Pro 2.
This sound file is produced by Aleck under his ASCAP Account No: 400004362. Legal Entity: Dean Clark. Class: SOLO
I hope you enjoy it and Merry Christmas to everyone.
Cheers
Ian and Aleck

****** Song Summary *************
Title: WHITE CHRISTMAS 3c
File:WHITE CHRISTMAS 3c.SGU
Key=C , Tempo 105, Length (m:s)=3:02
4 bar intro, 72 bar chorus, from bar 5 to bar 76. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Tempo , Time signature,
Style is J!LUSH.STY (VintJz-Lush-50s St.8 MOR w/strs)
Style MIDI Instruments are : Acoustic String Bass (33), Acoustic Piano (1), Slow Strings (50),
RealTracks in song: 708:Guitar, Nylon-Elec, Rhythm Bossa Ev 140
RealTracks in song: 1173:Accordion, Rhythm PopCalypso Ev 100
RealDrums in Song: BossaRockFull^6-a:HiHat , b:HiHatLoud

Ian and Aleck,

This is beautiful music at it's very best. Kudos to you both on a fine production.

Ian, you have a great sense of melody in your playing and a wonderful tone. I could listen to this kind of music all day

I'll be coming back to this one a few times over the next few weeks.

Thank you for posting.

All the best,
Noel

Very nice version. Loved the tone of your guitar

Nice job.

Sweet crystal tone on the guitar. Nice harmony work on V2.

Noel said it all. This is a beautiful production guys, period.

Later,

Nice, easy listening, thoroughly enjoyable. Well done.

Hi Ian and Aleck,

a nice production.
Congrats on your collaboration.

Guenter

Very pretty. Enjoyed it!

Nice job, guys.

Ian - glad to see you "back" - loved the doubled playing on this..

floyd

Ian, great playing on one of the very best melodies ever written. The harmony part was excellent. Aleck very well produced. Beautiful job overall. Tom

Hi All
thank you for listening and for commenting with your very kind thoughts.
It is a lovely piece of music and I was immediately "caught" by it when I discovered that the Bass line followed the notes of the tune when I put the individual chords in. How neat is that!
The tone of the Strat is probably unique, a combination of neck+bridge pickup selection, Kinman pickups and likely many other factors. (Its a hand-built guitar.) I'm glad you like the sound of her.
The harmonies were simple and one is lower register and then plus one high (at the end). Glad you enjoyed them
Floyd - yea, hand seems good and I'm "back" as you say. Next one up will be another Christmas one but I have a couple of tunes on the anvil that need to be finished.
Currently DLing BIAB 2014 which of course it taking ages.
cheers
ian

Hi, Ian and Dean !:))

It was a very neat rendition
of this old classic !:))
I loved it, in fact I liked
everything on this recording !:))
Congrats to my good friends !!

and may you both have a White Christmas
too !:))

Up here at H:ki level we have not
got the white cover yet, but I have
a feeling it will not be far away !:))

Cheers
Dani

mmm.... I was feeling Larry Carlton on that one all the way. I will admit that I was jones-ing for one improv verse. But it was so sweet and in the pocket....

nice job guys! Well done all around! great job on the tracks and the playing was clear and melodic!

More!

Ian and Dean,

Very pretty arrangement of one of my favorite Christmas songs. Nice guitar sound, really good guitar harmonies, and solid arrangement and mix. Thanks for sharing it.

Steve

Hi Dani, Ken, Pat and Steve for the continued support.
Always much appreciated, my friends. Thank you.
I enjoyed running with some of Aleck's chord suggestions although I have to say that when I went to look at the guitar fingering of them, I couldnt get them!! Thank goodness for BIAB!! lol!!
cheers
ian

Fine production. Excellent playing and tone. Studio quality all the way around in my book!

Very mellow smooth and relaxing. Glad to have the chance to catch up with current postings. Ivé heard of a White christmas. Oh well off to the beach.
cheers - Richard.

Hi Rich
thanks for listening. Wish I could join you on the beach, mate. Cold (4c) and damp here.
Hi Janice and Bud, thank you for your kind comment. Coming from a Duo whose work is always Superb, that is praise indeed.
cheers
Ian and Aleck

Ian,

Hank himself would have been proud of doing that version.
In my opinion it needed an improvised solo but that is just me as it all sat together well as it is.

Thanks for sharing
Alyn

excellent playing, beautiful tone!