This is a piece from 10 years ago that I just re-mastered. I was feeling a little nostalgic for summer since it is cold, damp and rainy today. Realizing that the winter is yet to come and summer is a long way off.

The piece was started in Band in a Box in 2007. I then ported the parts to Finale and worked on the content of the piano part and its form. Back then I am sure all the parts were midi (pre RealTracks, I believe). The bass and drums are tracks from Band in a Box that were saved as wav files and then the whole piece was mixed in Sonar (probably Home Studio at that time). I re-mixed and mastered it to give it new life.

I hope you enjoy Verao (Summer).

https://soundcloud.com/richrayer/verao

What a super nifty tune! This one has so much character to it! I'm curious what the original one sounds like! It has to be really cool to take a song from ten years ago and re-master it to give it new life. I'm sure listening to them one right after another shows just how far your abilities have grown! I feel that way about all art, music included!

Awesome share. Thanks!

Really excellent arrangement! Love the interaction between the piano, bass and drums. Very dynamic.

Steve

Reminds me of some one going crazy but in a good way.
Very exciting stuff.
Rob

I really enjoyed the dynamics that you captured in this presentation. The subtle piano unisons gave some uniqueness and contrasted well.

You certainly demonstrated the flexibility that this program can deliver.

Very cool piece. Awesome piano. Loved it

Thanks for listening Ember. I am glad you enjoyed the piece. I really didn't do a lot to the piece since I originally wrote it. That is the piano, bass and drum parts are all there. I did a re-master using newer compressors, EQs and just knowledge that I have gained. The final step which made it glisten was sending it to LandR and they did the final magic.

Again, I am glad you enjoyed the piece.

This is fantastic. You are one hell of an writer and pianist. Super bass lead also.

Two thumbs up.

Dear Mr. Rayer...

I like this!!! I listened to it multiple times.

Your composition, "Verao", has the spirit and the atmosphere of a place and a culture. Its form is shape-changing as it ripples with energy and flirts as deliciously with jazz as a pair of dance partners who speak different languages but dance as one soul.

This is exciting, adventuresome, even daring music-making, sir, with a classical air teased by your playful musical imagination into something that becomes...something else! Bravissimo!

LOREN

Thank you for the comment Steve.

I remember having worked on this but it was so long ago, I don't remember the details of putting it together. As I listen to it now, I am amazed too at the intricacies that manifest throughout the piece. Back when I wrote it, it didn't seem to be that hard to put together.

What a tune! This song has so much character and quirk to it. Not to mention, that piano work is otherworldly. It sounds captivating, and has a sense of attractive weirdness to it. I couldn't stop listening.

Thanks so much for sharing, and great work here

Thanks for the comments Rob. This piece is eccentric and since I have lost the manuscript for it, recopying to a score has really become a bear to do. Funny, it seemed so easy to do the first time around (at least in my memory)!

Thank you so much for listening VideoTrack. I am finding that it has a lot of nuances that are difficult to capture now that I am trying to re-transcribe it to notation. Of course notation programs to offer the nuances that a performance does but should capture the character anyway.

Thanks for the nice comments Scott C. I am enjoying revisiting the piece myself.

Thanks MarioD. The bass lead was generated in Band in a Box 2008 (or 2007) and it was pieced together from different generations of a midi bass part. I am glad it sounded realistic to you.

"Its form is shape-changing as it ripples with energy and flirts as deliciously with jazz as a pair of dance partners who speak different languages but dance as one soul."

Thank you so much for the descriptive comments about this piece.

I am glad you enjoyed it. The piece started as an experiment in learning some Latin rhythms. The piano work is actually for 2 pianists but I did it using sampled pianos.

What a nice tune! Loved the accents by drums during the bass solo (1:35 - 2:35). I also like the way you faded it down near the end and then bring it back in time for a sweet ending.

You have a very good ear for mixing the various elements with such precision and in an interesting way. You've woven the fabric with great expertise. What a treat!

Alan

"Loved the accents by drums during the bass solo (1:35 - 2:35)."

Thanks Alan for the comments. I really like how the interplay worked out in the bass solo section as well. Those 2 parts were started as Band in a Box midi generated parts and then arranged so the two had the proper sounds working together (the old cut and paste). Then I adjusted the velocities for accents where I wanted them.

I am glad you liked it.

Rich
An accomplished composition. Intricate but accessible.
Wonderful playing - really nice work.

Peter

Thank you PeterF for the comments. It was fun to put together and make it work.

Wow, great music, piano is terrific!

Rob and Anne-Marie

Thank you so much for the listen and kind words. I appreciate it!

Wow!!! That is fantastic. The piano is over the top good and that bass solo works well and sounds great -- not easy to get a nice even acoustic bass sound and retain some bite.

Outstanding! Perfect mix to our ears and sounds so good on the monitors.

J&B

What a nice compliment. I am glad you told me that you played this back on monitors. My biggest worry is not all playback systems will produce the effect I am striving for in my mix. The old tried and true method of putting the piece on cassette tape and playing it in a car to test the mix doesn't seem to apply in this day and age.

Thank you again for listening and commenting.