I grew up listening to "popular" jazz in my household as a kid, meaning the kind of chart-topping, danceable jazz that my parents and relatives would put on their record players at parties. After wearing themselves out cuttin' the rug and gettin' down to upbeat, funky jazz numbers such as Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", Ramsey Lewis' "The In Crowd", Jimmy Smith's "The Sermon", and others, something soft and soulful and "pretty" would be put on the turntable that would entice my parents, uncles, aunts, and their friends to put their drinks and cigarettes down and get back on the basement floor to dance to. Cheek-to-cheek, r-e-a-l slow-like, up-close and personal. Looking into each other's eyes...her arms around his neck...his hand pressed oh-so-gently on the small of her tastefully exposed back, or on her sensually swaying hip. The man whispering into the woman's ear, causing her to smile, and then give herself up to girlishly lovely laughter at whatever sweet thing he said to her...you get the picture, don't you?

Observing things like that made me want to grow up VERY fast, you dig? Why, I'm just sure you do !!! So this post, "Lately...", is a tribute to those memories...

"Lately..."
Key of 'E', tempo @ 66, meter = 4/4
Lyrics, chord progressions and vocal by me. Music by the Band-in-a-Box RealTrack artists listed below the link!

https://www.soundclick.com/html5/v4/player.cfm?songID=13715498

Real Style is _J085GAS.STY (Vintage Jazz Ballad Quartet) with Neil Swainson on bass (#481), Terry Clarke on drums (Real Drums, Jazz Brushes #1), Oliver Gannon on electric rhythm guitar (#484), Steve Nelson on vibes (#1219), and Mike LeDonne soloing at the bridge and outro (#1248)

VERSE ONE

Lately...
I've been imagining terrible things
Nights without stars
Days when birds do not sing
Something's coming to an end

VERSE TWO

Slowly...
A shadow falls, though no clouds shroud the sky
Signs there's a chance of a future good-bye
Something's coming to an end, but, what then? No longer lovers, but friends?

16 BAR BRIDGE w/ SOLO PIANO

VERSE THREE

Faintly...
I hear the song of your sweet, laughing voice
My eyes behold you, and we both rejoice
The start of another day

VERSE FOUR

Plainly...
My fear of losing you was too extreme
But, now, I know it was only a dream
Nothing's coming to an end...

Loren,

this one knocks me off my feet !

Although that kind of music wasn't that widespread over here when I was little, my parents had a couple of records like these, and I very early started to like them much better than the things they used to play on the radio then. And an uncle of mine was a pretty popular jazz singer in the 50s, who played the US military clubs successfully, so he, too, brought jazz records, many of them with that iincredible big band swing thus shaping my taste of music a lot.

Alhtough it was almost inevitable at that time that I, growing up, fell for Elvis, The Beatles and later on the Blues and Soul (I still love to be woken up by my precious Sam & Dave Best of CD) I kept my love and admiration for 'all that jazz'.

And, Loren, you not only let me sink into memories of my long-gone parents and my uncle, you also may be responsible for a great sunday afternoon: I will ask my darling for a nice cheek-to-cheek dance to your great song, and who knows, where that might end...

Thanks a lot for that, and most of all, for that wonderful tune - sung so touchingly, soulfully and tempting.

All the best,

Stefan

Wow! What a fantastic track, all the way around! You scored a bull’s-eye on this style, with absolute perfect selection of players, Lyrics, vocal delivery, soloing... my goodness! You can tell that building this kind of a track comes directly from personal experience.. all those years of listening to the real professionals certainly paid off! I especially liked your choice of the keyword “lately”, with its emphasis on the first syllable, and how you mirrored that with other kinds of adverbs, leading off the verses. Very warm, seductive groove, done in a classic style, with spot-on delivery! Much for me to learn in this one!

This type of music played in my house too when I was a kid, my dad was a fan.

Nice job on this, you nailed the vibe perfectly I think!

Loren,

Really nicely done! Very enjoyable listen.

The tracks sound "just right". The mix is excellent!

Smooth and Smokey.

I especially like the last verse:
"Plainly...
My fear of losing you was too extreme
But, now, I know it was only a dream
Nothing's coming to an end..."

Nice write.

Love your vocals! (Smooth and Smokey). We need to hear more from you...

fj

Nothing to add except for WOW!
Fantastic tribute!

Thank you.

Can't add anything else that's already been said. Brilliant track Lauren. Loved the vibes too

Wow!!! Hats off and a standing ovation from me here!!! The unique take on the usual standard jazz harmonies is incredibly successful, the timbre of your voice is perfect for this, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. What would be the point in taking this apart and analysing it??? It's simply superb!!! no more words from me :-)

Great moody track. The solos all sounded great and really good arrangement. Smoky laid back vocals suited the tune really well. Great work.

CLASSY as in Duke Ellington and Count Basie class.

SOPHISTICATED like Billie Holliday and Lester Young working with the vocal/sax exchanges.

COOL like so many of the great jazz combos of the 50's.

ANYBODY that doubts the power of BiaB in the hands of a talented artist needs to listen to this. The "band" sounds like they've been doing this together for years.
Add in your write, vocal performance and production and we share the enjoyment of hearing one of the more sophisticated projects posted here. Did we say sophisticated again?

Your backstory and the imagery of the lyric paint a wonderful picture - in B&W of course!

Wonderful..

J&B

Man, did this ever draw me in. What a great smoky flavor you were able to get. The lyrics are are mesmerizing and delivered with a very unique and at the same time vaguely familiar melody. Bravo! I loved it, Tom

Loren,
The lyrics in this warm and well sung ballad are so well crafted - each word carefully chosen. An insight into a lover`s misgivings that come full circle.
Nice deep vocal tones you have there and the music sparkles.
Very good!

Robert

Loren,

Made me want to light one up and I don't even smoke! I've always loved this style of music. My mother was a wonderful singer and when working around the house she would sing so many wonderful songs like this.

And wow - your vocal is just so enticing - smooth, full with perfect intonation and timbre. You couldn't have picked better background tracks.

Stylish, classy and just so wonderfully put together. Hope you do many more vocals for us. So nice and refreshing in every possible way.

Best to you.

Alan

Loren

Some wonderful reviews here that I endorse. Great sound, polished production and an excellent composition.
Lovely vocal and great work all round.

Peter

Loren,
Just beautiful!!! So great to hear one of yours here. Loved your vocals so smooth and alluring. Loved how you held on to each word and the last verse twist on the song. Allowed for deep savory contemplation of being in the arms of someone you love. All I can say is WOW!!!

Wow - just wow. This is stunning, and you really knocked it out of the park with this one. It captured the classic jazz vibe perfectly. This is the kind of music my grandpa used to put on when I was staying with him as a kid. Definitely getting some nostalgia from this one, and it’s my first time listening!

Really well done - thanks for sharing

Smooth & sweet... enjoyed this one a lot.

Dear Stefan...

How cool it is to read that the song inspired you to actually take someone's hand and dance to it!!! What else could I ask for? Not a whole lot.

What was your jazz-singing uncle's name? Would I find information about him on the Web? I'd like to know more about him.

I'm very glad that you approve of the song. Also, I look forward to listening to more of your musical productions.

Most sincerely,

LOREN

Hello, there, "Tano Music"!

Yes, I agree those RealTracks complemented each other, didn't they?

The "personal experience" you mentioned is simply the strong memory of those "grown-ups" demonstrating the wordless intimacy of couples dancing closely together. The music they listened to was unforgettable.

Very interesting, perceptive observation you made about the song's title.

It was my distinct pleasure to compose music that appealed to you so! Thank you for listening and commenting.

Sincerely,

LOREN

"BlueAttitude"...

It was great to grow up with music like that in our household, and it's cool to know that you had that experience, too.

Thank you for listening to the song and telling me how you felt about it!

Gratefully,

LOREN

Mr. Floyd Jane...

I am particularly pleaseed with your approval of "the mix". It means you heard most of everything I wanted to you to hear!

I like the final verse, too. It sure was a relief for the poor, poor subject of the song after all those worrisome concerns he had about his woman's relationship to him!

Nice to hear a listener with "country" tastes in music finding something pleasurable to listen to in the genre of jazz.

Thanks for taking time with the song and for your considered comments.

Truly,

LOREN

"Rustyspoon#"...

A nice "WOW"! is plenty good enough for me!

Thank you for listening and commenting on the song.

Sincerely,

LOREN

Hello, "furry"...

Isn't the sound of the vibraphone just the mellowest thing to hear???

Your remarks are appreciated! Thank you for listening!

Sincerely,

LOREN

"musician17"...

The words you posted communicated very well to me how much you enjoyed listening to "Lately..." Less is more, sometimes.

I'm so happy the song spoke to you!

Thank you for giving the song an audition.

Gratefully,

LOREN

"funkycornwall"...

I may have said this to you before, but I really dig the "handle" you go by in this forum. It's...it's, well, so funky!!

Thank you for giving the song a listen, and thank you for giving me your feedback.

Truly,

LOREN

Dear Ms. Janice & "Bud"...

I am truly humbled by your comments, folks! I think you definitely picked up on what I was trying to emulate. And yes, the RealTracks do seem to possess the quality of living, empathetic musical interplay that actual musicians achieve in their collaborations when they perform together, especially for an audience.

Regarding the "power" of BIAB, I agree with you. I certainly would not have had the nerve to present the song to the public if I had not been introduced to "Band-in-a-Box".

I liked your comment about the black-and-white visual texture that the music conjured up, too!


Grateful for the way you responded to the song,

LOREN

Hi, "tommyad"...

It's good to know that the song "drew you in"!

As for the lyrics, I only had gotten two lines down in the first verse back in 2003 when I composed the song. And then, in May of this year, the rest of the lyrics just came into my head, all in a single day, fifteen years later. Go figure, huh?

Thank you, "tommyad", for your comments, sir!

Gratefully,

LOREN

Dear "Robertkc"...

Your "insight" into the subtext of the song is impressive! Thanks for the compliment about the vocal and the lyrics. That "sparkling" music is a testimonial to Band-in-a-Box's increasingly creative, sensitive and "intelligent" arrangement features.

Thank you, "Robertkc", for listening to the song and making your thoughts about it available to me!

Sincerely,

LOREN

Dear Al...

I wanted to "light one up", too, but I've managed to avoid smoking for a whole year, now. That's probably one of the reasons why my vocal sounded good to you -- it came out of a clean, undamaged throat!

I'm deeply grateful to you for the way you described the pleasure you experienced listening to the song. And please tell Ms. Di that I hope my prayers for her health have had made themselves felt in some way.

Truly,

LOREN

Loren,

You are welcome. Mostly, I wanted say congrats on the smoke-free year. I've never smoked but I have seen how incredibly difficult it is to quite. I have four siblings and, of course, two parents (both deceased), four grandparents (all deceased - I'm almost 72 years old) four sets of aunts & uncles and seventeen first cousins. I'm the only one of that group who has never smoked! And, I played in bars and lounges for nearly fifty years. No good explanation why I never picked up the habit.

I always enjoy your critiques and your music. Wishing you the very best.

Alan

So nice!

I can't write a review like you do but I want to say how much

I enjoy the melody, the mix, the nostalgia, the band.

So much to like, thanks for sharing

Kenny

This is a really cool smooth jazz piece. Great vocals. I enjoyed it a lot!

Hello, "PeterF"...

I like the way you communicate your thoughts about a song you listened to on the forum: concise and to-the-point.

Thank you for giving the song a listen and relating your favorable impressions, "PeterF"!

LOREN

O, Ms. Belladonna...

Your comments about the song make me think that the forum needs more women participating in it! Why? Let me try to explain, without sounding like I'm patronizing women.

It's because of the words you chose to communicate what you appreciated about it: "Allowed for deep savory contemplation of in the arms of someone you love". You describe feelings in a way that includes expressing those feelings in action: "...in the arms of someone you love". Ooo, that's where most of us want to be, right???

Thank you for tuning into my personal "radio" and giving back a piece of your heart, Ms. Belladonna!

Focused on feelings,

LOREN

P.S. Presuming you'd be interested in this, what do you think could be done to attract & welcome more women to the forum? Please reply by private message, if you care to!

Hello, Deryk!

Thank you, deeply and sincerely, for your highly encouraging comments. But then, through posting my songs on the forum, I'm believe I'm only giving back to P.G. Music what it gave me to express my musical soul. I mean it, Deryk. It's two-way street, sir!

Thank you!

Most sincerely and respectfully,

LOREN

Howdy, Jim...

I'm glad to hear that you experienced "smoothness" and "sweetness" while listening to the song. Mission accomplished!

Gratefully,

LOREN

The back-story you wrote were the perfect set-up for this song. I felt like I went back to the past watching people flirting and dancing to smooth jazz music. Great music, Loren - I really enjoyed it! I also very much liked the next track which followed, but I don't know if it was yours (I don't know how Soundclick works - if it will continue with your songs or it will play other songs - never been on that site before).

Thank you for sharing this great piece of music.
Will

Dear Al...

I started smoking to emulate what I perceived as the "cool" personality that most smokers seemed to project when they "fired one up". And now, they're coughing up a storm, while I'm breathing easy!

Thanks for your well-wishes,

LOREN

Hello, Will Josef...

Thanks for listening with an ear so "close" to the song!

In SoundClick, the songs posted by the composer are sequenced in the order they were posted, so, after listening to one song, the next will play.

Sincerely,

LOREN

Hello, "44kl"!

I received what you wrote in total gratitude! If you responded to User's Forum posts in the way I most often do, you'd fall asleep at the keyboard!

Thank you listening to the song, "44kl". I'm grateful for your attention.

LOREN

David Snyder!

The creator of one of the most emotionally-charged songs ever posted on the User's Forum! I'm referring to "Mercy", of course.

My sincere thanks to you for tuning in to "Lately...", and sending your thoughts about it my way!

LOREN

Great song, well sung, interesting backstory. As tommyad said, the song just drew me in.

And congratulations on a year without cigarettes!

Why, thank you for the positive comments on the song, and the congrats on quitting smoking, "dcuny"!!!

LOREN

P.S. Somewhere I read that the late, great Nat "King" Cole felt that smoking cigarettes was a contributing factor to the much-heralded smooth and silky tone of his singing voice.

So you made me look it up... Nat died at the early age of 45 of... wait for it... lung cancer.

Hi Loren,
This is a very nice song, very well sung and arranged.
It's done with great finesse.
The sound is fabulous !
I like this song very much. Christian

"Dcuny"...

Yeah, I know. Forty-five years "young", and all because he believed cigarette smoke made his voice sound better. The only way I can process that in something approaching a "positive" note, is that he apparently was willing to do just about anything to please his audiences.

If only...

LOREN

Dear "Chris37"...

I'm glad you enjoyed listening to "Lately...", and thank you for telling me so!

Humbly,

LOREN

Loren,

Very sweet and sophisticated!
The chord progression is wonderful.
This is exactly one of American jazz standard songs.
Your vocal perfect fits this.
You are a really excellent song writer and vocalist.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Dear Shigeki...

Thank you for your approving comments on the song. I am honored that you took the time to audition it!

Greatly appreciated,

LOREN

Loren,

This is so cool! I had no idea your voice sounded like this! Outstanding sound - a real Billy Eckstine vibe.

Going back for another listen...

Bob

Dear Bob..

Ah-hah! You reveal yourself to be knowledgeable about jazz through your comment about Billy Eckstine. Right on, and thank you! He was quite a crowd-pleaser, according to my late father, who saw him perform with regularity in jazz in "all star" shows in Chicago during the 40's and 50's.

On a nostalgic note, my father told me that when he dated my mother, he would take her to see these "all star" shows that featured multiple, famous musicians such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Al Hibbler and others. The evening's entertainment included a movie, some live comedy routines, and short subjects, cartoons, and newsreels.

The price of entry for all of these attractions enjoyed in a single evening? Usually no more than five dollars.

Thank you, Bob, for tuning to my radio and leaving behind such a flattering comment!

Sincerely,

LOREN

Boy this one slipped by me. I am so glad it got bumped. What a cool vocal Loren. Loved the backtrack. Such a cool listen. Piano was just excellent. Well done

hi loren vintage classy love my listen great stuff thanks for sharing eric

Hey, there, "Scott C"...

I'm happy to read how you responded to the song!

I agree with you about the piano RealTrack solo by Mike LeDonne. I had planned to write lyrics for the bridge, but his mesmerizing, heart-aching performance blended the sensibilities of the blues and jazz genres in such a pretty and sweetly sad way that it simply floored me. Obviously, I didn't write the lyrics -- there was no need to!

Thanks for listening and commenting, "Scott C".

Appreciatively,

LOREN

Dear "F.M.M."...

Your comments made my day, sir! Band-in-a-Box sure makes us sound good, doesn't it?!

Very gratefully,

LOREN