Hello forum friends. Have not spent too much time here lately.....crazy life....but I drop by and hear a lot of great stuff. Eddie Icelander posted an instrumental a while ago, and I was intrigued by the vibe and the title. I contacted him and he sent me the SGU from which this song was born. Hope you enjoy. Love to hear what you think! Take care. Greg

https://soundcloud.com/gjohnson-2/winterleaves

Winter Leaves

Who knows the reasons
Love can change just like the seasons
It can catch you a a rainstorm with no coat
The clouds on the horizon
You may try to keep your eyes on
But still you might just find that cold air
Deep in your throat

We had a Spring of love and passion
Where romance was the fashion
Flowers bloomed and green leaves sprouted on the trees
Summer time was golden
Autumn chill....we tried to hold on
Now love has fallen down like winter leaves

Winter leaves on the ground
Sorrow surrounds me
I know love may come again if my heart still believes
Right now the wounds are still raw
But emotions may thaw
I'll see how I feel when winter leaves

Winter leaves on the ground
Sorrow surrounds me
I know love may come again if my heart still believes
But I have no one to warm me
My mood's cloudy and stormy
We'll see how I feel when winter leaves

Wow. This is really, really top notch. I've always liked Eddie's instrumentals too and you've picked a great one. This is a top notch collaboration and it sounds like an instant classic to me. Enjoyed this a lot.

Greg and Eddie.

Wonderful & smooth collaboration. From arrangement to vocals this is solid joy. Production is definitely among top artists of this showcase. Good stuff! Congrats to both of you!

Misha.

Wow - this is a beautiful and lush tune Very easy on the ears, and very peaceful to take in. I can imagine this sounding amazing at a ball or something, for a slow dance. The production is top notch too - very crisp and professional sounding.

You guys nailed it - thanks for sharing!

Greg,

Wonderful production—lots of mood and atmosphere here—reminiscent of something that might find it’s place on a killer soundtrack. Smooth, pulling vocals. Very compelling piece. Well done!

All the best,

Deej

I listened to this yesterday when it appeared on my Sound Cloud notifications, and I came back here today for another listen because I absolutely loved it. Vocal is superb. I also like the tracks Icelander created. That also stands out. Great lyrics. This is a gem of a song!

Love everything about this!

Very cool track instrumentally, love the groove and the feel. Great lyrics, and of course the vocal is as good as it gets.

Well done guys!

Greg,

This is totally gorgeous man. Kudos to you and Eddie.

I love the whole thing, and the vocals are incredible. Wonderful.

VERY VERY cool. Wonderfully smooth backing and great vocals

the sound of an instant classic

from the days of sweet and soft melodic songs

a double entendre maybe even a double metaphor

woven in between the changing of seasons

very nice music and inspired writing

Greg, you are downright Gershwin like.

Wow!

This is indeed a very impressive song...
The lyrics alone are classy & expressive...
And the musical score is equally smooth & classy...
You & Eddie should really be proud of this great write...
And I will just have to be envious!

Greg,

You have a true gift with words. A gorgeous lyric. One cannot help but think "WOW!"

The backing tracks are perfect. Your vocal is exceptional - one of your best (among so many good ones). Well sung, well recorded, well mixed.

This is a delight to listen to. An instant classic.

fj

Greg,
that's a lovely lyric and delivery. The backing is smooth and on point except for the synth/midi string line that runs almost throughout - it's a little synthy and the level fluctuates with notes. I reckon you could throw some delay, reverb and cut off some high end to make it sit better but, then again, the strings in 2019 would probably sit even better.
Nice work and a terrific narrative.

Greg / Eddie,

This is an outstanding song... The lyrics, vocal, arrangement and mix are all pro-level.

Beautiful all around.

Bob

This simply oozes class and sophistication. Harkens back to the early Capitol Sinatra years during the early 50's.

There is a wonderful coming together of every element in the song...the lyric, melody, arrangement, terrific vocal and the perfectly selected backing tracks.

Gorgeous!

J&B

Nice images of nature in the lyrics, combined with the feelings of love in coldness, clouds, storms, rain, blooming flowers... holding on like last leaves (I like the leaf-filled wordplay). Superb vocals and simple but effective backing track. Ageless music.

Janne

Great work on this Greg, this was wonderful! The arrangement is a pleasure to listen to and the vibe is very appealing. Very stunning tone with the guitar too!

What a cool collaboration. What a beautiful vocal and lyric. Sat in so nice with Eddies instrumental. Well done.

Head-nodding deliciousness.

Hi Greg and Eddie,

I think that Janice and Bud have hit this very musical nail on its head perfectly when they say...


A terrific listen. I love how you've used the two meanings of "Winter leaves" to create such a wonderful lyric.

All the best,
Noel

Outstanding all around. Great vocal, perfect for this genre. Coulda been a hit back in the day. Still has a discerning audience today.

Hello, Greg. Yep, same here. Stuff happens. Lot's of good music being produced by these talented BIAB gurus though. That's for sure.

Hey, this is an excellent song with a first-rate arrangement. I listened to this the other day in the car and I was immediately struck by how good it translated/sounded. A professional mix and master. Curious as to the chain. Any outboard gear?

As others have said, lush, crisp, gorgeous, well done guys! Truly.

Thanks so much Charlie!! Appreciate the listen and nice comments! Take care. Greg

Standing ovation!!! Blooming etc. - wow, wow, wow. This is Sinatra-like, but dare I say I prefer your warm tone even to his? This is stunning, stunning, stunning.

The lyrics are so beautifully bittersweet ... one of these days I will write something half this good and dance with joy at the achievement! Bravo to everyone who contributed to this gem.

What a fabulous singer you are Greg! Absolutely one of my favorites on the forum! You wear this genre well! A great use of Eddies tune, which is fantastic by the way! Show up around here more often please!! Thanks, Torrey

Greg & Eddie ...

Such a classy and well-written song. The melody oozes Gershwin and the vocal style has Sinatra dripping from it. As others have said, the sound of a true classic. Eddy ... great song concept! Greg ...a wonderful arrangement and a vocal so warm and captivating!

My kind of music for listening at any time. This is a true musical treat. Wishing you both the very best ...

Alan

Thanks so much Misha! I have really enjoyed your wonderful tunes recently! Take care. Greg

Thanks for listening and commenting! Say hi to the staff people and express my appreciation for their presence on the forum. Take care. Greg

Thanks so much for the incredibly kind words deej! It means a lot to me. Take care. Greg

I really liked the over-all tone of the song and liked that it was fairly atmospheric. I think it was a lovely collab. Thanks for sharing.

I am extremely touched by your comments. Always love hearing you stuff! Take care. Greg

Greg,

Really nice jazz vocal song!
The melody is very beautiful.
The lyrics are also beautiful.
And above all your vocals are great.
It looks like I'm listening to Chet Baker.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Thanks so much Dave! Just listened to your latest....really cool!! Take care. Greg

Thanks David. Your kind words mean a lot to me! Take care. Greg

Thanks Graham. Appreciate the listen and the nice comments! Take care. Greg

Thanks Kenny! There are few greater compliments than being compared to Gershwin. Your words mean a lot to me! Take care. Greg

Greg, I am absolutely blown away by this one! I like EVERYTHING about it. The backing is spot on. But your vocals are just perfect for this one!

This is one of my favorite songs I have heard posted on this site!

WELL DONE!

Steve

Thanks so much Jim! It has been really nice having you as part of the forum! Take care. Greg

Such kind words from a writer I admire so much are truly treasured! Thanks so much Floyd! Take care. Greg

Nice, smooth and classy. Reminds me of the great singers back in the day who sang in clubs. Very expressive and contemplative. Also love the concept of passing love and winter leaves. Nice collab.

Nice.... it kinda reminds me of a smokey hole in the wall basement half empty jazz club.... and..... a bit of "Old Blue Eyes" in the feel.

Not everyone can pull off a believable male slow jazz tune of this nature. The vocals fit like a velvet glove and the lyrics.... man, those lyrics are right on the spot with a theme that follows through from start to finish comparing love to the seasons.

This is a prime example of how 2 people can collaborate and the end result is greater than the individual parts. Nicely done guys.

Thanks so much Ray! The strings are sampled but it is a lower end set and I am a low end programmer. Really appreciate the listen and the kind words! Take care. Greg

Thanks Bob! I have a guy in SF who mixes for me and is much, much better at it than I am. I was surprised how much better he can make me sound. Loving what you're doing these days! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much guys! I always appreciate your kind words AND your song posts!! Take care. Greg

Greg (and Eddie Icelander), this is great.
The lyrics (the double meaning of Autumn Leaves is nice), the vocals, the backing, the production - everything about this is top shelf.
Thanks for sharing Greg.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Janne! The title was from Eddie. It just inspired that metaphor. Interesting the way things work. Love hearing your stuff!! Take care. Greg

Thanks Joe! Love to see the staff listening in! Take care. Greg

Thanks Scott. Always appreciate your kind words, AND your music! Take care. Greg

Very few words, but VERY nice ones! Really appreciate it!! Take care. Greg

Greg & Eddie

A top notch collaboration - and Greg those vocals are gorgeous.
Stunning!

Peter

Hi, Greg and Eddie !

What a wonderful tune so
incredulously beautifully
performed !

I am awed outright and am
running out of words to
describe it ! Congrats for
this absolutely superb
performance of a masterpiece
of tune !

Cheers
Dani

Hey Greg, and first of, I'm sorry this publication of the piece passed me by for so long.
All I can say is you took something that was maybe somewhat decent, and turned it into something utterly brilliant!

p.s. And if you don't believe me, just take a look at how much more attention your version got compared to mine (hmph!)