https://soundcloud.com/user3562166/montego-magic

A while back, my wife and I took a Caribbean cruise and passed by Montego Bay in the moonlight. The experience was so rewarding, when I got home, I composed this piece using BiaB.

Piano - steel drums sfx
Guitar - BiaB
Drums - BiaB
Bass - BiaB
Waves - downloaded sound file
Trumpet - that's me! ;-)

Enjoy a trip past the beautiful moonlit Montego Bay.

Wrayer,
I can relate to the lure of a midnight cruise.
My "Captain" title didn't come from airplanes.

Nice to have a way to express capture your memories in song.
Well done.

Really nicely done It certainly captures a certain atmosphere. Definitely has a tropical vibe, yet a dark tinge to it also. I found it flows perfectly, and made for an easy and relaxing listen.

Thanks for sharing!

Another nice one William...
I enjoyed the listen.
However the ending dropped off abruptly.

That synth pad in the back ground and as rolling waves in the breaks is pretty grainy - almost Mellotron grainy - it could be smoothed a bit by eq.
The trumpet work is the star by far.
Enjoyed.

Nice work. I especially liked the interplay between the instruments.

I'm with rayc on the string pad - when I first heard it, I thought it was a Mellotron.

I also found the ending... abru

Dear Mr. Wrayer...

With your poignant, wistful song, Montego Magic, I believe you have achieved an unusual, yet distinctive and ear-catching sound that I can only describe as 'Classical Caribbean' .

I say this because your arrangement has a chamber music feel to it, meaning that the instruments not only blend sonorously but also speak for themselves in a manner that suggests the way a conductor indicates his with his/her baton to a instrumentalist that it's 'your turn' to shine.

The whole affair is is brightened by your keen, pure-toned trumpet performance complemented by the warm, yet somewhat stately strings. The 'island' rhythm is charming with its simply played steel drum part that sounds a like a talented child percussionist discovering and delighting in the sound of its metallic soul for his/her very first time.

A 'rewarding' listening experience it was, indeed !!!

LOREN

Thank you all for the comments. I am glad I reached you with my music.

To rayc and David Cuny. I'm not sure what you are referring to unless you mean the waves. Those were recorded "real" waves on a beach. You mentioned EQing the wave file, How would you do that - I know how to EQ but, what would I look for to make it sound better or accentuate the sound without detracting for the instruments playing?

Thanks again all, for listening.

Bill

There's an old instrument called a "Mellotron" that pre-dated the digital sampler. Each key triggered a different tape loop. It had some very identifiable sounds, such as the flute used on "Strawberry Fields".

The strings are also quite recognizable - grainy, with a lot of tape distortion. Once you hear the sound, you'll recognize it right away when you hear some old songs.

Here's a link to a someone demoing the instrument: https://youtu.be/N07-YAKtRAw?t=40

The strings are first sound he demos.

https://soundcloud.com/user3562166/montego-bay

I have updated the track by adding some EQ on a few of the tracks. I hope this makes it more "hearable"...
There are 8 tracks: Bass, Drums, Steel Drum, Guitar, Strings, Solo Guitar, Ocean wave and Trumpet.

You certainly captured the exotic and uplifting experience.
Your trumpet playing shines and really carries the track ( I think that`s the first time I`ve heard anyone playing their own on the forum).
Well done!

Robert

Hey Wrayer, soundcloud says that this track was not found.

Mike B.

First link in first message isn't working. The new link is 2 messages up! ;-)

This link will work!
https://soundcloud.com/user3562166/montego-bay

So very nice! I've never been on a cruise but have a good friend from Jamaica. Her husband's a member of the government and she travels the Caribbean quite often. She has sent me several pictures of Montego Bay ... gorgeous. And your song is equally provocative with the splendor of the area. Nice trumpet! Best to you ...

Alan