Thinking about songs that I've loved and admired over the years, this one always comes to mind. The lyrics present a very human reflection on one aspect of life in a very innocent, but still unapologetic way. This combined with sophisticated, jazz-inflected chord changes and a sparse instrumentation always drive the point straight home for me.
(from Dr. Faustus by Thomas Mann) ". . . The stagnation of his impulse to create was accompanied though not caused by a new low-water man in his physical state: severe attacks of migraine confined him to darkness; catarrh of the stomach, bronchial tubes, and throat attacked him by turns, particularly during the winter of 1926, and would of itself have been enough to prevent the trip to Frankfurt. It did in fact prevent another journey which humanly speaking was still more immediate and urgent, but categorically forbidden by his doctor. . . "
". . . Circumstances played into American hands when France failed to suppress a slave rebellion in Haiti. One hundred thousand slaves, inspired by the French Revolution, had revolted, destroying 1,200 coffee and 200 sugar plantations. In 1800, France sent troops to crush the insurrection and re-conquer Haiti, but they met a determined resistance led by a former slave named Toussaint Louverture. Then, French forces were wiped out by mosquitoes carrying yellow fever. "Damn sugar, damn coffee, damn colonies," Napoleon, the French leader, exclaimed. Without Haiti, Napoleon had little interest in keeping Louisiana. . ."
(from https://boingboing.net/2022/12/12/trumps-bid-to-end-the-mar-a-lago-fbi-investigation-ends-in-humiliation-for-his-pet-judge.html) ". . . Trump's very loyal appointee, Judge Aileen Cannon, has been repeatedly humiliated over her willingness to ignore the law in favor of her pal. Following orders from a federal appellate court, Cannon has been forced to dismiss Trump's lawsuit attempting to halt the FBI investigation into his hoard of stolen classified materials. Cannon's performance, in this case, has served as a stellar example of how packing the courts with inexperienced sycophants from the Supreme Court on down is slowly helping destroy the rule of law. . ."
It never fails, just when it seems a song (or a project) is finished, you notice that it needs JUST ONE MORE THING. . . or sometimes a few more things. In any case, it just may happen again. But here's the newest rendering of 'Fool' with some sonic additions.
Back in the early aughts I remember feeling a bit 'behind the times' regarding digital music, that is digital recording and reproduction of my music. So I read some 'dummies' material and played around until it gradually became more comfortable. After a spell of attempts at marketing original pop songs to other artists, and knowing (and being comfortable with the fact) that I was not nor ever will be a 'vocalist' of any particular distinction, at the suggestions of my three sons, I began recording my compositions as solo piano arrangements - stripped-down, bare-bones, jazz-inflected melodies with generous amounts of improvisation within each. Using a digital four-track machine (TEAC maybe?), I made the recordings then had an album mastered at a local studio, filled-in all the CD Baby forms and released Chromatose.
