pianogonzology: song

Showing posts with label song. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Caught . .

Sometimes the story behind a song, speaking strictly of MY songs, is not much of a story. 'Caught' is one such song. There are times when I must force myself to write a song, or to finish a song, or take the initiative to create something new, at least something with a bit of structure. 'Caught' was inspired by the music of a local, original group which features tight, percussive acoustic guitar and lots of percussion, somewhat reminiscent of Ani DiFranco's music. The phrase 'caught in the crosshairs', which opens the song, sounded 'tough' and fit rhythmically with the type of song I wanted to write. The lyrics developed into a reflection on 'the drama of life'. Of course I always take the opportunity to provide myself some freedom to improvise within a 'welcoming' (meaning chord progression) environment. A loose version of the tune is here for you to hear. . .

Caught
©2016 Raymond M. Jozwiak

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(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
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Friday, January 20, 2017

The Very . . .

. . . thought . . .

Cover Photo, Image may contain: 3 people, people sitting and text

Change Event Photo

MAR28

The Thought Behind the Songs at Germano's, 3-28-17

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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Additional . . .

. . . untitled songs . . .

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled)
"Untitled", by Sack Trick, from the album Penguins on the Moon
"Untitled", by Shockabilly, from the album Heaven
"Untitled", by Silverchair, from the album Godzilla: The Album
"Untitled", by Six by Seven, from the album 04
"Untitled", by Stellastarr, from the album Stellastarr
"Untitled", by Swans, from the album Love of Life
"Untitled", by Unashamed, from the album Silence
"Untitled", by the Wailin' Jennys, from the album 40 Days
"Untitled", by Whiteout, from the album Bite It
"Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me?)", by Simple Plan, from the album Still Not Getting Any...
"Untitled (How Does It Feel)", by D'Angelo, from the album Voodoo
"Untitled 1", by Keane, from the album Hopes and Fears
"Untitled #1", by I Am Kloot, from the album I Am Kloot
"Untitled #1", by Spain, from the album The Blue Moods of Spain
"Untitled 1", by Keane, from the album Hopes and Fears
"Untitled 2", by Kendrick Lamar
"Untitled 2", by the Huntingtons, from the album Self-titled Album
"Untitled 4 Ballads", by Every Little Thing, from the album Many Pieces
"Untitled A1", by Richard Devine, from the album A Bugged Out Mix
"Untitled and Unsung", by Belly, from the album King
"Untitled Hymn", by Michael W. Smith, from the album Hymns II - Shine On Us
"Untitled Intro", by Fugazi, from the album The Argument

Un-Tie-Teld
©2005 Raymond M. Jozwiak

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Friday, December 9, 2016

The Power . . .

. . . music

(from http://theotherjournal.com/2008/09/16/the-monk-and-the-hymn-encountering-grace-in-the-work-of-thelonious-monk/)
". . . Each of us is continually involved in the co-creation of our story or the performance of our song. A song and a story alike are each common, apt metaphors for our lives, for living both as individuals and within a community. It is in the reality that we are all continually stumbling our way through life that the beauty and truth of Monk’s intentional awkwardness with this song (This Is My Story, This Is My Song) becomes evident. His characteristic discordant notes and unconventional timing are so appropriate as a symbol for our own lives. It aptly expresses our own imperfect faith, our own inconsistent story. . . I hope that I can tell my story in a way that contributes to the story, in a way that offers redemption to the broken world around me, yet my stuttering tongue and broken heart often keep me feeling useless and futile. I want to be able to play my song in a way that points to the beauty of the Kingdom, but my clumsy fingers seem to ruin the power of the melody. It is here that Monk’s performance offers me hope and inspires me within my own believing unbelief, in my own “already, but not yet” song. . ."

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Friday, November 25, 2016

Suspense? . . .

". . . This email is to let you know that your song, "Third Hand Intelligence" performed by Oho which was entered into the Performance category, has officially been reviewed by the listening committee of the International Songwriting Competition. Please be aware that if you have entered multiple songs or the same song into multiple categories, then you will receive a separate notification for each one. These may also come at different times as the competition progesses, so don't be alarmed if you don't receive all of your confirmations at once. . . We ask that you please do not request any feedback on your entry as we are extremely busy going through the evaluation process. The purpose of this email is to stay in contact with our entrants and to keep you updated on the process of the competition. . . ISC 2016 Semi-Finalists will be announced in February 2017, Finalists in March 2017 and the Winners in April 2017. All entrants will receive emails regarding the results and they will also be posted on the ISC website - www.songwritingcompetition.com ! . . .Thank you for your participation and we wish you the best of luck!. . ."

. . . not really. A good song is a good song. . .

Third-Hand Intelligence
from the forthcoming, tentatively titled album "Gazebo" by OHO (Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak)

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Saturday, November 5, 2016

A Seed . . .

. . . an idea

. . . some development

and . . . stay tuned . . .

A Seed
for an OHO song

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!
The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

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Saturday, October 22, 2016

The Same . . .

. . . old song . . .

(from http://www.diversityinc.com/news/dear-trump-not-black-people-live-inner-cities/)
“I would be a president for all of the people, African Americans, the inner cities,” he said. “Devastating what’s happening to our inner cities. . . “You go into the inner cities and — you see it’s 45 percent poverty. African Americans now 45 percent poverty in the inner cities. The education is a disaster. Jobs are essentially nonexistent,” he continued. “And I’ve been saying in big speeches where you have 20 or 30,000 people, ‘What do you have to lose?’ It can’t get any worse.”

(http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Hillary_Clinton_Welfare_+_Poverty.htmSource: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin , Feb 11, 2016)
"I am concerned about what's happening in every community in America, and that includes white communities, where we are seeing an increase in alcoholism, addiction, earlier deaths. I'm going to do everything I can to address distressed communities, whether they are communities of color, whether they are white communities. I particularly appreciate the proposal that Congressman Jim Clyburn has--the 10-20-30 proposal--to spend more federal dollars in communities with generational poverty."

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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Working . . .

. . . on the live performance of Your Luck Is Awake . . .

. . . another gloriously catchy composition by Jay . . .

Your Luck Is Awake
by Jay Graboski

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Friday, September 16, 2016

More Steps . . .

Have you not heard his silent steps?
He comes, comes, ever comes.

Every moment and every age,
every day and every night he comes, comes, ever comes.

Many a song have I sung in many a mood of mind,
but all their notes have always proclaimed,
`He comes, comes, ever comes.'

In the fragrant days of sunny April through the forest path he comes,
comes, ever comes.

In the rainy gloom of July nights on the thundering chariot of clouds
he comes, comes, ever comes.

In sorrow after sorrow it is his steps that press upon my heart,
and it is the golden touch of his feet that makes my joy to shine.
-Rabindranath Tagore

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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Haunting . . .

. . . song . . .

(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Is_That_All_There_Is%3F)
". . . The song [Is That All There Is? by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]was inspired by the 1896 story Disillusionment (Enttäuschung) by Thomas Mann. Jerry Leiber's wife Gaby Rodgers (née Gabrielle Rosenberg) was born in Germany, lived in the Netherlands. She escaped ahead of the Nazis, and settled in Hollywood where she had a brief film career in films noir. Gaby introduced Leiber to the works of Thomas Mann. The narrator in Mann's story tells the same stories of when he was a child. A dramatic adaptation of Mann's story was recorded by Erik Bauserfeld and Bernard Mayes; it was broadcast on San Francisco radio station KPFA in 1964. . ."

I remember this song stirring some emotionality in me as a child during the days of the daytime talk-variety televisions shows such as Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and the like. It's either a very prudent perspective based in reality or a deranged one being expressed by a purely hedonistic personality. Either way, as art, it is the consummate, although somewhat dated, pop song.

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My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Steps . . .

. . . of songwriting are like steps of a business decision . . .

(based upon information at http://www.umassd.edu/fycm/decisionmaking/process/)
Step 1: Identify the decision to be made.
In songwriting-do you want to write a cry-in-your-beer-song-about-a-love-gone-wrong . . . or a JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL?

Step 2: Gather relevant information.
In songwriting-if you know nothing about jazz, stick to the first.

Step 3: Identify alternatives.
In songwriting-the beer song should be a 4/4 country-type ballad with a catchy hook, the instrumental could be a modal configuration, a waltz, a swing in 4 or 8, a searing, uptempo hard-bop number?

Step 4: Weigh evidence.
In songwriting-skip this one.

Step 5: Choose among alternatives.
In Songwriting-see 1, 2 and 3.

Step 6: Take action.
In songwriting-sit down and WRITE the sucker.

Step 7: Review decision and consequences.
In songwriting-play it, (sing it), listen to it. Do you like it? Move on to the next one.

Step Lively
©2016 Raymond M. Jozwiak

What do you think?
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My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

Sunday, January 17, 2016

What Do You . . .

. . . think this song is about? . . .

Heard somebody say
They overheard you
Just the other day
A simple word
About the way we get along
If only I were sure
Of the semantics
Having doubts 'cause I'm
One hopeless romantic
Could it be
You're slipping away from me

What will I do
If what I'm thinking is true
And you want to be
Really free of me
I won't last very long
Very far from your heart
And this third-hand intelligence
Might be the way that it starts.

Heard somebody say
They thought they saw you
Walking in their way
You were not alone
They said he didn't look like
Thinking to myself
Must be mistaken
Try not to believe
but still badly shaken
Why would you
Deceive me in things you do

So many years
Sharing our laughter and tears
Lasted very long
Maybe I was wrong
Not to ask you
Why you feel
We've drifted apart
And this third-hand intelligence
Might be the way that it starts

Are my sources reliable
Wait and see
Wait and see
Is my psyche too pliable
It could be
It could be

If somebody said
The sky was falling
Would you believe it's true
And change your direction
From spinning round
When it hits the ground
That's just not true
Any believers are few
When you've seen it all
It could never fall

Any more than
I think you could
Tear us apart
And this third-hand intelligence
Might be the way that it starts

Third Hand Intelligence
by OHO (recorded December 2015 at the 'Compound') OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!

The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube

My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Friday, January 8, 2016

Other . . .

. . . notable 'Untitled' songs. . .

(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled)
"Untitled", by The Smashing Pumpkins, from the album Rotten Apples
"Untitled", by Blink-182, from the album Dude Ranch
"(Untitled)", by Marilyn Manson, from the album Smells Like Children
"Untitled", by Brand New, from the album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
"Untitled", by Collective Soul, from the album Collective Soul
"Untitled", by Crash Test Dummies from the album God Shuffled His Feet
"Untitled", by The Cure, from the album Disintegration
"Untitled", by Stellastarr, from the album Stellastarr
"Untitled", by Dance Gavin Dance, from the album Downtown Battle Mountain
"Untitled", by Eminem, from the album Recovery
"Untitled", by Finch, from the album What It Is to Burn
"Untitled", by Fuel, from the album Sunburn
"Untitled", by The Gazette, from the album Toxic
"Untitled", by Interpol, from the album Turn on the Bright Lights
"Untitled", by Neutral Milk Hotel, from their album In the Aeroplane over the Sea
"Untitled", by O.A.R., from the album Soul's Aflame
"Untitled", by Orbital, from the album Orbital
"Untitled", by The Panic Channel, from the album One
"Untitled", by Pearl Jam, from the album Live on Two Legs
"Untitled", by Pig Destroyer, from the album Phantom Limb
"Untitled", by R.E.M., from the album Green

Un-Tie-Teld
©2005 Raymond M. Jozwiak
Live, solo piano performance by Ray Jozwiak

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!

The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube

My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak