Melange (1 & 2) (1995-1999)
Produced by Lee Barry and Pat Gardner
All songs recorded at No Disguise Studio, Oak Park, Illinois 1995-1999
Lee Barry: vocals, guitar, bass, keytar, keyboards, drum programming.
Guitar on "Stand" by Al Ramirez
Vocals on "Stand" and "Hot New Earth" by Leo Littles
Vocals on "Embrace Denial" by Sandy Cleveland
Lyrics on "Embrace Denial" by Wendy Gardner
Vocals on "Deeper Place" by Adam Conway
April 1996
Wendy's lyric suggested a slow tempo in a minor key. I already had a chord sequence idea that was looking for a lyric and I married the two together. Originally, I sang this myself and also had Leo Littles do a version. But I felt that since the lyric was from a female perspective, I thought that it would be in order to have a female sing it as well. (Eventually done by local R&B and jazz vocalist Sandy Cleveland)
I hope people will listen closely for the subtlety here. It's one of those songs where the lyrics were not an after-thought, but rather a seed for the music. The music is also very interesting on its own and I think jazz musicians will find it a challenge to play as well. (I used lots of non-diatonic chords with extensions--stuff they really like.)
I hope people will listen closely for the subtlety here. It's one of those songs where the lyrics were not an after-thought, but rather a seed for the music. The music is also very interesting on its own and I think jazz musicians will find it a challenge to play as well. (I used lots of non-diatonic chords with extensions--stuff they really like.)
***
***
October 1996
Pat's lyrics were the starting point for the music, inspired Elvis Costello's "decorated dish" line. I used the words "Victorian" and "flowers" as seed ideas, which evoked the image of a floral, multi-colored Victorian-era parlor. (The use of harpsichord and accordion seemed to be the appropriate "period" instruments for this type of mood.)As most songwriters know, songs seldom turn out as you start them. In this case, we wound up with a song that sounds very Beatle-y. The background vocals also sound like the Indigo Girls. Jimmy Lefkis played a wonderful guitar part and solo on this, even though he didn't like the delay effect.
***
August 1997
Pat's lyrics suggested something swampy. I threw my guitar into an open blues tuning and this popped out. I wrote it in a hour's time, but the arrangement with horns slowed it down. (Somehow this reminds me of McCartney's "Blackbird", with his bass player approach to the guitar.) The "slide on" b-vox is me through an octaver--I think it makes me sound like an electronic Taj Mahal.)
***
***
Mr. PC (Mr. Peachy)
***
***
May 1997
***
***
***
***
