I'm Really Enjoying The New Theme...

I love the blues, so the new theme I just finished here on 66 Sax is hitting me just right.

I love the starfield background, and I've tweaked the fonts and colors to go with a "blues night club" kind of feel.

In that spirit, here's a really classic blues number from the year I was born in, 1962. I only discovered this amazing artist this past month, which really shocks me. I give you the amazing Barbara Lynn, who was so far ahead of her time:

Some Sweet Old Soul-Blues Fusion:



I first heard this song last year, but had no idea who sang it. I listen to a lot of blues and soul on Sirius XM radio. Love those sounds.

I heard this again just yesterday, and got the chance to look it up on Google. It turns out to be a very rare bird indeed - Ms. Barbara Lynn, who was a female lead vocalist and lead guitarist, and songwriter in the 1960's.

I love this song. To me, Barbara Lynn's voice is as smooth as butter half-an-hour out of the 'fridge. I want to practice a baritone version of this song and sing it for karaoke.

For now, let's just enjoy some righteous ear candy.

Dan

Guitar Song: Facebook Blues

I just recorded a new song called "Facebook Blues" after a post by my friend Cande about not being able to load her friends list. It was recorded with Audacity 2.02- and I figured out a trick to get rid of the playback audio / sideband delay that was making vocal track recording a real bear. Mute the track you're recording, duh.

Of course I recorded it with my rose-red Strat, Rosalita...and a 4-watt First Act amplifier from Toys-R-Us, $30.00 and the size of a hard-cover book, so really portable for practice or impromptu works like this.

Here it is: http://www.whizzyrds.com/Facebook-Blues.mp3 - 320 kbps audio.

Rock on,

Dan

By The Garage Lights 6

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/by-the-garage-lights-6

A little better here - I'm still no great singer, but at least my vocal monitor isn't introducing delay and making it impossible to sing straight - now it's all operator error. LOL

Rock on,

Dan

Garage Band 2

An update of our bluesey indiestrumental with new vocals.




https://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/garage-band-2

Kinda funky and low-down cool...

Rock on,

Dan

By The Garage Lights 5 - three new vocal tracks and levels adjusted across tracks

http://www.whizzyrds.com/By_The_Garage_Lights_5.mp3

I just spent another three hours on this, and it's a lot better. Not perfect, but better.

Dan

By The Garage Lights 4 - Early Vocals & Updated Sax Track

I just spent about 3 hours tweaking the sax and laying in vocals.

I haven't done a lot of singing...except maybe in the shower or along with Elvis in the truck, maybe a little with the Beatles as a teenager, but not much public. I'm still getting used to the equipment and how different my recorded voice sounds as compared to what I hear by bone conduction (which is how most of us hear ourselves speak...or sing). It's quite a difference. I'm using Robin Gibb's trick of holding my hand alongside my face to my ear, and working on how far the mic should be from my mouth.

Here's the best of five takes, no written lyrics, but a general outline.

http://www.whizzyrds.com/By_The_Garage_Lights_4.mp3

Rock on,

Dan

By The Garage Lights 3 - Audacity Evolution

This MUCH cleaner version was recorded in Audacity 1.3 Beta in multiple separate tracks. The drum track was created using the Pocket Drum Pad app for Android with my HTC Amaze phone.

Jon Ross laid down the guitar track after the drums were done.

I added the tenor sax last.

The tracks have all been cleaned of background noise and amplification levels adjusted to that all the instruments blend just right.

The result is nearly six minutes of smooth bliss. Enjoy:

http://www.whizzyrds.com/By_The_Garage_Lights_3-Audacity_Evolution.mp3

Rock on,

Dan

By The Garage Lights - Take 2 at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford & Jon Ross on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/by-the-garage-lights-take-2-at

MP3 version - cleaned up with Audacity: http://www.whizzyrds.com/By-The-Garage-Lights-2.mp3

By the way, Jon's guitar is named Judy. I love it! That was my Mom's name.

Rock on,

Dan

By The Garage Lights - 11-9-2012 Jon N' Dan at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/by-the-garage-lights-11-9-2012

MP3 version: http://www.whizzyrds.com/By_The_Garage_Lights.mp3

 This is a pretty little instrumental ditty my guitar teacher Jon Ross and I recorded together - on my Android cell phone with Soundcloud - in the underground parking garage at my condo building.

I'm playing Bello (my tenor sax) and Jon is playing Judy. (his electric guitar)

I think this is one of the prettiest songs I've done, and I'm grateful for the chance to play with another musician.

The song has a ballad / blues / indie rock fusion kind of sound.

Rock on,

Dan

Garage Band 11-09-2012 Jon N' Dan at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/garagw-band-11-09-2012-jon-n

This was Jon & I's first attempt to really play together. I'm pretty happy with the result, and I'm thinking we could really get a nice, mellow, and unique Blues/Indie Rock fusion going with a decent drummer and vocalist.

Jon and I are going to continue working on this genre for the rest of the year, especially By The Garage Lights.

Here's the MP3 version in case you're not so good with Soundcloud. I have some of the background noise and dead air cleaned out of the MP3 version as well. - http://www.whizzyrds.com/Garage-Band.mp3

Rock on,

Dan

Pretty Smooth Practice 11-8-2012

Pretty Smooth Practice 11-8-2012 at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

Retro Fifties I'm Working On at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/retro-fifties-im-working-on-at

11-2-2012 Sax Practice, Takeoff From "Sparklers" at Oak Brook, IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/11-2-2012-sax-practice-takeoff

Can't Remember What, But Sweet at OAK BROOK, IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/cant-remember-what-but-sweet

10-20-2012 Garage Sax Practice

10-20-2012 Garage Sax Practice at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

Garage Practice 10-19-2012

Garage Sax Practice 10-19-2012 at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

I've Officially Gone Garage Band...

...one man, that is.

I've found out that the underground parking structure between our two condo towers doesn't reverberate up into the buildings, and it's heated.

I will be able to practice through Winter.

Saxeleuia!

Boogie woogie ON!

Dan