July 1st - Chicago Smooth Jazz Event Update - BIG Holiday Edition

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "SmoothChicago.com" <norman@smoothchicago.com>
Date: Jun 30, 2012 8:47 AM
Subject: July 1st - Chicago Smooth Jazz Event Update - BIG Holiday Edition
To: <aquarianm@gmail.com>

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

July 1st, 2012 -  In This Issue Special Discount Ticket Offers Videos - Show Previews for Paul Taylor & Maysa Praire State College - New Venue Info It's Hot Outside! So Cool off indoors at a show The only thing HOT is the music! - A/C included with all tickets     On behalf of everyone at SmoothChicago.com, we hope you have an enjoyable and safe  4th of July holiday. To start the fireworks early - we have a special ticket discount offer to show our appreciation to our frequent show goers. Details are below.......   We hope you will join us for our shows this month (coming up very soon)  starring Paul Taylor & Maysa Leak.  For a preview of these shows, be sure to check out the videos we have links to in this e-blast.  All shows are now on sale - and with all seats reserved, the very best seats go to those that get their tickets early.    Yet, with our intimate venue having only 400 seats, there is not a bad seat in the house.   While Chicago's weather this summer is hotter then ever, the great news is our shows are indoors. While the live music of Maysa & Paul Taylor will be HOT, the venue is air conditioned and your comfort throughout the show is guaranteed.  As is always the case, you'll have a chance to meet the artists after the show.    Saxophonist Paul Taylor - Saturday July 21st @ 4PM - Tix at SmoothChicago.com    Vocalist Maysa Leak - Saturday July 21st @ 8:30PM  - Tix @ SmoothChicago.com     ______________________________________________________________________ FREE SHOW OFFER - FOR OUR FREQUENT SHOW CUSTOMERS   Purchase tickets to our first three 8:30PM shows starring Maysa, Nick Colionne  & Peter White - and get complimentary tickets to see Norman Brown and his special guest - saxophonist Eric Darius.* If you have already purchased tickets to see any of the above shows  - you are also eligible to take advantage of this offer * Limit - can not be combined with any other discount or promotion. Tickets must be purchased in advance either online  at SmoothChicago.com or by phone at (312) 725-0740.   Purchase a "premium reserved" ticket" to both the 4PM & 8:30PM shows on July 21st  and receive a $10 per person rebate check by mail.  Offer details here   Upcoming Shows - Tix at www.SmoothChicago.com  or call (312) 725-0740 Sat July 21st - Paul Taylor 4PM,   Maysa Leak 8:30PM Sept 22nd - Marion Meadows  4PM,   Nick Colionne  8:30PM Sat Oct 27 - Steve Cole  4PM, Peter White  8:30PM Sat Dec 15 - Norman Brown & Eric Darius  4PM & 8:30PM   2012 SmoothChicago Concert Series     Great reserved tickets available for all shows Order early & get the best seats!   South Suburban Concert Series Location Praire State College Halsted St south of I-294 / I-80  at Halsted & Vollmer For directions & more venue info - click here   ** New venue added in Chicago's South Suburbs **   Prairie State College Theater - 202 S Halsted Chicago Heights, IL  60411   Our south suburban venue is accessible by interstate highways and major roads. For those without automobile transportation, the College is located on a bus route operated by PACE, the Chicago suburbs' main bus company.    From the north: Drive south on I-94 to I-80 west exit. Follow I-80 west about two miles to Halsted Street south exit (Route 1). Take Halsted Street south about three miles to the Prairie State College theater for our SmoothChicago.com shows.    From the north/west: Take the Tri-State Tollway (294) south to I-80/94 east. Follow I-80/94 east about one mile to Halsted Street south exit (Route 1). Take Halsted Street south about three miles to the PSC campus.    From the south: Drive north on I-57 to the Vollmer Road exit. Follow Vollmer Road east about five miles to the PSC campus on your right.    From the east: Follow I-80 west to Halsted Street south exit (Route 1). Take Halsted Street south about three miles to the campus.        Visit SmoothChicago.com everyday!   While hosting live shows and events thoughout Chicagoland is our primary business that pays the bills - there is much more going on at our website.   While we wait for a radio option to return to the FM dial - in the meantime,  you can listen to Smooth Jazz via your computer and  SmoothChicago.com 24 hours a day, seven days a week.    SmoothChicago.com also has hundreds of High Quality live performance videos from past shows.  Videos are added often and we still have many hours of video clips still to upload.  These are all professionally shot via multiple cameras and direct audio feeds.   If you have not already done so - please "LIKE US" on Facebook as  thousands of other Chicago area music fans have already done.       PLEASE SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC and bring some friends to an upcoming show!    While this music format disappears from terrestrial radio around the country, the "LIVE" jazz shows in the Chicago area continue in a big way. Here at SmoothChicago.com we have many great shows on our schedule with more shows all around Chicagoland in the planning stages.  But the music can only happen if the fans continue to come out and support these talented musicians that create all this great music.    While we'll do all that we can to get this format back on FM, there is no disputing the fact that listening to a CD can never do justice to what fans experience at a LIVE performance.  As frequent show goers already know, a studio recording just can not match the energy and excitement of a live show with one of the stars of contemporary jazz.   The other thing to remember is - the artists that make the music we all love have families and bills to pay too. While it helps them become more well known, jazz artists They don't make a living from radio airplay. They make their living from traveling around the country playing live shows for their fans.    We hope you will join us for several of our upcoming shows and please encourage your friends to do the same.  As long as you do - this great music will be around for a long time and Chicago will continue to be a stop on all your favorite artists tour schedules!     Thanks again for supporting live contemporary jazz music in Chicagoland and we hope you'll bring some friends to several of our upcoming shows.   Your friends at SmoothChicago.com      QUICK LINKS To Order Tickets Upcoming Shows Prairie State College Venue Info Listen Live - Smooth Jazz Online Concert Videos from SmoothChicago.com SmoothChicago on Facebook Ticket Rebate Information       More great shows coming soon - visit  SmoothChicago.com for info on upcoming shows   Chicago shows are held at:  Rumba   (re-opening soon) Downtown Chicago   South Suburban shows are held at: Prairie State College Theater South Suburbs of Chicago   Northwest Suburban shows are held at: Information coming soon   Order Tickets Online @ SmoothChicago.com  or call (312) 725-0740     **PLEASE  BE SURE TO FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR  FRIENDS**  Join our email mailing list @   www.SmoothChicago.com to be notified of upcoming shows & events in Chicago  -  many more great shows coming soon !!!!   Your friends at SmoothChicago.com

Forward email This email was sent to aquarianm@gmail.com by norman@smoothchicago.com |   Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. SmoothChicago.com | P.O.Box 1119 | Elgin | IL | 60121

Louisiana Blue..

This sounds nice - I'll have to stream them a little.

Dan

66 Sax: Tiny Practice Amp Vs. Small Gig Amp

The lttle guy is 4 watts, sounds great, $32, and great for practice or a lesson.

Rock on,

Dan

66 Sax: My Venture Into Fenderland...

...is bringing me a lot of joy and soft melody. I'm pretty sure in the long run, I'll play both instruments well, but I think guitar is easier to practice in my current environment.

I love Bello & Rosie both, and that's enough. My sax is bright and my guitar is the prettiest red.

My guitar teacher is helping me learn a lot of little mechanical tricks to make playing easier, and of course a Beatles song to start. (Twist And Shout)

I have a million hours of practice to go, but it's a gentle journey with a lot of sweetness along the way.

Rock on,

Dan

Rosalita - Fender Stratocaster MZ5204006

I got in almost an hour of practice today; what I call giving Rosie a ring. Mostly a few chord progressions I know and some scale exercises.

I found a teacher, too, a fellow named John Ross. His guitar is named Judy, like my Mom. I just found that out today, which is appropriate.

Rock on!

66 Sax: On Wall Street...(Sax Track)

On Wall Street...

http://www.archive.org/download/OnWallStreet/OnWallStreet.mp3

Did you see Tony Baloney?
Did you see their crying faces?
Did you see freedom of speech,
Freedom of face,
Up against a car,
Freedom of neck,
Kneed onto hard blacktop?

Did you see orange,
Pretending to be red white and blue?

Have you heard yet?
Don't worry,
They'll get around to coming for you.

Just sit there,
Just sit tight,
Just zone into TV,
Every night.

The aliens already took over,
If they took you to their leader,
you'd wind up on Wall Street.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 10/01/2011

In support of the Occupy Wall Street protests going on around the world.
http://www.occupytogether.org/

66 Sax: Shaman's Trek - New Song (Instrumental)

http://www.archive.org/download/ShamansTrek/Shamans-Trek.mp3

New Age Blues Sax - Tenor sax, Audacity echo-effect, pin-can percussion, C-harmonica, low-octave tenor sax overlay. This tune has a haunting yet smooth effect, like walking on a misty night in the fall.

Play on, and thank you for listening.

Dan

PS - poetry to go with the track:

Night Of The Pumpkin Mystic...

Walking the Hollowed Hills on a thin-misted night,
Stars glitter in and out of view,
Shadowed trees reach dark limbs,
Leaves rustle underfoot,
Dried grasses rustle the soft breeze,
Chills tingle spine,
Steps beat time,
Entranced,
Treading to the Underworld,
The place of pumpkins and candle smoke,
Where a faded flower dwells,
Seeking whispers and secrets,
Seeking the roots of time.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 09/24/2011

Side note:

Kind of interesting how I did this track - I used a program called Audacity, which is free online. The program has numerous effects, and can record numerous multiple instrument tracks. There are actually two tenor saxophone tracks, a c-harmonica track, and a "pin-can" percussion track. (Meaning that the percussion is literally an empty paint can full of colored plastic stick-pins.) I went through and cleared noise and adjusted volume level on each track, then added echo to the high-octave sax track. The result, as you can hear, comes out kind of "spacey" and yet smooth. I'm planning to start practicing some traditional Christmas songs soon, then I'll try doing some effects to spice it up, and see how it goes.

Is There A 'Noise Ordinance' That Prohibits Musical Instrument Practice On DuPage County Forest Preserve Property?

I asked because I was practicing at Hidden Lake at 10am this morning, and the Forest Preserve Police ordered me to stop, saying he thought he would be called with a complaint.

I've been practicing there in the mornings because I live in a condo building. I'm trying to be considerate of my neighbors, and there's nowhere else I know of to go.

Since I'm probably not the only person with this issue, I'm going to ask the county Forest Preserve board for policy clarification on this. I may also ask if they can specify a preserve location for this purpose.

I would love to hear from anyone with knowledge on this subject.

Regards,

Dan Stafford
York 112 Precinct Committeeman
York Township,
DuPage County, Illinois

66 Sax: Pics of Bello

Bello - Serial Number

Bello fully-assembled and out of the case.

Bello - "Bundy" engraving on the bell.


Click on any of these pictures to view them full-sized.

66 Sax: Autumn Night - New Age Blues Sax

http://www.archive.org/download/AutumnNight/Autumn_Night.mp3

(C-harmonica, tenor saxophone, hand percussion) Simple, basic, sultry, soulful. Picture yourself on a clear Autumn night by a fire, watching the stars, hearing the sounds of nature all around you. Just you, and the wide-open, cool and crisp Universe.

Love that sax,

Dan

66 Sax: Chicago WNUA 87.7 FM Smooth Jazz...love it!

You can check out their stream here: http://www.smoothjazznow.com/radio/chicago_wnua.htm

A fresh breath of brass and reed...

Dan

66 Sax: I Was Out In The Park Wailin' On Bello...

...for about 40 minutes this morning.

Beautiful. Cloudless day and lush green park with a walking path 'round the pond.

The notes seemed to float out pretty sweet. You just can't miss a chance like that.

Play on,

Dan

Saxophone Season Is Fast Approaching...

Due to the fact that I live in a condominium, I'm pretty much relegated to playing outdoors. Being in the Chicago area, that means in the late Spring, Summer, and early Autumn. The brass gets too cold for extended playing in the cold season here.

We're in the 50's Fahrenheit here this week. Once we're solidly in the 60's, I'll start bringing Bello with me and playing at the park or in the parking ramp again for the season. I'm really looking forward to it this year!

Rock on,

Dan

I Met An Alto Player...

...named Tom over at the Danada Borders. He was practising outside by the store; it sounded great, so I walked over & said hi. We were exchanging tecniques and background stories, it was a lot of fun.

Tom, if you stop by the blog, welcome. It might be fun to practise together sometime.

Dan

About "Blues Cruise By The Dashboard Lights" Sax Track...

This track is strictly the un-accompanied instrument, and I think it's one of the prettiest I've done yet. The only embellishment is a bit of echo effect. ( 0.3 second delay with 0.25 second decay) The track was created using Audacity 1.3 Beta.  I also kept a copy that is echo-free. I did use the Audacity noise-removal tool to clean the hiss out of the track. The photo is actually the dashboard gauges of my 2007 Dodge Dakota pickup truck at night. I've always loved the soft blue glow of the dashboard in this vehicle, it's one of my favorite things about it.

Thank you for listening!

Dan

Blues Cruise By The Dashboard Lights...

Blues Cruise By The Dashboard Lights...




Tenor Sax solo for poem (3-minutes, 19-seconds MP3)

I'm rolling down the highway in my mind,
Even at zero,
Put the Satellite on channel seventy-four,
BB's Bluesville station,
Let that harp wail,
The night is graced by Aurora Borealis,
Twinkling stars and old memories.

The guitar leads me down memory lane,
An old friend or two I'd not mind a minute with,
A gal I wish I could catch up with just to see,
How did life turn out, Tree?

I hear the saxophone down low under it all,
At the root of the world,
Maybe low C,
And I get lost in time as street lights roll by.

The windows are down and summer glorious,
I turn up the volume as I roll into the city,
Blues City,
Chicago,
Big Windy,
All the better to push my reed.

So long Sister Blue,
The stars are winking,
It'll all be alright,
I'm cruisin' the Blues tonight.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 08/06/2010

Blue Earth Blues Sax

Blue Earth...

This is a spoken-word-to-music creation of mine in celebration of Earth, Love, spirit, and Human potential. It has an other-worldly sound quality to it, but I've gotten a good bit better with the sax, and it's pretty smooth here. I'd suggest reading the lyrics, then closing your eyes to listen. It's a bit meditational, too. I call the genre "New Age Blues."

The below file is the MP3 audio version. I performed the saxophone, harmonica, percussion, and vocals, and wrote the lyrics. The song was mixed and edited using Audacity 1.3 Beta. (Free download at: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)

http://www.archive.org/download/BlueEarthBluesSax/Blue_Earth.mp3

Written lyrics are below:

Blue Earth...

The Heart of the world,
Can be heard in the rush,
Of ocean waves,
In the rustling spirit,
Of wind in the tree leaves and grass.

The heart of the world can be seen,
In the softness of your lover's eyes,
In the flight of a bird,
Across lightly-clouded skies,
Past the snow of a mountain peak.

The heart of the world can be felt,
In the beat of your lover's heart,
Where you lay your head,
In the smile of your child's discovery,
Of the colors of butterflies,
Atop waving dandelion heads.

This gift - our lives Mother,
This joy and dance and race,
We hold her in the palms of our hands,
Tenderly or rough our touch,
The choice is no longer ignorant.

The heart of the world beats,
In every step we take,
Every act we make,
The slightest thing we do,
Like ants that could fell a tree.

The heart of the world is our crossroad,
Every one of us walks into a future,
Something we endlessly paint,
Brushes coarse and fine,
We're the foundation to the next layer.

When the spirit of love,
Matches and mates with the sense,
Of common sense survival,
Then the future is won,
Conflict dissolves,
We have what we need.

We have this world,
We have each other,
We have each creature,
Sustaining both,
We love it all,
And it all loves us,
In its timeless fashion.

Our heart is with the world,
And the world is then with us,
Opening the Universe's heart,
All the potential we could ever need,
As far as any eye we create,
Could ever lovingly see.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 07/31/2010

A Note On Learning Musical Instruments...

This is a brief excerpt of a conversation on this subject that can be found here:
http://mysticmuse.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Chat&thread=1267&page=1

Well, the sax is a lovely beast. If you're playing an instrument, it gives you a personal knowledge of the way it takes time and repetition to gain mastery.

With the saxophone, it's difficult to play if the ambient air temperature gets too cold, because it's metal and the instrument gets cold, stiffening your fingers up. This is vastly important, because there is no volume control on a saxophone. That means you can't do repetitive practice indoors if other people are around - such as condo and apartment buildings - without bugging your neighbors. I tend to practice outside a lot, at parks and such.

All these facts make it very difficult to get in practice time during the winter. I go weeks sometimes in the cold months without being able to play, so that first day it goes above 60 degrees F, it is a treasure.

Playing the sax also requires fine control of the reed. How much pressure you put on it. When to let your tongue touch it. You can bend or stop notes and shift octaves higher or lower by the way you control the reed. You can also get a raspy vibrato effect by rattling your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind the reed, like when rolling your R's in speaking Spanish.

Of course, fingering the keys is just as critical. How abrupt you are moving from key to key, how fast you raise and lower the keys, all of it matters.

Once you learn to blend the mastery of the reed with the mastery of the keys, you can finally make the instrument your second voice - and then seriously consider being able to play music in proper time. Then comes expanding your range by practicing endless varieties of transitions and timing from note to note to note.

It's a growth-by-inches process and both daunting and wonderful.

I've also started learning guitar for times when I feel like I'm stuck in a rut with the sax. It also gives me another option in winter. I have a really nice Fender Stratocaster that's got a red body, white pick guard, and rosewood neck. It plays beautifully. Coincidentally, it requires blending two skills to play as well. The left and right hands must be doing two very, very different tasks that must be perfectly blended together to create the finished work. Being electric, you can also modify the sound in many, many ways.

Finally, I've learned that no matter the instrument, finesse is every bit as important as strength - and you can only gain the finesse through practice after you first build up the strength.

The key is to put in time daily. Even 15-20 minutes a day will help.

Where to purchase my album Earthlife, or individual songs

Dan Stafford, Earthlife
	New Age Blues tenor saxophone
Dan Stafford, Earthlife (entire CD mp3) USD $9.99   Pachamama Prayer USD $0.99 Late Summer Harmony USD $0.99 Sparklers USD $0.99 Sunrise On the Road USD $0.99 Twilight USD $0.99 By Starlight USD $0.99 Sunlight in August USD $0.99 Night Owl USD $0.99 Natural Rythm Version 2 USD $0.99
Go to the purchase page

Night Fire Circle

http://www.archive.org/download/NightFireCircle2/Night_Fire_Circle.mp3

Bello, live percussion, digital effects. Haunting.


Thank you for listening!

Dan

Night Bird...

http://www.archive.org/download/NightBird_670/10-15-09-Night-Bird-001.mp3


A little bit of evening practice fun with Bello.

Thank You for listening.

Dan

10-09-2009 Practice Session 01

A little practice with Bello. I can hear myself making minor incremental improvements. I'm still looking for a breakthrough in style, though.

http://www.archive.org/download/DanStafford10-09-2009PracticeSession/10-09-2009-001_Practice-session_DS.mp3

Thank You for listening,

Dan

I had Bello out at the park the last couple of evenings...

...and I played righteous as the Sun was going low in the sky.

I'm starting to get a better feel for smaller and more fluid movements of the keys, and believe it or not, finer-yet control of the reed. I learned a new vocal effect that puts an emotional, trembling warble in my sax's voice.

It's getting pretty chilly out in the evenings now, though. It won't be long until I'm stuck indoors.

Being indoors presents serious challenges now. I'm living in a high-rise condo buildin; last winter I was in a house. There's a third person now too. On top of it all, my hours have changed at work.

Also, my pocket recorder died. I'll have to figure out how to record with my phone.

Anyway, it's bed-time.

Thank You for reading & listening.

Dan

High Summer On Herrick Lake...

The sky is a cloudless seventy five and sweet.

The breezes soft as a baby's kiss,
The grasses dance slow,
Slow and sultry and tall.

People are all around and reverent,
Walking dogs,
Rowing boats and canoes,
Fishing,
Throwing frisbees,
Lying in dappled shade holding hands.

The leather and wood I carry is essential,
Almost as old as I am,
Somewhat battered and serviceable,
Beauty inside waiting.

I find an old picnic table in the shade,
Down at the far end of the lake,
I can scent the green and mirror water,
Dragon flies dancing over sparkling rowboat wakes.

Everything is green and light,
Faint hints of Summer's yellow end barely showing.

I pull the golden brass from its case,
And through me Bello sings.

Clear as water and bright,
The notes drift out over the lake,
Easy and mellow,
The reed sings to all its cousins,
"I am alive!"

I bring the notes down low and rumbling,
A deference to Thunder that's left us all this grceful peace,
Then push for the ragged edge of harmonics,
As close to chords as a saxophone gets.

Young children stare in delighted surprise and wonder,
Parents smile and walk slower.

People smile in passing,
I play and play,
One of the last bright Sundays of Summer languidly passing by.

If this is not church and worship and thank-you to God,
I am lost and deaf and blind,
No more so than sources of dispute.

I roll gently through the deep and soft notes of my ending song,
Disassemble,
Close the case,
Walk back to the yellow truck.

A fine cigar and chair are waiting,
Coffee and the songs of frogs and cicadas.

September is sweet,
At peace,
A piece of forever.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 09/13/2009

Condo Living & Work Schedule Change...

...Are kicking my butt on sax practice. Once a week isn't cutting it, too much loss of facial muscle tone. I'm going to have to work on this.

The guitar practice is going much easier, almost every day. It's easy not to disturb anyone with an electric and an amp sporting a headphone jack. I had to get an extension cable for the walkman headpones and a 1/8th to 1/4" jack adapter, but it works.

I guess you have to call that "postus interruptus." I was inspired to write all of you a note after reading Premier Guitar for an hour, but Honey was suddenly done with the bookstore.

At any rate, I'm going to go give Rosie a ring and practice that mofo F-chord. Tomorrow, I'm taking Bello outside. It's supposed to be beautiful all weekend.

Speaking of which, have a lovely weekend yourselves, and thank you for reading and listening.

Dan

Yeah, I bought a guitar...

I seem to keep finding myself getting in a rut with the sax after a week or two, and having a few days' break from it seems to help me break through.

So here's the deal - I play Bello for awhile, then give Rosie a ring, and back & forth it goes. I've always loved sax and guitar, so these two will fill me up and fill me out as a musician. At least that's what I believe.

Thanks for reading and listening.

Dan

Gonna Give Rosie A Ring...

Gonna Give Rosie A Ring...		[-]
Posts: 3047 (08/29/09 07:40:25) Moderator Reply Quote Edit Del More My Recent Posts Show/Hide User's Posts Hide	Gonna Give Rosie A Ring... Ah, Sweet mornin' glowing bright and true, Gonna give Rosie a ring, Sweet-playing thang, Gonna give Rosie a ring. If the day comes when I'm feelin' down n' blue, Gonna give Rosie a ring, All six strings, Give Rosie a ring. Playin' true in the morning, Strummin' happy by evenin', Even if I can barely sing, Just gonna give Rosie a ring. Someday I'll play so fine, Happy up on cloud nine, All because I gave Rosie a ring, Sweet-playin' thang, Just gonna give Rosie a ring. And when Heaven calls, Won't need no harp in the Angel halls, No, Just gonna give - give Rosie a ring, Lord, let me give Rosie a ring. Aahaaaa, Yeah, Give Rosie a ring. AquarianM By: Daniel A. Stafford (C) 08/29/2009 Words are the mind's bridge - it's connection to all the universe. Love is the heart's bridge - it's connection to all other souls. Loving words can work miracles. All of my currently available poetry Chapbooks are for sale at: www.lulu.com/Daniel-Stafford

Candy Apple Strat...

Candy Apple Strat...		[-]
Posts: 3041 (08/27/09 22:13:58) Moderator Reply Quote Edit Del More My Recent Posts Show/Hide User's Posts Hide	Candy Apple Strat... Twang! I can feel a little heat off the amp, It's like a Christmas bulb in my eyes, Pretty and hot. I've waited for years and later finally came, I can hear it screaming sweet in my head, Waiting for release. Slow steady work finally located Rome, Now for the years to build it, Not starting a day too late. I can feel all my legends buzzing under my skin, If I can play anything they invented I'll be thrilled, Finding joy in a burst of song. Glory days don't have to pass you by. AquarianM By: Daniel A. Stafford (C) 08/28/2009 Author's Note: I bought a Mexican-made used Fender Stratocaster on eBay, the guitar you see pictured here. She's in mint condition and plays like a dream. Candy Apple Red with a rosewood fretboard. I'm thinking to call her Rosie. I have a lot of learning to do - I'm also wanting to learn to repair guitars on the side. No, I have not given up the sax - but at times I get in a rut with it and have to put it down for a few days. I've wanted one of these for 20 years - so now I can alternate between the two. Words are the mind's bridge - it's connection to all the universe. Love is the heart's bridge - it's connection to all other souls. Loving words can work miracles. All of my currently available poetry Chapbooks are for sale at: www.lulu.com/Daniel-Stafford Blessings, peace, and prosperity to All.

Duck Walk

An interesting concept that just popped into my head. It took me a bit to figure out the fingering. The second sax is, of course, me overdubbed as a second recording track.

I call it "Duck Walk" because of the bass track.

Thank you for listening!

Dan

http://www.archive.org/download/DuckWalk_547/Duck-Walk.mp3

08-07-2009 DS Practice Session

I'm mostly back on my feet, the broken ankle slowly getting better. I've moved in the last month, so that's eaten up time like crazy, but life is about to settle down quite a bit.

I think this is smoother than most of what I've posted before, and I'm liking it. I feel like I'm making slow but steady progress every time I pick up the sax these days, and it feels good to spend more time with Bello.

I hope you enjoy, and thank you as always for listening.

Dan

http://www.archive.org/download/08-07-2009DsPracticeSession/08-07-2009-DS-Practice-Session.mp3

Summer Confield Zen Sax

Finally, a decent practice session, and something nice and meditative comes out of it. Enjoy a little sax, sun, and wind. This one is 17 minutes + and mellow.

Summer Cornfield Zen

Thank you for listening!

Dan

Been practicing a bit...

I can stan un-fettered now and hold the horn, so I'm working my way back into shape. FINALLY. It'll probably take me a couple of weeks to build the facial muscles back up to endurance and knock the rust off. I'm planning on picking back up the collaboration with Scott the keyboard guy in June.

I'm not walking without a walker yet, and I'm still wearing a boot for three more weeks, but this broken ankle debacle is winding down.

Dan

Broke my ankle a week & 1/2 ago

My ankle surgery was this past Tuesday. From what they told me it was badly broken, but the repair went well. I'll have 8 weeks in a cast & months of PT.

Sayonara,

Dan

A Song In Trancic Blue: Purity Alone

A 1966 Selmer Bundy Tenor Saxophone. An Otto Link Super Tonemaster mouthpiece. An inspired moment. An aspiring tenor player. Audacity 1.3. Echo effect. Nothing more, nothing less.

A Song In Trancic Blue: Purity Alone

Thank you for listening.

Dan Stafford

Earthlife is now in Digital Distribution...

...via CD Baby.




Click on the album cover to listen to track samples or purchase an electronic download of the album for only $5.00.

(Or go to THIS LINK)

Thank you for listening!

Dan Stafford

Ass-kicking new song: "Blues Rites Night"

1966 Selmer Bundy tenor saxophone with Otto Link Super Tone Master mouth piece, Hoehner Blues Band harmonica, hand percussion, Audacity effects. This music is Blues gone trancendental, it'll take you out in the woods and blues you under the stars.

This song is way different, and to be honest, better than anything I've done before. It has a unique fusion of Native American beat, dead-on blues sax, and "night in the woods" background done mostly with the Hoehner Blues Band C-harp. I'm kind of amazed I managed to produce this.

http://www.archive.org/download/BluesRitesNight/Blues_Rites_Night.mp3

Thank You, as always, for listening. Prepare to go into night spaces blue...

Dan Stafford

"I Could Not Stop Myself" - new song

A little different. This is a very short but interesting tune.

http://www.archive.org/download/ICouldNotStopMyself/I_Could_Not_Stop.mp3

Thank you for listening.

Dan

Sneak Preview of My New Earthlife Album Cover

My new cover should end up looking like this. I'm going to be selling the album on CD Baby as soon as I get the cover art resolved.

Thank you for listening!

Dan Stafford

Social Networkin' Blues

How many Social Network profiles do YOU have to keep track of?

http://www.archive.org/download/SocialNetworkinBlues/Social_Networkin_Blues.mp3

Thank you for listening!

Dan Stafford

Hard Sax Rox

This is the clip I call "Hard Sax Rox." I'm playing Bello right on the edge here, busting harmonics in a righteous hard rock opera style that comes straight from growing up in the 60's & 70's. (I'm Gen-X, class of 1980, and all the hard rockers came out in my childhood and teen years.)

Bust it out:

http://www.archive.org/download/HardSaxRox/Hard_Sax_Rox.mp3

Thank you for listening!

Dan Stafford

Back to practice - 01-20-2009 Practice Session

This session was pretty good - and a good bit overdue. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. The last 5 minutes or so went pretty "hard rock opera" and I'm going to clip it and title it in a post after this one. I really felt in the groove on that part. The full session is just over 12 minutes and in a variety of styles. Hang on to your ears, and if you want just the short version, check the next post.

http://www.archive.org/download/01-20-2009PracticeSession/01-20-2009_practiceSession.mp3

Thank you for listening!

Dan Stafford

Maybe You're Down

http://www.archive.org/download/MaybeYoureDown/Maybe_Youre_Down.mp3

My newest tenor sax New-Age Blues song, with light percussion and vocals.

Thank you for listening!

Dan

Youtube - Jazzcid Rockit Sax

1st Youtube video - Hawai'ian-inspired sax

This is after listening to Hawai'ian artist Keali'i Reichel for awhile. His work is a lot softer, smoother, and more professional than anything I've ever done, but it put me in the right mood. I still need to figure out a good way to prop up my Blackberry for this kind of thing, though.

Thank you for listening!

Dan

Demented Christmas Greetings from The Mad Music Archive!

wayne@themadmusicarchive.com wrote:

A Few Updates from The Mad Music Archive!   Formerly www.thedoctordementoshow.com, the site www.TheMadMusicArchive.com continues to serve up top-notch demented music and the world's best comedy - and it's been a 100% FREE service since day one! 2nd Annual Christmas Song Contest Underway - Login and Cast YOUR vote! Back by popular demand: our 2nd Annual Christmas Song Contest is counting your votes! Login and cast your vote - there are some really demented ones there! Cast your vote here: Christmas Song Contest 2008 Christmas Mad Music Shows now being posted! The first 2 of the 4 annual Christmas Shows are now available for online listening - FREE! Click here to listen to The Mad Music Show! Lots of other changes have been happening too: There are now 7 weekly demented shows - listen to them all online for FREE: The Mad Music Show with Captain Wayne Manic Mondays with Devo Spice Mad Music Dementia Top 20 with DJ Particle Kahn Man's Comedy Corner with Tyrone Kahn Mad Music Comedy Zone with David Tanny Bofore Radio with Goose & Goblin BADave Radio with Below Average Dave And our 8th program: Freakin' Funny Music set to return in 2009! The MP3 Store now has over 150 albums and 3,000 songs Over 2,000 Blog topics have been posted! If you haven't been on the site recently we hope you'll return and will enjoy the The Mad Music Archive and help make it the most demented site ever! Enjoy! Captain Wayne

The North Pole Toy Factory Blues...

http://www.archive.org/download/NorthPoleToyFactoryBlues/North_Pole_Toy_Factory_Blues.mp3

Hear Santa's Elves at work! Catch the hustle and bustle on the Toy Factory floor! It's the North Pole Toy Factory Blues!

Thank you for listening, and Merry Christmas!

Dan

Saturday Nigh-on Christmas Boogie

http://www.archive.org/download/SaturdayNigh-onChristmasBoogie-TheRealVersion/Saturday_Nigh-on_Christmas_Boogie.mp3

A little practice, a little weekend, a little holiday, a little boogie blues. What more couldja ask for?

Thanks for listening!

Dan

Snow Call - new Christmas tune in progress

http://www.archive.org/download/SnowCall/Snow_Call.mp3

Hey, Folk,

Thank you for reading & listening. This is a new Christmas tune I'm working on. I plan to add some sleigh bells, percussion, and hopefully keyboard work. Lyrics are yet to be penned, but I have a few things in mind. (I do poetry too, and plenty of it. I have over 1,500 poems up in the document library over at www.lightverse.com .)

Hope you enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Dan

12-05-2008 Practice Session

http://www.archive.org/download/12-05-2008PracticeSession/12-05-2008_Practice-Session.mp3

Getting a bit quicker on the keys, more able to flow smoothly from note to note. This is good.

I still play a lot better if I'm working with another musician, but I only have a few early tracks available to distribute. I'll get them in here at some point or another.

Thanks for listening.

Dan

12-03-2008 Practice Session

I'm running tired but playing on - extremely busy at work & that is slowing me down a lot - but I'm still hearing incremental improvements in my playing.

Thank you for listening.

Dan

http://www.archive.org/download/12-03-2008PracticeSession/DanStafford_12-03-2008PracticeSession01.mp3