Soul Sax 1

Soul Sax 1 at The Dungeon by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

12-28-2012 Practice

12-28-2012 Prractice at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

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

Thanksgiving 2012 at Oak Brook IL by Dan Stafford on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/dan-stafford/thanksgiving-2012-at-oak-brook

Olivia. Newton. John. !!

We just saw Olivia Newton John in concert at the 2,000-seat Paramount theater in Aurora, IL with our friends Janice & Tom. Olivia's voice is still phenomenal, and she was moving around the stage very well.

If only her Sound Engineer's head hadn't been blocking my view of center stage!!

Now chicken marsala & red wine at Carraba's.

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

Westmont Theater- Live Entertainment for the Western Suburbs by Keith Erickson — Kickstarter

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1900378306/westmont-theater-live-entertainment-for-the-wester?ref=search

The Bugle: Entertainment Center coming to downtown (Westmont Theater)

http://m.buglenewspapers.com/mobile/article_b23f7dc2-5da6-11e1-b7d5-001a4bcf6878.html

Kickstarter.com - Westmont Theater Re-opening As Blues Venue Fundraiser Deadline 10/31/12

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term=westmont

Two local developers are trying to open a blues venue in downtown Westmont. They need help raising funds to make it happen. The Kickstarter.com campaign listed above is their online crowdsourcing effort, and it has a deadline of October 31st, 2012. (Halloween, that's right)

Having a great blues venue nearby would be a wonderful addition to local entertainment choices. This is only ten minutes away from York precinct 112, folks.

Let's show the community that we support local businesses and live entertainment, regardless of political affiliation.

Sincerely,

Dan Stafford

10-20-2012 Garage Sax Practice

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