Here’s a tutorial for Pro Tools.

My friend Andrew Boniwell is a talented jazz pianist living in Toronto. We met at York University in the mid-1980s and have remained close friends ever since. He introduced me to the music of Brad Mehldau a number of years ago but my focus was elsewhere until recently. I discovered Mehldau’s version of I Didn’t Know What Time it Was and bought it on iTunes. I’ve listened to that piece so many times now I’ve lost track. I love the interplay of the trio, the arrangement, Mehldau’s freedom and playfulness… He has breathed new life into a wonderful tune.

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I have included a link to an animated full score of a recent Mehldau’s composition. It’s beautifully conceived.

BRAD MEHLDAU ANIMATED SCORE Don’t Be Sad

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I have included a few versions by some of my other favorite musicians,

Wayne Shorter and Gal Costa.

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Here’s the classic tune, Roadhouse Blues, which captures the essence of The Doors at the height of their popularity.

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Roadhouse Blues SCORE

Roadhouse Blues Lyrics

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Back in 2000 I travelled to Paris for a week to perform with Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan. I invited Kim to join me. One of the things we did, besides enjoying café noisettes and tartine, was to go on literary walks that were laid out in a book she brought, Time Out Book of Paris Walks.

On one of the walks, it could have been Walk Like a Man (Ernest Hemingway) designed by Michael Palin, or Walking for Godot (Samuel Beckett), we ended up in the Père Lachaise Cemetery at the site of Jim Morrison’s resting place. The grave was adorned with fresh flowers from recent visitors who still mourn the loss of the American singer. It made me curious about the Morrison allure. Was it that he embodied the spirit of the post-beat generation and became an icon of the baby boomers when he died so young? To be honest, I was never a fan. Though I like Roadhouse Blues, but more for the feeling and structure of the music than the lyrics.

When I think of who in the world I would like to spend a day with in Paris, living or dead, besides Buddha or William Shakespeare, I would have to say it boils down to: Erik Satie, Samuel Beckett, Thelonius Monk, Woody Allen, Ava Gardner, Billie Holiday and John Ralston Saul. How about you?

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I love the feeling of this tune, how it’s able to keep looping the same material but maintain interest for the listener.

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Gimme Shelter score

Gimme Shelter Lyrics

Here’s a chart of the original version of Roy Orbison’s classic song.

Pretty Woman GTR

Pretty Woman BS

Whenever I hear the riff of Pretty Woman I can’t help but think of Devo’s Whip it from the early 1980s.

David Gilmore plays the famous tune solo, and then...

Shine On GTR 1

This book is a good introduction to the rudiments of Tonal music from a classical perspective. I went through this book when I was starting out and the conservatory still uses it. The knowledge offered can be applied to music that uses the Western European harmonic approach (popular songs, standard jazz, classical music, folk…) from the time of Bach up to Wagner. Scales, intervals, triads, etc. Highly recommended for serious music students.

Elementary Rudiments – Chapters

Elementary Rudiments – Amazon

Here’s a different spin of the Waits’ tune by MONat9. Compare with Tiltahs version.

With Tracey singing, Jonathan & Guy & I on guitars, and Steve drums.

Get Behind the Mule

JC led a laid cool version of a great tune by Tom Waits.

Sax by KDes. Compare this to MONat9’s version.

Get Behind the Mule

Tiltahs were in great form last night, even though Captain G was on the “injured” list.

Here’s Tiltahs arrangement. Harol D picked up the slack and turned in a decent rendition of a classic tune.

Cantaloop SCORE F#m (sax)

Cantaloop SCORE Em

Cantaloop