Featured Tracks Playlist July 2024

Next up is Just Stay from my 2022 CD Told Ya. Of my newer CD’s this track is one of my favorites. In this track I wanted to take a simple ballad and make it a big power ballad out of it. So, in this track I start off with a simple but pretty melody played using a baby grand sound. I use my Ibanez Hollow Body guitar for the main melody. I am playing my Gibson SG for that killer solo at the end.  The horns and drum programing in this track really drive the song along. The solo section on this track is where the song changes from a pretty ballad to a Power ballad. With that killer solo guitar soaring over the horns and strings this song just rocks. Let’s give Just Stay, a listen.   

Next up is Life on the other Side from my 2023 CD Life on the other Side. This track is in the time signature of 6-8 which is quickly becoming my favorite. In this track, I played the melody using my Fender Acoustic Electric guitar, and a grand piano sound. I used that same formula of piano and guitar, if you will, for the counter melody. But there I used my Fender Rhodes Electric Piano sound and a brighter effect on my Fender Acoustic Electric. To fill out this great blues track, I added to the sound canvas strings and a Rhodes Electric Piano sound playing the chords. The killer guitar solo towards the end of the song is really the Fender Acoustic Electric. Let’s give Life on the other Side a listen.

Next up is Make it a Double from my 2017 release 10. I really love this track’s groove and feel. This track starts off with that cool Bass Guitar riff. The guitar chords I played on my Fender Stratocaster, and I used a baby grand piano sound to back up those chords. I use a very cool synth sound to echo the melody played on my Fender Acoustic Electric for this track. This track has a cool vibe change towards the of the track when the guitar solo really kicks in. I wanted this track to be a blend of blues with a smooth jazz groove, to me, I nailed it with this one. I love this track.  Let’s give Make it a Double a listen.     

The last song on this month’s playlist is My Haunted Mind from my 2020 CD Living in Strange Times. This is a cool jazz blues jam. I am playing my Fender Stratocaster for all the guitar work. I’m using a baby grand piano sound to accent the melody and Fender Rhodes electric piano sound for the backing chords. This track took an interesting turn while I was writing it. It was a much slower groove at first, then I let my brother Keith listen to the track. Now my little brother is a drummer and bass guitar player, so I tend to listen to his advice. He suggested that I speed the track up. So, I stripped all the guitar work, changed the tempo to 120 bpm or beats per minute, played it and fell in love with it all over again. The bad part was I had to record all the guitar work again but I think it was worth it. I love the piano and guitar solos on this track. Let’s give My Haunted Mind a listen.