My Music

My life in music

I have been involved in music since I was in 6th grade in school, when I started to learn piano—never well—and began playing brass instruments—especially cornet, trumpet, baritone, and finally flugelhorn—and playing in bands. I also play guitar, baritone ukulele, and alto recorder.

Through the influence and example of my mother, I started to sing in choirs and study voice. This led to my involvement in vocal ensembles—large choruses, chamber choirs, and male quartets—some of which I still pursue.

Along the way, I developed interests in a wide variety of music styles including, classical and religious music, as well as jazz and popular music. I am pleased to share some examples here. I hope you find something you like.

First jazz experience

Oscar Peterson Trio: “I Remember Clifford” [listen to it here]

When I was the student manager of a university radio station in the last century, we received the Verve album, “Something Warm” by the Peterson Trio, that included this great tune. I had never really listened to jazz before, but this tune hooked me for life. As a musician, I was fascinated by the progressive tempo acceleration from a very slow ballad to a frenzied climax from which, near the end, it suddenly broke back to the original tempo. Later, it was my great privilege to hear Peterson live.

I didn’t know it at the time, but this tune, composed by Benny Golson, memorializes the wonderful young trumpet player Clifford Brown, who had met an untimely death in his twenties. Here is this sublime ballad beautifully interpreted on the flugelhorn in 2014 by the great Roy Hargrove, who also died much too young in 2018 at age 49.

Another of my favorites is this intricately harmonic and subtle solo performance of “Danny Boy” (Londondeery Air) by the great jazz pianist Keith Jarrett.

Religious jazz

Cyrus Chestnut Trio: “What a Fellowship” [listen to it here]

About twenty years ago, I was teaching a university honors course on the history of jazz music that, among other things, featured an examination of various adaptions of jazz, including religious jazz. After listening to dozens of great examples, I selected as my clear favorite this interpretation by pianist Cyrus Chestnut. All other versions of this gospel song that I have ever heard or sung, including jazz versions, have been in 4/4 time and performed at a fast tempo. Chestnut starts in 4/4 but dramatically slows the tempo and sets it in a swinging 3/4 with an underlying blues scale. The latter is especially evident in the completely unexpected, occasional  appearances of a single “blue note.” At times, Chestnut pleasantly betrays his classical training, e.g., when he employs hemiola—a rhythmic alteration in which he replaces six equal notes in two measures of 3/4 time with four equal notes in the same two measures, producing a result that is delightfully disruptive.

I once introduced a close friend and colleague to jazz music and took him to his first live concert. He became especially fascinated by the jazz funeral music of New Orleans. When he was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident some years later, he wife asked if I would help plan his funeral. Because of his love of jazz, I suggested we get a brass quintet to perform the Canadian Brass’ arrangement of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” a traditional New Orleans funeral piece with its slow, mournful “dirge” for the procession to the burial, followed by the wild, joyous  “sendoff” for the celebratory return from the cemetery. Here is this spectacular version and an even more incredible interpretation by a larger ensemble featuring Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton.

Christmas music

Chanticleer: “O, Come All Ye Faithful” [listen to it here]

About twenty-five years ago, I was driving alone from central Alberta, Canada to Southern California one Sunday morning, listening to music on the wonderful CBC radio. The show featured the performance of a choral group at the famous Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto and included interviews with some its members. I was so mesmerized by the vocal range and dexterity of this twelve-member, all-male ensemble, that when I got to Lethbridge, I pulled off the road to write down their name, Chanticleer. I have been a fan of this San Francisco choir ever since and was privileged to hear them live several times. Although I discovered their interpretation of this staple of Christmas carols much later, it has become not only one of my favorite Chanticleer performances but also my overwhelmingly preferred version of this Christmas song.

Thinking about Chanticleer reminds of another world class male vocal group, The King’s Singers, that exquisite, six-voice ensemble from the UK. I absolutely love their rendition of the great Billy Joel tune, “And So It Goes.” Check it out here.

 Choral music

Morten Lauridsen: “O Magnum Mysterium” [listen to it here]

Over twenty years ago, I first encountered the stunningly creative choral music of contemporary, Southern California composer Morten Lauridsen in general and this magnificent, a capella choral setting of the ancient matins text for Christmas in particular. I was a member of the small, eight-part, Southern California Chamber Singers, when the conductor distributed the sheet music of this anthem. It was but the prelude to a love affair, not only with “O Magnum” but also with Lauridsen’s choral works in general, such as “Ubi Caritas et Amor,” that extended through extremely satisfying rehearsals and performances to hearing them over and over ever since.

Having already learned and performed the hauntingly beautiful, sixteenth century “O Magnum” by Tomás Luis de Victoria, I was familiar with the Latin text and the rich cadences of texture and chords. I found these also present in the Lauridsen composition but set in the contemporary framework of modern chords and shimmering dissonances. Mastering these and their wide vocal ranges was challenging but ultimately invigorating.

Another of my favorite choral anthems from the repertoire of the Chamber Singers is Samuel Barber’s hauntingly glorious setting of “Agnus Dei.”