Archive for the tunes Category

Uarts Jazz Ensemble

Posted in current events, Education, tunes with tags , , , , , , on December 7, 2009 by Andy Rice

Hi!!!

i am done Grad school and i hear about my final grades and such on 12/21, and i’d like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge what a great experience that it was.

I did not originally want to get my master’s in jazz.  I was thinking that i wanted to pursue studies in Ethnomusicology, which is basically half anthropology and half music or the study of how a culture’s music relates to it’s society.  Anyhow, due to personal and geographical factors, Philadelphia came up on my radar, but there was no Ethnomusicology program to be found.  University of the Arts offered an M.M. in jazz studies, so i visited the place and left there with a good vibe.

When i talked to the director of the Bass department, Micah Jones, i was asking questions like:  ’what kinds of stuff do i need to play for this audition?’ and ‘what kinds of stuff does my recital need to include?’…His response to both questions was this:  ’However you want to present yourself, artistically.’  That was it.

Although i did apply to UW in Seatle, as well, my gut was telling me that Uarts was the place.  I flew home from Mexico to do the audition and it went better than expected, and my expectations were high.

I spent the last year and a half of my life getting a very intense intellectual boost and i have to say that the whole thing was well worth it.  I made some good friends, learned alot, and best of all, made some great music.

Here is some of that music.

This is an original of mine:

Prana (take 2)

Here’s an original tune written by Greg Martin:

Derya

And finally, a Tim Andrulonis original:

Slam Swingin’ (take 2)

Greg is melting.

jazz trio tunes

Posted in tunes with tags , , , on March 20, 2009 by Andy Rice

back in November, my friends Tim Andrulonis(alto sax) and Greg Matthews(guitar) joined me in the studio at Uarts for a little trio recording session.
we recorded these jazz standards live and in living color.

there will never be another you

manha de carnaval

now’s the time

body and soul

stella by starlight

photo-35

The Seuss project – Christmas 2008

Posted in current events, tunes on December 26, 2008 by Andy Rice

This year, Kirsten and I gave little Benjamin Lewis a very special Christmas gift.

First,  Kirsten purchased three Dr. Seuss books for him at Target:  The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish and Green Eggs and Ham.

Next, one of us had the idea that we could record the books and add sound effects and music so we could be there to read with him whenever he wanted.

So, that’s just what we did.  The next three posts are the final results of that endeavor.

Green Eggs and Ham is my personal favorite.

Benjamin is  Kirsten nephew and he came down to visit us in North Carolina with his Papa Bear and Mormor.  We had lots of fun, going to the beach, riding bikes and playing music.

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The Cat In the Hat

Posted in tunes on December 26, 2008 by Andy Rice

I read the story and did the sound effects and music on my macbook pro using all the same gear as above.

pull out the book and follow along:

the-cat-in-the-hat

cat-hat-book

Green Eggs and Ham

Posted in tunes on December 26, 2008 by Andy Rice

Kirsten Lewis read the story here and i did the sound effects and music.

I used my German double bass, recently dubbed Maryanne, a tiny casio keyboard, garageband and amadeus pro.

Grab your copy of the book and follow along!

green-eggs-and-ham

green-eggs-and-ham

Pickin’ Up a Cow

Posted in tunes with tags on June 10, 2008 by Andy Rice

One of my favorite people on the planet is Bob Hamilton.  Not only is he a great guitar player, but he’s one of my best friends and i can always count on him to give it to me straight.  One would think that that is what friends should do, but i am notoriously stubborn and love to wallow in denial about my own nature. He doesn’t tiptoe around my fragile ego and i appreciate that about him.

Before i left portland last fall, we got together in my attic and recorded some tunes.  

This one is a Hamilton original and that night, we titled it “Pickin’ Up a Cow”  i’m not sure what his intended meaning was, but i think it’s open for interpretation.  

we recorded this live with two mics set up in the room.  

click here:  pickin-up-a-cow

Here’s that rainy day

Posted in tunes on June 10, 2008 by Andy Rice

Here in the Outer Banks, lately, it has been hot as hell, and due to wildfires at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, there has been alot of smoke in the air. We need some rain to clear the air and break the heat, but especially to put out the fires.

When we were down in Mexico I spent alot of time recording. This here tune is one of the saddest jazz tunes but still one of my favorites. I played the bass, guitar and sang the lyrics. Edgar Abril layed down some tasty sax on it as well. There may be some roosters heard on here as well.

So, let’s here it for a rainy day. Be well.

heres-that-rainy-day

Autumn Leaves

Posted in tunes on June 3, 2008 by Andy Rice

One of the first tunes that jazz students learn is Autumn Leaves.  I am no exception.

Many of my peers have grown tired of many of those old tunes and i also have some that i’m not that psyched to play any more.  For some reason, i have always liked playing this tune.

When i was still in college, i attended a Ray Brown clinic that was held at UNH.  Ray was talking about learning all of the tunes that you know in all 12 keys.  I raised my hand and asked him how he went about doing this.  He then asked me what instrument i played…..”Bass”, I gulped.  He then beckoned for me to come to the front of the room where he gave me his bass and proceeded to have me play autumn leaves in a few different keys.  Lesson learned.  Huge moment for me.  Playing Ray Brown’s bass.  Getting a mini lesson from Ray.  He passed away a couple of months later, so i feel really lucky to have experienced that.

the tune has a soft spot for me and i recorded it in mexico with Julio and Edgar.  it is also yet another raspy crooner for me.

Here it is:  autumnleaves1

Reflection

Posted in tunes with tags on May 19, 2008 by Andy Rice

Ok, this is the last one for now.  

This is a little solo bass ditty that i wrote on my 27th birthday.  I remember a dimly lit living room and the smell of something tasty coming from the kitchen as i reflected upon the year.  I also pondered the future and came up blank.  

Now i come up blank on both ends, go figure.

I also play this to reacquaint myself with my bass before gigs, so you might hear me play this live during a sound check.

 

reflection

What Difference Can It Make?

Posted in tunes with tags on May 18, 2008 by Andy Rice

This one was done in the magical land of Portland.  Alot going on here.  

This tune was originally just the bassline.  I was in a short-lived band called “The Chronicles”  with Dustin Levasseur and John Notto and we turned this bassline into a tune called “The Green Room.”  Long story short, that band was done and i still liked my bassline, so i wrote this tune in the fall of 2006 by adding some poetry to the bassline and writing the bridge.

Recorded entirely in Portland, we’ve got some banjo, mando, bass, a dinky little casio keyboard, a cheap drum machine, some live drums and 10 or 12 vocal tracks in all.  

 

What Difference Can It Make? 

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