Okay, I said I was going to be hitting this Blog every week -- damn sorry I slipped. The weeks move fast. Well I can say the coolest thing in the past couple, is working on this new tune called "FastLane." It's the kind of song that sneaks up and bites the writer -- me -- in the ass. It's the kind of song that when I hear it, I know that it will probably never get any air play with the exception of independent radio, or some station that loves good "B" sides. It doesn't follow any typical R&B structure or format and it's the kind of song that the creators of music will probably dig more than the everyday listener.
Now why did I say it bit me in the ass? Well it did to me what any writer wants. It takes the writer down its own path, without knowing where it's going to end up, when it's going to turn or when it's going to stop. Although it designates it's own path, it takes some time to find the path that the song wants to follow. You know, I have to sit here and laugh as I write this because every song that comes out as it should seems to take me where it wants to go. Until I can actually figure it's path I search and search and when I find it, it's "F'in" beautiful.
Now about this track. I had just been listening to a lot of early fusion -- Bitches Brew, Faces in Reflection, etc. All 70's stuff, the best in my opinion. Eventually what one listens to as an artist in muzic begins to creep into your thoughts and come out through your fingers and your pen, noises on the keyboard, bass lines on a Fender, and sexy dirty sounding Fender Rhodes keys that beautify any space.
I called a good friend of mine, guitar player Nick Baham, to come and check out what I had. He dug the shit out of it. This Brotha used to and still may play for the Saint William John Coltrane Church in SF, so I knew that he could vibe some out of the box, R&B/Fusion with some meaningful lyrics. Vibe it he did and in a big way. I saw him the next day and he had already started laying down some stuff he could play on this track using his new Wah pedal and bending notes like you would not believe.
It was funny, Mateen came over the other day and checked it out and he did what any filmmaker would do. He closed his eyes and visualized the muzic. I don't know exactly what he saw but he dug the hell out of it as well.
Honestly, this is the kind of track that I think I want some of the players to perform on not necessarily unrehearsed but definitley in the moment. I want the players to know the song but when it is time to record I don't want anyone locked into any ideas becasue this song has taken twists and turns that were never foreseen by me and I want the performances to be the same way. I want this track to be a rollercoaster. It already has about 3 tempo changes, about 3 completely different grooves in it and who know what else will come through as "FastLane" and I continue to court one another. Well for now folks I am just loving what I have in this "piece."
Oh yes, and what is FastLane about? It's about people who yearn for life but never learn how to live it. What they think they live isn't life at all. It's like driving in the fast lane blind folded. You can ride for a minute but when you crash its gonna be fucked up and more time is spent picking up pieces than rolling and taking the turns.
Thanks to those who check in and even those who don't.
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