Fun Recording Session!

This weekend I had the chance to meet Tiffany Darwish, a country-blues singer famous for her 80's pop hits "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Could've Been."  I wasn't sure to what to expect before we met her but she was honestly one of the nicest, down to Earth Grammy winning artists I've ever met :)

In all seriousness, she was truly inspiring and said something that hit pretty close to home.  "Nobody can ever stop you."  It's such a true statement.  Nobody can really stop you from reaching your dreams and goals but yourself.  You're the only person who has complete control over how hard you work and how far you'll push to achieve your goals.

We started off with a slower, more folk version of "I Think We're Alone Now" which really showcased Tiffany's pitch accuracy.  I think that her confidence in her voice and in herself really shows when she sings because her pitch also seemed to be dead on from where I was sitting.  We then moved to "He's All Man", her new "down-home swamps" single that we all got to rock out on.

As a little treat to us, Mike talked her into doing a cabaret version of "Could've Been" with myself playing the solo.  Her voice REALLY shined on this one and the communication was excellent for such an impromtu affair.

Just talking to her really let us know that she TRULY LOVES MUSIC.  One of the things she stressed was the amount of time she spends meeting her fans, and her down to Earth personality really stressed that.  It was quite a fun day playing for someone who honestly loves what they're doing with their life.

Current Events

So tomorrow is (barring any crazy problem) my last day of my undergraduate study!  This is a terribly exciting time as I feel I will find more time to work on music and leave the other things (finishing that paper for tomorrow's class) behind.  I've recently begun a study on Freddie Hubbard and just finished learning his solo on "It's You Or No One" from Dexter Gordon's "Doin' Allright" album.  Freddie takes two POWERFUL choruses on this particular recording and it was a joy (albeit a quick one) to transcribe such a powerhouse. 

One thing that I picked out of this solo so far is that Freddie's lines are so CLEAN.  He doesn't stumble over himself in the least bit, and trust me, he's playing some deep stuff.

I'll have the PDF of the transcription available to anyone who wants it either tomorrow or Sunday.

Someone may be asking "Well Joe, why not Saturday?"  I'll tell you why.  Tomorrow at 4:25, I will be leaving with my friend Jerry Parsons on a plane to Kansas City to play at the Kansas City Italian Festival...or something like that, with Ray Massa's Eurorhythms.  I've never been to Kansas City but have heard good things, so this should be a pretty enjoyable trip.  Maybe some pics will be added when I come back...if you're lucky :)

An achievement...

Hello all!

Tonight I received the Ruth Friscoe Prize for Jazz Composition for the 2nd time in my collegiate career for my composition and large ensemble arrangement of "The Judge." I'm using the monetary scholarship that came with the award to save up for a personal practice room when I move to New Jersey/NYC.

Check it out! www.whisperroom.com