Free Track from upcoming 2009 CD: "UNREQUITED"

HOW GREEN WAS VALLEY: piano solo with synthesizer and organ backings by MICHAEL GUY
Click here for this free 5' download from the CD
A New Age/Jazz Americana piano solo song recorded in June 2009 in my studio that has a melody a little reminiscent of Bach meets American Mountain Folk music. This was a recorded LIVE performance in ONE TAKE! And a beautiful moment it was. Luckily I recorded 2 albums of material in June that will be released simultaneously with "IN MEMORY ONLY". Good thing as I am currently recovering from injuries and cannot play. Between a neck injury and the gout I recently got over, very little playing is getting done.

But UNREQUITED (2009) will be released on JzCDz.com soon after new equipment arrives that will make the mastering of the final disc easier on me.

Description:

a piano solo song layered with other digital sounds recorded on June 17th 2009 in memory of the many years ago I spent in Vermont with my late parents. This will be on an upcoming 2009 CD titled: "Unrequited" from American Jazz/NewAge pianist Michael Guy

STAY TUNED HERE AS A FOLLOWER (you can follow this BLOG) for other releases from JAZZ/NEW AGE Pianist/Composer Michael Guy's CD: "UnRequited"

Michael Guy's 2nd CD of all solo, original jazz, Americana, new age tracks to be released this summer

Michael Guy's 2nd published CD has him back "on land" and takes a more Americana Jazz approach, even a country/folk influence in two of the included song backings from his original lyric songs. There are no lyric vocal performances here, but he does use his voice in Jazz Vocalize on 2 of the jazz/blues tracks. And speaking of the blues, his very progressive piano jazz blues is again in evidence in a studio recorded track putting back out to sea again in a newly composed "SEA of Bb Minor Blues" a neatly arranged piano solo with touches of organ. Also is given a live performance of his year 2000 jazz blues a little influenced by Monk's "Round Midnight" entitled: "Didn't Go as Planned Blues" - As a composer he then takes his jazz blue-scaled influenced writing into the Baroque classical world in 2 selections from his "The Blue Fugue" including the infectiously Baroque almost pop beat of pizzicato strings and vibes in his "Perpetuem Mobile".

Before the final OUTRO of this CD he also re-invents his love and study of classical/modern forms in a short, emotional piano embellishment on a Theme from his PIANO SONATA #1. This difficult to play but rich harmonic theme was actually composed between college music classes nearly 30 years ago and has recently been re-edited for publishing. The very classical-influenced theme in A minor is given a rich improvised setting freeing it from a strict classical style of playing and in the process making for a serene and perfect piano performance.

But most telling is his already proven to be popular synthesizer and digital pad orchestrated keyboard song: "IN MEMORY ONLY" whose emotional, nostalgic G major richly voiced chordal theme was written to memorialize his deceased mother who died in 2005. Its theme is even used as the INTRO and OUTRO of this very personal CD and its almost tear-dropping emotion leaves the work as a whole shimmering with a joyous gratitude for loved ones and dear deceased pets. Once again composer Michael Guy refuses to produce CDs that are a litany of one style of music or one style of writing. He takes this music through the range of what jazz /blues and country/folk influenced sytles can go as well as personally innovating in his fusion of classical composition into modern forms.

At the same time he leaves a very personal imprint and a human glow of emotional dedication.

HEAR EXCERPTS NOW and READ MORE on the PORTFOLIO PAGE> http://miguy7.webs.com/portfolio.htm

JzCDz.com Hear a preview, download a track less than .60

SEE my personal website with all MUSIC LINKS, previews, blurbs of my music and a short bio>
http://miguy7.webs.com/

What Happened to my 2nd CD Release?

Well not that anyone is wondering much or waiting with abated breath (not likely) but since I haven't posted since Jan. 1 and since I then promised an upcoming release here's an explanation what has held up my 2nd CD: IN MEMORY ONLY -

"Life got in the way!" And I started getting more ideas for my 3rd release of my group compositions: THE ABODE. That music came fast and furious in April, so I was busy recording the new stuff and IN MEMORY ONLY went cold. Besides that, I realized when mastering it that some of the tracks were lacking something. They needed overdubs. And in my home studio (the only practical place to do overdubs) it is still not that easy to do. I have to carefully compose the parts and then often make several takes to get a good one. There's no such thing as just using a new track because I record live onto a 2-track disc and I don't use computers recorders that are multi-tracked. In other words, I have have to mix live as I go to get a balanced live sounding mix; otherwise it won't sound right. It's a lot like the way you would do it if you were performing in a small club.

MEANWHILE> If you're interested in the best music of this pianist/songwriter/composer your can get that in my FIRST CD> AUGUST ocean OVERTURE (click here) available NOW at these three commercial outlets: CDbaby (the best place on the net for Independent Musicians and the best place for ME when you buy my CD) You can also get the CD at a discount at Amazon's CREATEspace independent publisher. That's where they manufacture my CD and it is Amazon owned. And of course you can buy it at Amazon> Search under Michael Guy or use this link: Amazon.com> AugustOceanOverture.
You can also download the whole CD at CDbaby and iTunes or just individual tracks

Actually, it's a mixed blessing that I've never had the new, powerful computer to record on today's software. I have now decided NOT to go the computer route. If I can raise just a little more money from this CD release (I only need a couple $100 more) I will buy an offline, hardware based digital multi-track completely independent of the computer. They are affordable right now. You can get one for just $400. I don't like using computers to record with and I don't have a new one. If I buy the computer I would still have to buy the damn software. And personally from what I've seen of today's musical softwares, I HATE THEM! For a pianist like me they stink, I don't use heavy electronic sounds in my music.

Anyway: as of today (May) I have at least completed 2 of those overdubs but I need to do about half of the CDs tracks; so there's still quite a few more parts to put on.

I know you were all waiting with "bated breath" But this CD really is special and personal and I DO want it done soon by June. My mother's birthday would have been June 7th and I want to published by then

THEREFORE: after today's post on this blog and on FACEBOOK, I am going offline for about a week. I will not come out until all the overdubs to this CD are done and mixed down. Then I will send my CD Master to my publisher and announce I am done! (no don't lose your breath!)

But if my number one fan, Ronald Hull, an incredible writer/novelist and author on AuthorsDen.com could buy 10 CDs (yea ten!) of AugustOceanOverture maybe you can at least download a few tracks on iTunes or better yet download the CD ($7.99) or buy it on CDbaby.

True, Ron was showing his support but he only bought 10 when he was totally surprised after downloading the full album on iTunes at what good jazz/new age music this was. Not only the piano but he was surprised at the beats, group pieces and the fact that every track offered something different and there are 14 tracks! Over 71' of contemporary music!
Thanks Ron, I don't think you'll ever get knocked out of the #1 Fan slot!
So happy MEMORIAL DAY and maybe someone will actually post a comment here on my blog and wish me luck...
Later, Michael Guy...

My 2nd CD, In Memory Only is being mastered - to be released soon

In Memory Only, my second CD of instrumental keyboards, piano and group pieces, some in a jazz, some in new age and some in a Americana style (including 2 instrumental country influenced songs) will still be released shortly. Obviously, not in December, since it's New Years Day. It is being Mastered and given a good review before I ship it to my publisher, CreateSpace. You can hear 2 free tracks at right in the sidebar, Gcast Podcast. Cool, uh? The music starts automatically, so that's what you're hearing. If you only have dial-up it will load choppy, so go to this link and download it free into your Windows Media Player>
Click to Hear the Opening Track of IN MEMORY ONLY

I'm taking my time about giving the final CD master a good going over, as well as I am actually doing my own mastering. If you know, in this business, studios can charge $500 or so for a quick once over mastering, which includes little but equalizing in volume and tone, and removing ugly sudden peaks in recording which happens a lot in my style of "live" piano performance recording. I don't exactly put my music on CD one note at a time. I PLAY in "Real Time", but then of course I do some editing, but not much. If you own my first CD, AUGUST OCEAN OVERTURE, you know it sounds great and yet that whole first "suite" (the first 4 tracks) was a recording (in studio) of a single solid performance done on the evening of July 20, 2007.
I never had to do much editing with that one, just mixing.

So am I trying to tell you how great I am? No, but I'm assuring you that this time around, I learned from the few glitches that got passed over in A.O.O. that I'm being more careful and also some things happened that are good and almost mystical. Anyone who knows me, knows I believe in God, not as some old fart, off sitting on an asteroid someplace, but as an active guiding divine intelligence in our lives (if you believe!) So just before I was ready to go to press with my final master CD of this album, I was worrying about how to give it the final mastering touch when I have no money. Anyone else who knows me, knows I do not have $500 to shove at studios, who don't even know my music. The best person to master, IN MEMORY ONLY, well, is me! So that "Divine Intelligence" showed me something. That on my hard drive was buried a free software that I had downloaded from the internet months ago, just about after I published my first CD.

That software is basically the best part of mastering tools for digital audio. I didn't know how to use it when I first downloaded it, and then I forgot about it. It turns out not to be hard to use. Also, I have such an old computer and a small Hard Drive I didn't think I could run much modern audio software. So what else happened? About 10 years ago (!) yea, that long ago, I bought one of the first "digital audio" recording softwares beginning programs. It only cost $50 back in 1998. Well I was running "Windows 98" on my computer when I tried it and it didn't work at all! I could've thrown it out and I blamed the software. Well luckily I saved it and tossed it into a box. When I moved in 2007 I lost track of it. I found it and it turns out that it wasn't the software but that damn old Windows 98. It works on XP which I have now (the only good system MicroSoft ever made) But it works!

Anyway, I'll be giving my new CD a good mastering stroke and it will be available soon, hopefully in January 2009 or early February on Amazon's CreateSpace.com first and then Amazon.com Check back for release dates and LINKS to get it. And of course there already is a Podcast right on this Blog page to hear 2 excerpts. Look in the right sidebar or just listen for the music. There will be more tracks added to the Podcast as soon as ripping is done to mp3's.

In Memory Only, a CD that will wrap around you with comfort, joy and even upbeat tunes and a few beats, especially if you have ever known the love and loss of dear family ones and pets.
Hey it's about my recent past life before I lost 3/4's of my family members to death!
SUBSCRIBE to this Blog, I need and love followers. You can do that at the end of the sidebar at right at the bottom of this page.

Best in Year 2009, Michael Guy L'ecluse

Jazz Pianist Michael Guy's second CD: IN MEMORY ONLY to be indepentently published in December on Amazon

HEAR the 2nd up-tempo, Jazz-groove based track from this CD: theBroken-HeartedShuffle
This track is being heard right now in the PODCAST at top-right in the sidebar. Cool, eh? I did this very hot jazz recording back in '97 in studio in Daytona Beach. The piano solo is up and wait until you hear the electric guitar. That's me playing! The guitarist didn't show for the session. Not bad! But of course I played it on a Midi Keyboard using a nice JAZZ GUITAR sound.

Jazz pianist and digital composer Michael A. Guy whose 2007 release, "August Ocean Overture is now available on digital channels, iTunes, PayPal and others, and CDbaby is releasing a second, companion CD entitled, "IN MEMORY ONLY". The possible release date on AMAZON.com and Amazon's CreateSpace is around the last half of December 2008.
This CD not only contains other of his best session records that were not possible to release on August Ocean Overture (please see his other Google Blog here at: CD August Ocean Overture) but also NEW RELEASES done in 2008 of Piano Music in A JAZZ AMERICANA STYLE. Some of this new piano music is in a "jazz/blues" form but several tracks featuring his unique combination of both American Classical composition and New Age improvisation. One long extended piece of 7+ minutes called, "The Old Apple Tree" offers his sculpting of melodies influenced by Traditional American mountain folk music filtered through a New Age sensibility using digital and synthesizer settings to enhance the traditional piano sounds.
The up-tempo jazz quartet pieces all feature acoustic piano solos but also electric guitar sampled solos. These sessions recorded in the period 1997-2001 were done before he was forced to abandon that work due to caring for his elderly parents in 2002-2005. This CD was originally released in a much different form in 2005 on his now abandoned personal website.
Once it is released to his CDbaby pages and put into digital distribution he will hopefully have a new e-commerce website to service his 2 CD recordings of All ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS.
Stay tuned and check back here in December for the exact release date and LINKS to Amazon and his other newest web pages.

Michael Guy is also an AuthorsDen member and writer. He is author of the Amazon historical fiction novel, "The Last Renaissance Man" and the soon to be available song lyric booklet: ACROSS THE SEA OF MADNESS, now found on Lulu.com