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Way Overdue Productions and Publishing

 
Text Box: This CD is dedicated to those of us who never made it far enough to become has-beens; what did Dionne sing about the stars that never were? (She didn’t mention the great opportunities in municipal employment). A special dedication is for those who struggle with the pitfalls of despair… Allow me to acknowledge, all at once, my musical influences, (which are too many to list), with apologies to any whose toes I may have inadvertently danced on. I am aware of no direct “stealing” of your stuff; it is inevitable that some resemblances may occur. So much great music is out there; some may say it’s all been done before. If so, consider this my salute to you all. As an accompanist to certain artists and vocalists, and as a rhythm section member since 1967, I have enjoyed my time working in the group settings. This effort, however, was the result of my desire to leave a small piece of my “musical self” with the world with no restrictions of time or oversight to influence the direction of the sound. It may well be the only such project I ever do. I don’t expect everyone will like all the offerings, but it’s a smorgasbord of sorts. Hate cabbage? Try the meatballs… I thought to involve some long experienced friends in the production end, but I chose not to take the tracks to a mastering producer; I want the full blame for this work.. For those of you in the evaluating biz, I get to beat you to the punch. I am my own worst critic; I’ve already heard everything from “I like!” to “it’s bilge ”. What is a Tone Painting? Videoless video, if you will, which makes it legal to look at while you drive. A painter might call these “representational” works, that is, somewhat literal audio representations of events, ideas or objects. Debussy was the master of this genre in the classical music world; an example would be “Claire de Lune”…(when played improperly, “Clear de Room”.) The foundation tracks were done with a program called “Reason”, from a firm calling themselves Propellerhead Software…great program, guys. I used guitars and a Roland GR 33 to add most of the rest of the clips, with a Lexicon interface. I also had several visits from various friends and musical associates to add the rest. So is stacking and sampling sounds a valid music form? As a “jazz” man of sorts, I may have thought not, and some critics will certainly agree. But as a “tone painter”, each stroke changed or redefined the identity of the work, until, in some cases, the finished product bore no resemblance whatsoever to the first idea. I enjoyed the unpredictability. Like raising kids, I guess. THE WORKS! Cruisin’ Attitude: picture a window seat on a good flight: a few clouds, but otherwise, daiquiri mellow… Breaking and Entering: A little muted and sly. The chase part ends with the expected 12 gauge “rack”… I guess the perpetrators got away this time. David Garvin seasoned the track with hand percussion. Half of the Whitt Brothers (though not a half wit), Montellis, lent his Oscar level thespian skills to the opening drama. Lofty Spirit: My first actual production, I left in a few uncorrected sounds in (if you can catch them) to preserve the feel. A little Latin, light as a feather. Better flawed than cut, said the jeweler. Bell Street Bridge: A nice spot for fishing smallmouth in Southeast Michigan state land, the little valley the river runs through resonates beautifully. The catbirds and kingfishers rule. This was originally a test track but I decided to finish it. Last Flight of the Wildebeest: An early project, I tried to envision the Serengeti and a drama with predator and prey. If you bet on the prey, pay up; you lose. William Wooten provided foundation keyboard and Trenita Womack, the One-Take wonder of the world, laid down a memorable conga track.. Uncommon Kindness: And getting less common by the day. The gentle and persuasive counsel of a friend in guitar form…the closest thing to “jazz” in this collection… Ah Dims Phem Lee: If it amuses you, just lurch forward to 2006. Not on Wednesday, though. If you intend to go mez, you should let it fester, uncle. No seven foot mad harpsichordists were used in the making of this track.. You will love this sampler, hate it, or be completely indifferent to it. This I guarantee. Anyhow, I managed to work in John Domutz on rhythm blues harp, Arden Bolden on trumpet, Deblon Jackson on flute, Chuck Overton on Alto sax and Greg Boyce on Gibson ES-335 guitar. Ah, a Phem Lee project! Truly the silliest of the works but it was fun. Thanks to all. Situation Unresolved: I started with a drum track that made not much sense, and it went from there. Bill Kent Sr. used to complain when I ended a phrase on the guitar with a 7th chord while I practiced a bad rock tune (at age 16) “#%@*$, would you please resolve that?” A little retro Rhodes piano on this one recalls a bit of somebody from the 70’s but I don’t know who was quite as off the wall as this…Certainly the most abstract and unpredictable piece of the collection. Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow fans, this one’s not for you. (Hey, even I liked “Cherry Cherry” and “I Write the Songs”) So is there a special message here? Some deep hidden political or spiritual metaphor? Play it backwards and it identifies the CIA operatives in Europe? No, just a curious diversion from the ordinary, which is important, sometimes. I welcome you to take a tour of my little gallery. Gerald used a 2005 Taylor T-5; 2000 Ibanez AF120 Artstar hollow body; 1983 G&L Nighthawk with Roland transducer; 1986 “Valencia y hijo David” classical guitar, made in Paracho, Michouacan, Mexico. He likes his Kendrick 2-12 Amp. He also used a Hazelnut grind of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee by the pound bag… Reproduction and graphics services were provided by “In The Mix Productions”, Warren MI. Copyright 2003-2006, Gerald Kent; All Rights Reserved. “Piracy is a crime”.

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