Lillian! I keep seeing "Seek out spirtuality, promote a better", as I look at all the forums,
and even though I have looked and read your postings already, I finally am moved to comment.
What's sparking these comments is saying "the first to feature his singing".
I grew up singing in the choir of a church my parents were founding and charter members of.
That was always a good time.
They hired an organist who was a choir leader, buying a Hammond organ for the church.
Now, before you think church and get religion on me, let me explain.
A Presbyterian Church is named after the Gaelic word "presbyr".
A presbyr describes an area of land, and those in the spirit in that area of land,
would gather in the church for services, usually for The Church of Scotland.
It was part of my mothers' clan system that brought you the Holy Bible in English,
and as I like to stress, we're not responsible for the content.
Having my choir boy voice as my first onstage singing voice, is still there.
As a life-long non-smoker, non-drinker, I can still sound that way.
I'm thinking of some songs we used to sing right now.
When I became a professional lead guitarist-vocalist, a card carrying union member,
I was singing rock and country, and singing along to everything else everywhere I went.
Last summer, out of the blue, and that is the blue skies, being outside a lot, where I like to sing by myself,
I found my jazz voice. It's not the best, not singing out with all my heart, using the most volume with control,
but being more intellectual, like my guitar solos, taking off and settling back down.
People would tell me that they could tell how my mind was working, listening along,
and I know singing has always been a thermometer for how I was feeling at the time.
My jazz voice isn't working like that, being calm, not meditative, but listening more.
What is a little frustrating is needing other players to really get into it.
It's not like learning songs and singing along to recordings or other singers in the band.
Don't get me wrong, it's very interesting, and it's a voice that isn't going to wear out as fast as rock.
I could always sing along with my guitar playing.
I'm one of those musicians who says if you can't sing it you can't play it,
but now I'm harmonizing with my playing, or using my voice as an extra guitar track,
trailing and echoing my leads like an extra track that no-one else is playing.
That's nice, something I can do as a back-up guitarist that doesn't interfere with others.
I wish there was a better world to promote.
I see us as living in a worst of times.
When you came through the front door of my parents' house,
the first thing you saw on the wall was a plaque that said,
"No church of stone and wood ever fell from heaven to earth",
and right beside that was a beautiful, Scottish ceramic of a North American native.
That was to remind us that this is their native land.
Having a jazz voice is also better for getting up and singing with a band.
Before, it was about knowing the song and hoping no-one messes it up,
but now it's about interaction, holding back until I get a feel for what's happening.
Despite seeing Jimi Hendrix and becoming a musician trying to sound like him,
playing music was never about recording for me, turning down free devices and studio time.
It was about being a dance band player, what music is really for, for me.
My jazz voice validates all my singing along to jazz and classical music,
now singing to any music, not just what my voice sounds like in terms of pop rock.
I've even got some words, singing along to "Sonata in C#minor", by Beethoven,
and it's not about some high tech orbiting the moon.
"vague lyrics, singing is quiet and the vocals are just part of a thick mix"?
That's how Jimis' recordings went, suggestive lyrics with his voice as part of the mix.
You don't hear that now, being remastered and remixed by profiteers, now that he's gone.
So that's a good thing.
And while there isn't enough pretty music, with no heaviness in sound or preaching,
it's nice when the beauty and tranquility comes through...
as I still wonder where all those notes, all that musical sound, goes, after its release.
It won't be too long before I'm following that, and finding out.
