SHH.
This album marked a huge turning point for me. After releasing three albums of vocal songs to limited acclaim, I took a huge risk and abandoned lyrics in favour of instrumental music. Who does this? No one. Why did I do this? I’d always loved instrumental music and knew I had the compositional skills to do it and hopefully do it well. Secondly, it afforded more flexibility in that I would no longer have to worry about a singer’s vocal range—something that always annoyed me. Lastly, too many people were singer-songwriters. I wanted to do something different. So, I plunged into it. The result was this album which was heavily influenced by movie and TV scores as well as some of the smooth jazz I enjoyed when I was younger. It was an ambitious project and musically, it certainly had its challenges. When I first brought the music to my engineer and co-producer at the time, Ross Murray, he said, “You know this won’t be a walk in the park to play.” I knew it and was ready for it. The title seemed appropriate—I wanted people to listen. As this early version of the cover art shows, it also connected to what is commonly said before a show or film begins.
1. Welcome
This short introductory piece was actually written as a school song for the last school I taught at. I knew it was risky though. The frequent time changes and leaps in the melody were beyond many children and adults. However, I looked at it as something to aspire to. Not everyone agreed but it was catchy and I knew I would revisit it again. The version I recorded at school was quite straightforward and I also self-recorded a harder rock version. To start this album, I opted for a more subdued jazz version, including a bowed, double bass section.
2. The Bug
On occasion I have been referred to as a bug—somewhat of an irritant, but in a fun way. This piece was the result. Bugs jump, crawl, fly, hover and skitter. They are almost always on the move and can be erratic in their movements. This piece is also all over the place. Written in a Django-esque manner, it goes through many moods and keys. Too many for some.
3. BG Bound
Another busy piece but more Latin in flavour. The BG in the title refers to what used to be British Guiana where my parents were born. The piece was written shortly after their passing and I imagined they were returning back to their homeland.
4. Forever in a Day
One of the more popular smooth jazz tunes on the album, and also one of my few pieces with a guitar solo. Not much to say about it other than I like it.
5. Gone
This is an instrumental version of a song I wrote as a gift to a young person many years ago. I like the melody and its simplicity. I thought the arrangement with electric and acoustic guitars made it even more poignant. The new title again came from the passing of my parents which was very much on my mind at the time.
6. They Went That-a-Way
This more adventurous romp was in part inspired by Frank Zappa, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and visions of the Old West. It has a nice surreal quality which is what I was hoping for. I probably went a bit overboard at times as the coda has 8 different guitar parts! It's okay though as I love that final build and release of energy.
7. Cool Cats
An unpredictable waltz combining some blues, jazz and rock. It was written to express my feelings about the passing of my father-in-law and a friend.
8. If It Walks Like a Duck
Very simple. I heard this phrase used in an old TV show. It stuck with me and soon the music was born. To my ears it was begging for a clarinet and bass clarinet to go with my guitar parts. Quirky, humorous and silly.
9. The Skater
This piece took over 15 years to complete. I kept putting it aside to work on other music. I had this recurring image of a female skater on a lake in the evening working through a series of emotions. It reaches a pinnacle at which time she falls. With swanlike dignity, she gets up and continues to skate—but something in her has changed. A listener once described this as like a watercolour painting. I like that analogy.
10. Velvet Wings
Some of this melody was written many years before when I was in university. I expanded it and added the sax to flesh it out. It originally had lyrics but I scrapped them.
I think of it as a pleasant, smooth jazz tune.
11. Shake Shop Shenanigans
Would you believe this piece was originally a ridiculous song about the Star Trek captain, James T. Kirk? It’s true! It then morphed into a guitar tribute of 50s/60s rock instrumentals and the “malt shop” culture of the time. It’s all a bit over the top but fun. It also brings a nice feeling of closure to the album.