Saturday 7th November 2009, 6:29 pm
“the muse” on iTunes and amazon
“The Muse” is now available as a digital download from the iTunes store and the Amazon mp3 downloads store.
“The Muse” is now available as a digital download from the iTunes store and the Amazon mp3 downloads store.
After the relatively frivolous start from Thalia, Clio sets a much more stately tone with the opening solo guitar. Using a light 3/4 time, the Muse of history presents herself as far more majestic and dignified.
The piece then shifts from a processional entry accompanied by piano and trumpet, to a lament, of all the “evil that men do” and the inevitable repitition of mistakes throughout history.
Clio then takes on her role as story teller, with the guitar solo as narrator and a trumpet/horn duet giving their version of events too. The story unravels into one of conflict, through which Clio barely conceals her sadness, as the time of 5/8 is held in a fragile balance against the tempest of the drum solo. Clio ends as she began, with the solo voice of the guitar, but this time her veneer has all but gone and instead of seeing the noble chronicler, we see a woman of great sorrow.
Thalia is a playful, impish Muse who has never quite grown up! She’s a bit of a trickster, but without any malice; it’s all just for fun!
She starts with an upbeat frolic in 5/4, just to be unconventional. The bass and guitar join in with the game and set things up for the alto saxophone, the main voice of the muse in this piece. After the jaunty melody has been played out once, it is repeated and joined by a flute, first in unison but then deciding on different directions and playing in harmony with one another.
The guitar pokes it’s head out for a brief moment, playing a harmonic dance over the fretboard before a new company of instruments is introduced, led by the trombone. Their melody seems sweet and innocent but Thalia plays havoc with the timing, using an occasional bar of 6/4, just to throw everyone off!
Once things settle back down into a regular 5 pattern, the drums have the confidence to kick in and drive things along a bit, while the piano partners itself with the bass in perfect unison. The sax breaks out into a solo, full of vim and vigour, weaving confidently around the rhythm of 5 and echoing the themes from earlier in the piece. The alto sax explores the extent of it’s range from top to bottom before being taken over by the trumpet, a new character in this piece, and just as cheeky, as it bends through notes and quotes another well known tune played over 5.
After another harmonic dance by the guitar, the trombone and flutes pick up their tune from earlier. This time things are different though… everyone has figured out how this game is played, so one by one, encouraged by the solid foundation provided by the drums, percussion, bass, guitar and piano, melody is laid upon melody in a playful, cooperative way. The sax with yet another new melody plays out the company before handing the baton to her sister Clio, the Muse of History.
My plans for “The Muse” have always been two-fold: a recording, and a live performance. It was very important to me to strictly limit the instrumentation of the recording to the number and type of instruments that I planned to use at the live event, so what you hear on the album is literally what you will get in live performance.
So without further ado, allow me to announce The Muse – Live! Tickets available right here on the shop page.
7:30pm, Saturday 24th October, All Saints Church Hall, North Castle Street, St Andrews.
Supported by previous recording artists at Jester Studio: Hector & Above the Waterline
This is the finished album cover, drawn by Emily Foster.
It depicts the 9 muses (from left to right, top to bottom):
Clio, the Muse of History; Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy; Euterpe, the Muse of Music; Urania, the Muse of Astronomy; Erato, the Muse of Love; Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance; Polyhymnia, the Muse of Sacred Song; Thalia, the Muse of Comedy; and Calliope, the Muse of Heroic Poetry.
Hi folks
The new album is very nearly finished and is sounding great! I’m estimating that the release date will be 21st September, but you can pre-order a copy right now from the shop page.
The Muse: 9 instrumental compositions featuring acoustic guitar accompanied by an ensemble of drums, percussion, bass, piano, 2 flutes, trombone, french horn, trumpet and saxophone.
Things are pretty quiet here at Jester Studio. Just had a couple of weeks off, and over the next couple of weeks will be recording the last bits for my album, as well as a day or two with a local singer songwriter coming in to record some stuff…. but have plenty of space for new projects 
Here is a very, very quick recording I made to check out the brand new pickup I’ve installed in my Larrivee acoustic guitar. It’s an undersaddle pickup blended with an internal microphone, all hidden discretely inside the guitar. I’ve added some reverb and a touch of compression, but no EQ. Sounds great, eh?