Gateway (organic version) If you would be so kind...

[howlindog]

Hi everybody,

I put a version of this tune http://www.taxi.com/projectoneup earlier, and it just didn't quite work - too synthesizey. So I went back to the drawing board and back to the basics - write a decent melody; put it in front of good players; get out of the way and let the players play. Please let me know what you think of "Gateway (organic version)" - the tune, the mix, the performance - if you have the time.

Thanks,
Don

[thokus]

Don . Loved this .. Great playing on all parts .. really loved the guitar solo in the middle. Love Jazz guitar . Is that you playing ??.. Sounds reall nice as far as mix to me .. The last thing I thought was midi, Couldnt hear a trace of that .. .. Great job .
Tom

[ernstinen]

DON! Very, very nice track. Is that you on the alto sax? I used to play oboe and sax myself, and am thinking about getting either an alto or soprano as another "real" instrument to compliment guitar and piano.

Smart to "let the guys play." I used to be a dictator in my band, and things really didn't open up until I loosened the reins alot! --- I maybe went too far that way as a producer sometimes, but I think it's a wise decision if you have access to really good players, as shown on your recording.

Great drumming, bass, and guitar work too on this one!

Fine stuff!

Ern

[nick.moxsom]

Great track, Don.

Nice melody, nice everything. What's not to like? (as usual with your stuff)

It may only be me, but I wanted to hear a little more trail on the drums in general, and the snare in particluar. Would that be reverb? I'm guessing it would. Just to make it feel a little more fluid. Apart from that, lovely all round.

Nick

[eeoo]

Wow, really nice Don! Chops all around! My personal preference would be to pan things a bit wider, especially the alto and guitar solo stuff, otherwise tight ass tune man!

eo

[howlindog]

Hey guys,

Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment. It really helps to get some feedback from folks who know what they are talking about.

Tom - Dean Inboden is the guitarist - that's one instrument I never could play very well. The only thing midi on this is the drums (Ocean Way Drums) and the strings (East West Hollywood Strings). The rest is "from the heart to the horn".

Ern - I used to play a little alto sax; even got paid for it upon occassion. And I still play a little flute (mostly when writing woodwind parts), but I never had the chops that Michael Cox does on sax and woodwinds. As you said, if one is lucky enough to work with players like that, one should let them play. Andy Woodson is the bassist and is another great player. He played a house band gig with me in a jazz band I had a couple of decades ago when he was just a freshman music major at Ohio State. I think it was one of his first professional jazz gigs. He teaches there now. Me, I just try to keep up with these guys on vibes.

Nick - We'll try a little 'verb on the drums (back in the studio tomorrow) and see what it sounds like.

Ethan - We'll try spreading the pan out a little on the lead instruments, too.

Thanks again guys; I really do appreciate it.

Don

[Kolstad]

Really nice players song, Don! Sounds really good to me. The bass is killer! I agree with nick the drums could use a tad of tail , mostly where the arrangement is thin otherwise, where the drums is really forward in the mix. In the busier parts, the drums blend in really well, to my ears, so probably pull the reverb down there. Overall the mix has that dry studio sound, where everything sounds nice and clear, but also a bit one dimensional, so I'm with Ethan on spreading things out a little. Great work, though.

[sedge]

Hey Don, it is cool getting to know everybody here and the different styles!

I am getting to listen to music I wouldn't normally and also learning about soundscaping in film and TV.
With this I hear all the space I would imagine needed for film and TV yet it has allot going on. That must be an art in itself.

Sorry I can't add any points, never tried to write anything like this.
The production all sounds very very well mixed and balanced to me
Good stuff!

Sedge

[howlindog]

Magne, Sedge,

Thanks for listening and taking the time to comment.

Magne - we did add a tail to the drums. We'll look at spreading things out in the mix during the next mixing session on Friday.

Sedge - I think you'll find like I have that there is all kinds of great music here in the forum, across all genres, and wonderful, generous people creating it.

Thanks again guys,
Don

[orest]

I love it! Very groovy, well mixed and well played!

This is just my thoughts though. There are a lot of solo parts in this song, I think there are more solos than melody themes?
If you're aiming for movie/TV-shows this could be a problem. But I think it could work for a Muzak kind of thing (even if the piece is way better than that in my opinion).

I think you could add some more reverb to the strings as well, maybe use more of that great built in reverb.

Best regards and thanks for the listen! A track like this should be on an album!