Dance Dance Dance

Beats by Brice Albert.  Voice and Sax by me.

Gotta dance
move your feet
take a chance
feel the beat

we're going to the club
to get bottle service
dressing nice to meet lotsa ladies
been working hard all week
and now we're just gonna
dance dance dance

Sweet Dreams

I wrote this song for piano and voice

fill this drink
until I get dizzy again
another night alone

waiting for you
said you'd be coming back soon
oh what an awful lie

sweet dreams
to you

walk down the hall
remembering how you felt small
wearing my arms round you

I loved you and still
I will love you until
your spirit fades away

sweet dreams
to you

Slip and Fall Again

Here's a new song I wrote

slip and fall again

just can't see the end

reaching out to grab your hand

thought you were there

but where are you

I saw you in the crowd

I see you everywhere

your a face that never leaves my memory 

but where are you

the mirror in your head 

reflecting what she said 

sweet reverie of how it is 

not how it was 

or could have been

you never said a word 

I told you everything 

wish I could take it back and throw it all away 

it wasn't true

cause I never knew you at all 

your bitter words are all I recall

cause I never knew you at all

but where are you
still where are you

Review

Here's a review of a recent gig I did at Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood CA.  The writer said I was "playing tastefully throughout on alto and tenor saxophones and flute"  :)

Here is the link to the review

CARBONELL - Lost Balloon

I wrote this song using a lot of metaphors and imagery.



The song started like this

Kafka

I composed an atonal duet for two flutes to accompany some words by Kafka. Here I am playing flute and speaking lines from Kafka's short story titled "Conversation With The Drunk"

Penny Sparkle

Hi. I transcribed the song Penny Sparkle by an awesome band called Blonde Redhead and made a unique arrangement. In this recording I am playing alto sax, flute, clarinet, jew's harp, and singing. This was kind of an experimental project for me and is an accumulation of a couple different ideas put into one piece of music. Firstly, I play the Jew's Harp and always wanted to see if I could make a hip groove by looping the sound of this cool little instrument. Secondly, I wanted to use a larger array of instruments and since I play many woodwinds, I figured that I could apply a classical trio atmosphere to this song. Lastly, I wanted to make a video that portrays a little snapshot into my recording process. Here you will see me singing and playing all the various instruments I used to record this arrangement. Please go listen to the original and try to go see Blonde Redhead live in concert. They are very very amazing!

Playing with Jon

Hi. I sat in with my buddy Jon Maclennan at the Tribal Cafe gig and found this video he posted. This song is in the key of F# for me. Super fun key...NOT! Hahah that's the fun thing about pop music, weird keys. Anyway.. it is always a pleasure to play with Jon. I recorded on his CD "Suspicious Love" way back in 2005. Also, he is one of the best longboarders I know! Seriously.

The Get Up Kids

One of my favorite bands growing up was The Get Up Kids. I love their song "Hannah Hold On" so I learned it on guitar and made this little video. I don't think I deeply understood the meaning of the song until I spent some time really learning it and thinking about the words. I find that this song fit exactly with what I was feeling at the time. Music is an amazing thing isn't it? On a more musically theoretical note.. this song has a great moving bass line! I also switched out a lot of the normal chords for suspensions, inversions, or chords with a lot of common tones so that the harmony would be more stable throughout the song. Dynamically, I really dug into the crescendo leading out of the bridge for dramatic effect. I also used a lighter pick on this one. Lastly, the seasons are changing here in California. The breeze is offshore, the water is cold, and animals are migrating. Don't ever let someone convince you that Southern California doesn't have seasons... you just have to know where to look.

Sweet Baby James

Hi. I bought a James Taylor record the other day from a thrift store for $1 and quickly fell in love with the song "Sweet Baby James". I learned how to play it on guitar and made this little slideshow which features my sister Vanesa's cool photography. That's her horse Dillon too!

Gold Mine Gutted

Hello. One of my favorite bands ever is Bright Eyes! I transcribed one of their songs called "Gold Mine Gutted" off of the CD "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn". Here is my arrangement written for Jazz Quartet. This is a live recording from a fantastic jazz club in Los Angeles called Charlie O's that has recently closed down. It was definitely one of my favorite places to play... Here's the band: Cameron Hicks on the Drums, Ben Shepherd on the Bass, Brice Albert on the Guitar, and myself on the Alto Saxophone. Please check out the original if you get a chance!

Jeux Sans Frontieres

Hello there! I transcribed one of my favorite Peter Gabriel tunes called "Games Without Frontiers". I did this project using my ears, a notation program called Sibelius, and GarageBand for minor effects. If you like this version, you should really check out the original. The image you see below is from a demonic and sensual sculpture found in Ballaja Square in Old San Juan Puerto Rico.