Recordings!

I have two recordings coming up and/or out. I just did a session for a solo album by Dana Gross, just really great songwriting, which will probably finish up by this month. And next month I'm doing a jazz disc with Mike Stockbridge. It reminds me alot of the second great Miles Davis quintet. The songs build and build as a unit, very organic I 'spose. And the drummer, Shawn Boissonneault, gets to freak out. I get to be the Ron Carter to his Tony Williams. Oh joy!

I don't update this thing often enough. I'm still on the fence about blogging. I need a website that features javascript games, "The Duane Experience."

Facebook may become a reality soon (again).

Sanford School

I've been teaching two classes through the River Tree at the Sanford school system. One was a middle school class on guitar and songwriting, the other being an elementary age group. This is what I learned about composers from my younger class:

-All composers are great singers. A popular example of this would be Beethoven.

-A list of great contemporary composers:
Jonas Brothers
Taylor Swift
Miley Cyrus
Avril Lavigne

Another student raised a question about other people composing for the composers....

Duane In Action, Part Deux

Here are some pictures from another Liberal Cup gig, this time with Johnny No Shoes.  I have another Ray Brown transcription coming, but my scanner is busted.  Oh well.  Clicky the pictures and they get big.

 

Duane in Action

This is from the Evan King Group gig at the Liberal Cup on April 26th. A couple months in the making from Christina's brother's camera, but better late than never.

Stuff in May

I've put up a new song, "Chowdah a la Mode," from the album. This is the first tune we recorded, I liked the way it came out. It shall humbly live on my blog until we find a better avenue for said recording.

Here is the poster for our next big gig at Blue in Portland on Saturday. Clicking on the image gets you a bigger and higher fidelity picture, which I recommend.

Oh boy!

I have had a great week. I know the greatness of the week officially ended Friday night once I started my taxes. And today it definitively hit a brick wall with my Self-Employment payout to the government. I can see why some get up in arms about where the money goes and what our legislation funds. Still I diligently wait for my bailout check....

The week was so great because I attended a concert with Man Size Safe, the current ensemble of the bassist Ben Allison. The following morning I took a private lesson with him and captured it on my girlfriend's digital recorder. Parts of that lesson may be posted on this here blog down the road as a resource. Now considering all of this I must update my resume. For not only am I "internationally performing bassist" Duane Edwards (one festival in Canada), but I have also studied with Ben Allison.

Its those little things in life that really add up (like my write-offs).

New Music!

Today I am posting the title track from a new album with a new trio. According to the sleeve it is recording "AC-014" put out by the Avant Coast. As impressive as that sounds it is quite grassroots. This was originally conceived by Thom Keith for entry in the RPM challenge. And now we have another gem/diamond-in-the-rough for the greater independent music scene in the tri-state area. Oh boy. Follow down the blog to my music box courtesy of Box.net and click on "Under the Moose" by Keith, Edwards, Barnette.

New Recording

A couple weeks back I got together with two gentlemen; Thom Keith on saxophone and Mark Barnette on drums. We recorded an album for the RPM Challenge within one evening. I don't know if it will be slated as an official release or become one. The energy got better and better as the session went on (particularly for me and stepping away from that darn G harmonic). I may end up hosting it upon my website, which means its a free album for you. Granted it was pumped out in one night, so it may not be up to all of our personal standards. Come to think of it that's why it may not be an official release. But my hunger for an impressive discography will be satiated! Speaking of which I should list what I have done before. Its a little cumbersome with this blog format. We'll see how that turns out.

Ray Brown Bass Line; "In a Mellow Tone"

The first chorus of his bass line from Ben Webster and Associates.

Ray Brown - In a Mellow Tone

Keith, Edwards, and Barnette

Under the Moose

1. Under the Moose
2. The Torpid Titmouse
3. Essence and Form
4. Reina
5. Black Sea Floor
6. Chowdah a lah Mode
7. What You Mean to Me
8. Inamorata
9. Manet and Munch
10. Bossa Nebuloso
11. Weekend at Gritty McDuff's



All original material. Thom Keith (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone), Duane Edwards (bass), and Mark Barnette (drums). Recorded February 18, 2009.

Workin' It

My guerrilla style marketing campaign is under way. Posters, business cards, craigslist, street corners, markets, outskirts of town, the badlands, sewers, government offices....the march goes on. Short of most of that my lesson posters are done with business cards attached to them. Here is a jpeg proof of what it looks like:



The background of the flyer and the business card are colored and not colored, respectively. In reality its transparent in photoshop to print on Astroparch card stock for that refined look.

Took out a few cds from the library: John Coltrane's Ballads, Joe Williams Nothin' But the Blues, a disc of traditional Jewish songs, and the newish collection of Sonny Rollins live stuff called Road Shows Volume 1. I have listened to and enjoyed the first two, I will check out the other two later this week. I also signed out a book entitled Creative Jazz Improvisation by Scott Reeves. It looked interesting as supplemental material to my other tomes of knowledge, and if its a good method I might use it for teaching.

Soon I'm going to post my gigging schedule and try to keep that going.

I Don't Do This Enough...

...blogging is not high on my priority list. Some day I'll get this straight. Working on some original material for a project down the road. I already have one project planned for a series of Christmas concerts with Catholic hymns in a modern jazz setting. I may have my hands on another project. This one I have given a pet name recently of "Paul and the False Apostles." More than likely this is the project name and not that of a tune; I'm also partial to "Super-Apostles." Finding these references by Paul of Tarsus brings to mind a comic book style adventure. Whenever I now think of "Paul and the False Apostles" I picture Paul as Christopher Reeves wrestling Zod and the other Kryptonians all over Mesopotamia.

Monday; the Aftermath

Powered through another weekend of gigs. Whatever is left of me is now putting on the booking agent hat. I now have booking responsibilities of Jazzy Chaz and the DelRossi Posse. If you need some soul music for your event or special day, contact me. I have the R+B you need.

New Year....

I'm recovering from a nasty stomach flu. It kicked in about 20 minutes before my New Year's gig. Thankfully the three guys left were pros, took over, and made up for my lack of performance. I learned a couple of things from this gig:

1) Book gigs at hotels: My theory about hotels was proven true. As they are in the lodging business, it might be actually easy for them to comp a room now and again. Like with some of the bars I play; I could get paid $80, or in reality get paid $50 and free beer. The Eastland hotel was kind enough to put me in a room as I was unable to move after my go in the restroom.

2) The following musicians deserve high praise for their work: Tom DelRossi, my frequent drummer and up and comming bassist, Seth Pillsbury, an incredible guitarist and absurdity enthusiast, and Tyler Card, a great saxophonist. If you need any of their respective instrumental talents, I more than recommend them.

3) Shatner happens: The timing was so bad for all of this, but in other nifty ways I was taken care of. I thank the Lord. You can probably interpret this a number of ways; a larger existential being, various higher powers (denomination, non-denominatinoal, or otherwise), or lucky stars from the cradle of a big bang. But I think it worked out too well to be anything less than JC. Rumor has it I might still be getting paid.

I'm going to somehow get my less than functioning body downstairs to pay my rent.

On a brighter note Christmas went well, I think I saw most peoples and family units. As much as I can squeeze in with about 500 miles of collective driving. I recently gave Bitches Brew by Miles Davis another spin and had musical epiphany. Previously I was turned off by electric Miles or the big label of "Fusion." Listening to it now, I get it. Great stuff.