Silent Night

This is my first new arrangement of the 2017 holiday season. The Allman Brothers Band never made a Christmas album. Here is an arrangement of “Silent Night” in Southern Rock style.

All You Need Is Love

“All You Need Is Love” was released as a non-album single in July 1967. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney.

The song captured the utopian sentiments of the Summer of Love era and topped singles charts in Britain, the United States and many other countries.

“All You Need Is Love” was later included on the US Magical Mystery Tour album. It also appears in a sequence in the Beatles’ 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine and on the accompanying soundtrack album.

My instrumental arrangement is in a classic rock style, which seems to get along well with much of the Beatles later material.

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Fleeting Feather

“Fleeting Feather” is an original, instrumental composition which blends several of the styles that have influenced my work — a Hendrix-inspired rhythm guitar part, keyboard parts reminiscent of the Allman brothers, and a cleanish lead part with Hank Marvin touches (and some Allman brothers style dual leads).

The resulting final product has quite a country feel.

 

Hey Joe

“Hey Joe” is one of a handful of garage band standards that virtually every guitarist in the world learns at some point. It was first commercially recorded by The Leaves, who had a hit with it in 1966. The best known version is probably the one I am honoring here, by Jimi Hendrix.

Authorship of the song is somewhat in dispute. The record label for Hendrix’ version credits Dino Valenti (whose real name was Chet Powers, composer of “Let’s Get Together” and founder of Quicksilver Messenger Service). However, “Hey Joe” was registered for copyright in the U.S. in 1962 by Billy Roberts — an American songwriter and musician, born August 16, 1936 in Greenville, South Carolina.

 

PT Blues Part 4

“PT Blues Part 4” is an “original” instrumental 12-bar blues.

Hello Goodbye

“Hello, Goodbye” was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. With John Lennon’s “I Am the Walrus” as the “B” side, it was issued as a non-album single in November 1967. It was commercially successful around the world, topping charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and several other countries.

My instrumental arrangement builds on the rock roots of the original, and pushes the tune into “classic rock” territory.

Penny Lane

“Penny Lane” was written primarily by Paul McCartney but credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. The lyrics refer to a real street in Liverpool, England.

Recorded during the Sgt. Pepper album sessions, and intended for inclusion, “Penny Lane” was released in February 1967 as one side of a double A-sided single, along with “Strawberry Fields Forever”, following pressure from EMI, the Beatles record company, after several months absence of new material. The song made its LP debut on the US version of the band’s album, Magical Mystery Tour.

In my opinion, this is one of the Beatles’ best songs from a music perspective. It has some very interesting chord changes as well as changes of key. This makes it very suitable for an instrumental rendering.

The Guardian

“The Guardian” is an original composition in which I try to combine the feel of 60’s instrumental guitar rock with a somewhat more sophisticated musical and harmonic language than was typical for that genre. This one is similar to the style of the Shadows.

My Tribute

“My Tribute” is my instrumental homage to all the great musicians — many of whom were big influences on me and my work — whom we have lost in 2017.

Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, Walter Becker, Glen Campbell, Al Jarreau, J. Geils, Allan Holdsworth, John Abercrombie, James Cotton, Tom Petty, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Col. Bruce Hampton, Larry Coryell, and Clyde Stubblefield.

It’s just a partial list.

Manic Depression

“Manic Depression” was composed by Jimi Hendrix and released on his first album, Are You Experienced. My version is instrumental but otherwise follows the original.

 

Little Wing

“Little Wing” was composed by Jimi Hendrix and released on his 1968 second album, Axis: Bold as Love. It has been covered by artists such as Sting and Eric Clapton. Stevie Ray Vaughn has a notable instrumental version. My version is also instrumental, but is a quite a bit more subdued.

 

The Wind Cries Mary

“The Wind Cries Mary” was written by Jimi Hendrix and appeared in the USA on his debut album “Are You Experienced”. According to Chas Chandler, it was recorded in about 20 minutes.

There are a number of various Hendrix performances on Youtube, including some without vocals.

My version is instrumental.

Normal Form

“Normal Form” is an easy-going rock instrumental with some jazz touches. I began it thinking it would be more in a classic-rock vein, but I think that — other than the B-3 — it turned out a bit more seventies/Steely Dan-ish.