Autumn Leaves

“Autumn Leaves” was originally a 1945 French song, “Les Feuilles mortes” (literally “The Dead Leaves”), with music by Hungarian-French composer Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert.  With English lyrics by Johnny Mercer, it was recorded by artists such as Nat Cole and Frank Sinatra. As an instrumental, it became a jazz standard.

My instrumental arrangement is intended to sound as it might have if done by the Shadows.

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The Shadow of Your Smile

“The Shadow of Your Smile“, also known as “Love Theme from The Sandpiper“, was written by Johnny Mandel with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was introduced in the 1965 film The Sandpiper, which was directed by Vincente Minnelli and starred Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

This lovely tune is now considered a standard, and has been recorded by countless artists, both vocal and instrumental. My instrumental version is done as the Shadows might have performed it in the mid-sixties.

Alentejo

“Alentejo” was released by the Shadows on their 1967 album “From Hank, Bruce, Brian and John”.

My version is a pretty straight cover although I allow myself one verse for some improvisation.

Alentejo is a geographical, historical and cultural region of southern Portugal, noted for it’s mild weather, wine, beaches, and locally grown food.

Oh Pair!

“Oh Pair!” 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.

Fly Me to the Moon

“Fly Me to the Moon“, originally titled “In Other Words“, was written in 1954 by Bart Howard. It is a frequently recorded jazz standard often featured in popular culture.

The Shadows recorded a version on their 1966 album “Shadow Music”. While my arrangement is not a literal cover, it is based on the Shadows version.

Naima

“Naima” is a jazz ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 and named after his wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. It first appeared on the landmark album Giant Steps and is notable for its use of a variety of rich chords over a bass pedal.

My  version uses classic rock instrumentation and has a rock feel.

One World One Word

“One World One Word” is an original, instrumental smooth-jazz ballad. For many years, smooth jazz and fusion were the main styles in which I worked.  If you visit my artist page at CD Baby, you can see some of the albums I released over the years. You might also try my artist page on Spotify.