"Blues For Rufus" - Jazz instrumental by Yours Truly [vanity]

Me, via YouTube (as Hopalong Ginsberg) ^ | 8/7/15 | Me, as "Hopalong Ginsberg"

[Slings and Arrows]

This is my first attempt at original jazz. It is not (intentionally) humorous.

I compose and record my music under the pen name Hopalong Ginsberg, because what says Jazz more than Jewish cowboys?

To download a free MP3 copy of "Blues For Rufus," click here or here.

[Slings and Arrows]

Again, no lyrics for this one. The reason is left as an exercise for the student.

[Slings and Arrows]

If you have to ask what jazz is, you've probably been listening to one of my attempts at it.

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[humblegunner]

I’m at a loss for words.

Which is quite common with instrumental pieces.

[Slings and Arrows]

> I’m at a loss for words.

> Which is quite common with instrumental pieces.

So was I, which is why it’s an instrumental.

[Calpublican]

Relaxing...

[expat2]

Quite nice, but it’s not jazz and it’s not blues.

[Tijeras_Slim]

This is almost as good as my acapella version of John Cage’s “4’33’”.

[Slings and Arrows]

Excellent.

[Slings and Arrows]

It is what it is.

[Slings and Arrows]

You need to work on your pitch.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I’m OK with a slider, but a breaking ball is beyond my capabilities.

[Slings and Arrows]

;^)

[virgil283]

Good piece...Thanks, Did you do all the parts or just the Hammond B3

[Tijeras_Slim]

Your stuff was nice.

I was a business partner with this guy in the 80’s. He’s the one playing the tenor sax on the right. He was still in his wild Ornette Coleman phase when I knew him.

He started playing gigs at 16 with a fake ID.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgxXIu5ZR_w

[Gefn]

Very nice.

The cat photos were nice too.

[P-Marlowe]

It really isn’t jazz. I’d classify it as early 20th Century mood music. Jazz requires a lot of riffs and dissonant chording with progressive melodic improvisation.

You have a jazz motif at the beginning, but you need to build on it, then take it outside the box. Start simple, a short motif, then improvise it and then bring it back home.

I have to give you props for publishing it here. Sometimes even constructive criticism can be brutal.

[Slings and Arrows]

That’s a bit complicated. The entire thing was done in GarageBand running on an iPhone 4. The drums were from the drum machine, the bass part I wrote and programmed myself, and the piano part I generated with SmartKeys using the chords of my song, and then heavily edited.

[Slings and Arrows]

Thank you both for your comments, and I mean that sincerely.

If you don’t mind indulging me, do you consider this earlier effort of mine to be jazz?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POGQ2a_jquw

[Slings and Arrows]

Thank you for your kind words.

I’m listening to Mr Conticchio right now. He certainly knows how to blow that sax.

[P-Marlowe]

If you don’t mind indulging me, do you consider this earlier effort of mine to be jazz?

I would classify it in the New Age Jazz realm. But most Jazz musicians would probably classify New Age Jazz in the pop category.