New Recordings posted

[joel kelsey]

Hi,

I posted some new recordings on the myspace. The top 3 tunes on my player. Paper mullet (original) and Softly as in a Morning Sunrise. I am curious to hear what you guys think. This was also the first time I attempted a rubato solo. My intonation is worse than usual at this session. Much to my dismay, when I arrived at the studio I was informed that the piano had not been tuned in some time. It's a little honkey-tonk.... Other than that I am reasonably happy with the outcome, aside from my comping, solos, note choices, ect. Keep in mind these are VERY ROUGH mixes. Any feedback would be great! Thanks in advance!

www.myspace.com/joelwkelsey


Joel

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'm listening to "Paper Mullet2" now, and it sounds really good in spite of the Guaraldi intonition on the piano. The guitar player sounds really tasty... who is it? I like the tune and didn't hear any real intonation groaners (the tubbiness of my wife's stereo makes the bass sound too thick to hear much intonation in the lower registers anyway). I think the intro sounded good. If I were to nitpick, I would like to have heard more of an arc on the shape of it, some sort of "mini peak" before it wound down, but that could be just personal preference.

As far as the bass lines, what you're doing sound and feels good, and the hookup with the drummer is solid. At some point, once the groove is established, I'd like to hear the groove break out of the box a bit - it stays pretty much in the Q.-Q.-H 5/4 pattern (3+2) throughout, with the half note turning into two quarters once the melody starts. As it is, it reminds me a bit of playing "Maiden Voyage" in groups where the initial figure is kept throughout. I always find I enjoy taking figures like that and deconstructing them as solos progress as long as everybody trusts everybody; that way, when the next solo comes in, the figure can come back and seem fresh, only to get deconstructed in a different direction.

The tone of the bass was great - fat and warm, but still defined enough on the G and above to sing. Nice stuff!

[Mark Perna]

+1 on Paper Mullet 2. Nice feel. Guitar guy is great. Bass and drums are tight in a loose, relaxed sort of way. Nice use of dynamics. I didn't hear any bass intonation clams on first listen. If they're there they don't stand out to the casual listener. Piano needed tuning which is a drag because the track is great otherwise.

Nice stuff, man!

mark

[fingers]

Sounds great Joel. Your tone and intonation is great. The band is jammin. All three of you sound great.

I really have nothing as far as the performance. You are all killin'

Conceptually I'd like to hear you guys take some more risks. I'll echo what Chris said on the feel thing. Also Softly is one of those tunes that is so modal in nature that it begs to be messed with. I think of it that way when I play it. My favorite recording of that tune is Jean Michel Pilc's recording on Live at the Sweet Basil volume 2. Talk about taking it on a trip!

[joel kelsey]

Thanks for listening guys! The guitar player is Shawn Purcell, originally from Pittsburgh (he is at the University of Illinois, where I will be attending in the fall). Mark, do you know him? I like my tone as well. The mic is a noyman (sp?) close to the end of the fingerboard with no pickup. I agree with you guys about taking more risks. Unfortunately, I was playing it safe for the sake of us not running out of time and my nerves. I had originally wanted to do Softly with more of a broken feel, but I chickened out..... Every time I go into the studio, I become a little bit less of a nervous wreck than the time before, but I still have a long way to go in that regard. Works in progress, right? I will repost the tunes when they are mixed. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to listen.
Thanks

[Mark Perna]

Originally Posted by joel kelsey

Thanks for listening guys! The guitar player is Shawn Purcell, originally from Pittsburgh (he is at the University of Illinois, where I will be attending in the fall). Mark, do you know him? I like my tone as well. The mic is a noyman (sp?) close to the end of the fingerboard with no pickup. I agree with you guys about taking more risks. Unfortunately, I was playing it safe for the sake of us not running out of time and my nerves. I had originally wanted to do Softly with more of a broken feel, but I chickened out..... Every time I go into the studio, I become a little bit less of a nervous wreck than the time before, but I still have a long way to go in that regard. Works in progress, right? I will repost the tunes when they are mixed. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to listen.
Thanks

I don't know Shawn. Is he related to the other Purcell's in town? Randy (who played trombone with Maynard Ferguson in the 70's and recently and sadly passed away) and/or Jack who ran his own orchestra and was one of the MAJOR music contractors in Pittsburgh for decades?

Dude, I'm going to break away from my esteemed and accomplished colleagues here and say that I think what you played was just fine on both tunes. Remember: you serve the music, the music doesn't serve you. If you didn't feel a broken rhythm in the tune, then trying to force it upon the music would not have been cool. It likely would have felt forced and uncomfortable and you definitely would not have been in the moment. When you feel comfortable playing broken time, it'll happen without you having to force it. If you listen, the music, reflected through your personal filter, will tell you what to play. Sometimes it's blazing rows of 16th notes, sometimes it's broken rhythms, sometimes it's just laying it down and being the anchor for everyone else to orbit around. When you try too hard to impose something you don't feel into the music, it is like saying "I love you" when you don't mean it. It's insincere and sensitive listeners will pick up on it.

Also, recording is different that playing a gig. When you are playing a gig, you and the audience tend to focus on the good things. Mistakes, bad notes, bobbled rhythms, unless they are true train wrecks tend to be blips that come and then are gone. Recordings are a different story. Bad notes are on there FOREVER. When your great grandchildren are digging out your old recordings and listening to them on whatever playback system they have in the future, they will be listening to that bad note you played in 2009. You can't let that thought paralyze you into not taking any chances but you should take those chances while in the moment and not because you are trying "something cool that shows what a great bass player you are". That way lies ruin and a bunch of bad takes that will be around long after you are dust.

Just a thought. Have a nice day...

mark

[joel kelsey]

Originally Posted by calivox

I don't know Shawn. Is he related to the other Purcell's in town? Randy (who played trombone with Maynard Ferguson in the 70's and recently and sadly passed away) and/or Jack who ran his own orchestra and was one of the MAJOR music contractors in Pittsburgh for decades?

Dude, I'm going to break away from my esteemed and accomplished colleagues here and say that I think what you played was just fine on both tunes. Remember: you serve the music, the music doesn't serve you. If you didn't feel a broken rhythm in the tune, then trying to force it upon the music would not have been cool. It likely would have felt forced and uncomfortable and you definitely would not have been in the moment. When you feel comfortable playing broken time, it'll happen without you having to force it. If you listen, the music, reflected through your personal filter, will tell you what to play. Sometimes it's blazing rows of 16th notes, sometimes it's broken rhythms, sometimes it's just laying it down and being the anchor for everyone else to orbit around. When you try too hard to impose something you don't feel into the music, it is like saying "I love you" when you don't mean it. It's insincere and sensitive listeners will pick up on it.

Also, recording is different that playing a gig. When you are playing a gig, you and the audience tend to focus on the good things. Mistakes, bad notes, bobbled rhythms, unless they are true train wrecks tend to be blips that come and then are gone. Recordings are a different story. Bad notes are on there FOREVER. When your great grandchildren are digging out your old recordings and listening to them on whatever playback system they have in the future, they will be listening to that bad note you played in 2009. You can't let that thought paralyze you into not taking any chances but you should take those chances while in the moment and not because you are trying "something cool that shows what a great bass player you are". That way lies ruin and a bunch of bad takes that will be around long after you are dust.

Just a thought. Have a nice day...

mark

Mark,
Shawn is Randy's son. Truly a great loss.......

Thanks for the thought. I agree with you. When I rehearsed briefly with Shawn the broken thing on Softly was really cool. However, when we added piano and drums in the mix it changed the vibe, so I went with driving time instead. Thanks again for listening. By the way, I really enjoy your playing.

Joel

[Paul Warburton]

Yeah, Joel. Very cool.
Don't have much to say....On Softly, the extra bar on the end of the second A in the head threw me a curve. As did the extra two bars going into the piano solo. IMO, it ruins the flow and confuses the listener in where the form starts. (Old people are easily confused). Glad you left it out on the blow. I'm with the rest of the boys on the guitarist. Really nice, pure sound. Kinda Jim Hall...ish in tone. I like him alot. Drummer has nice spirit and good hook-up with you. Pianist does struggle a bit.
You sound great. Meaty, even sound, solid....doinig your job in the section. Nice solo too.
Thanks, man.
(Glad you dint go modal. Old people don't dig modal).

[Treyzer]

Originally Posted by calivox

......recording is different that playing a gig. When you are playing a gig, you and the audience tend to focus on the good things. Mistakes, bad notes, bobbled rhythms, unless they are true train wrecks tend to be blips that come and then are gone. Recordings are a different story. Bad notes are on there FOREVER. When your great grandchildren are digging out your old recordings and listening to them on whatever playback system they have in the future, they will be listening to that bad note you played in 2009. You can't let that thought paralyze you into not taking any chances but you should take those chances while in the moment and not because you are trying "something cool that shows what a great bass player you are". That way lies ruin and a bunch of bad takes that will be around long after you are dust.......mark

Joel,

Love your sound.... Very strong..... I don't have much to say that hasn't been said, just thought I would copy what Mark said because recording and playing live a two very different animals....

I laughed out loud at what Unka Paul said about going modal on Softly.. he must hate what Christian McBride did to that song. Mr. McBride takes it wayyyyyy OUT... I think it's on UTube. Your, playing sounds great!

Anyway Great Job Man

T