This is a song I’ve been working on which I hope to sing at the funeral of a poet friend Kopan Mahadeva on the morning of sun 5 feb (along with a poem of his which I set to music Oh We are Happy which is to be found below under the heading Poem or Lyric?)
I am very touched that my old bandmate Woody Martin added some uplifting sparkles to the outro.
The first scale pianists learn is often the major scale going upwards in the right hand. Just to be contrary I wrote this little piece which features the minor scale going downwards in the left hand. The right hand has its moment in the contrary motion section when the wind gets up.
The lead line is sung by Ruby Hamill with her mum Rebecca Hollweg on alto: I sang tenor and young Nathan Morgan-Newham sang bass. We all sang our parts separately during lockdown and they were magicked into the same time and space by engineer/bassist Andy Hamill, Ruby’s dad. A bit of fun.
If you want to try this tune to show beginners their first scales here’s the music: https://bobstuckey.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/the_falling_leaves-piano4.pdf
If you want to get your own choir together to sing with soprano, alto, tenor and bass then click here for the full downloadable sheet music: https://bobstuckey.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/the_falling_leaves-satb-pt-12-1.pdf
Poet Kopan Mahadeva suggested I write some jazzy tune to Oh, We Are Happy which celebrates his youthful days with his late wife, Sita. Here’s what sprang to mind. At the Carlton Tavern I am joined by Stuart Hall on bass and Jasper Morrisey on drums.
Click this link to the video taken by banjoist Richard Muttonchop who happened to be in the audience
How many times have we heard a key change in a song – that extra lift before the final chorus? Or we’re trying to sing a song and it seems too high or low for us. So we shift the key perhaps moving the capo on the guitar or pressing the TRANSPOSE button on the keyboard. Yet who was the first person to to realise we could move everything up or down one fret at a time? The answer is to found on the page gorzanis-1567 .
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On Monday 13 December Bob’s Jazz Mob will be returning to the King Charles I community pub in Kings Cross. Clare, Juliet and Sparkles will bring their favourite jazz songs to add to the atmosphere of this unique pub which recently celebrated the granting of a preservation order with the unveiling of a plaque.
Poster design by Sue Smallwood
On Sunday December 5th we offer the opportunity to sing your favourite jazz songs accompanied by a beautiful grand piano or perhaps just to listen and enjoy. delicious food is always available. It will be the first Sunday of the month throughout the coming season (except January when Yukari and family take a break).
Bob Stuckey 