Within

Laurel Named for the composer's daughter and hopefully expressing some of the joy he feels concerning her. This song has two sections, with the 1st section having a calypso feel and the 2nd section with a bossa nova feel. The 1st section also has a contrasting reggae-like counter line to the melody that is played by guitar and bass. Mutation The structure of this song is in a standard blues form in a sense (with dominant I, IV, and V chords in the standard sequence), but with altered dominant, diminished, and chromatic melodic choices that, the composer has been told, gives a Thelonious Monk sound to the song. Charles Schultz This is the song that daughter Laurel says sounds like the music used on the various Peanuts Specials (A Charlie Brown Christmas, etc.), so her dad thought to name it after the brilliant man whose comics provided, and continues to provide, so much pleasure to so many. Remembering Tomorrow When writing this tune, the composer was conscious of letting the melody dictate both the timing of the chords and the chords themselves, rather than trying to change the melody to 'fit' a certain preconceived structure and harmony. Somehow this song seems to have both a nostalgic, reflective feel to it and a forward momentum - thus the title. Synthesis One of the more complex forms in this collection, this song was written with the intention of combining various tonal materials in unusual ways (and hopefully) of being both challenging and fun to improvise upon. After the solos there is an interlude that is ambient in nature and is meant to provide a mood and tonal contrast to the rest of the song. A School Day's Dreaming A ballad that seems to have a wistful, longing, dreamy feel to it - of, perhaps, a memory of sitting in school looking out the window during class when a child. The song is dedicated to Genevieve B. Hall, who was a school teacher and pianist and a friend of the composer. Within The author wanted to express some of the sound, feel, and spirit of the beautiful music of North India, and yet do so with a decidedly non-Indian sensibility and, hopefully, still be respectful to the source. This composition may also, perhaps, be discussing various inner states of being. It's form consists broadly of four sections with the first being a particular morning raga that is played and improvised on guitar. The author noted that the mode/notes used in this raga fit both Bb major and B major chords and, when this was emphasized, had a Spanish sound to them (the 2nd section). Then an evening raga is played (3rd section) starting with the tenor sax and adding soprano sax and guitar as it builds into a chaotic climax that gradually dissolves into a simple form (4th section) using four chords over a rhythmic bass part based on the notes of the drone heard throughout the song. Wanna Waltz The title is a wry comment on the main compositional device of the tune: the harmonic and rhythmic movement is in 4/4 time while the melody is in ¾ time. Another compositional aspect is the use of through-composed countermelody - two equally emphasized and intertwined melodies. The prelude is through-composed. Suite Rose Named for the composer's maternal grandmother, Rose Belaief, this song has many sections (thus one of the meanings of the title), and was written in a sort of catharsis for the many feelings about her: loss, celebration, joy, and longing Gymnopodie IV Dedicated to the composer's mother, and possibly describes in musical terms the pat