The New Umbrella For a Black Man

This is a fleshed out version of piece I wrote 4 months ago. I take the piece into some dramatic and darker moods while keeping everything flowing.

The original story of the piece goes like this:

It's raining at dusk. One man, down on his luck, is walking outside. A stranger offers his umbrella to the other. The once unfortunate man finally finds some dryness.

That description works up until the middle of the piece and then I expanded it.

Peace!

-John

The New Umbrella For a Black Man

Wow, I love this!

Right from the start, I could imagine the rain and dark streets. You can really hear the theme changing in the middle to something more happy, as you intended.

I really like the jazzy sound in this piece. Not really anything bad I can say about it, great work!

Thanks, Nicrion! I'm glad I got you imagining :)

Not really anything bad I can say about it, great work!

What about comments on something that's not bad, but could be a little better?

How well do the different styles blend?

Peace on Earth,

-John

Hi Doovongeman

Great piece. It's technically and harmonically solid. I really like that semi-jazzy feel. It also sounds very realistic, did you record this?? I can't actually find anything major to improve, it blends both moods brilliantly, I didn't even notice for a bit :phones:

Oh.....tiny nitpick. I still think the ending's a bit sudden. However, this is probably personal preference, so it's not crucial. Brilliant piece, and hope to see you around :)

Excellent quiet Jazz music. The beginning not usual, but it can and to the best

Thanks Cheeselord and musicant!

Oh.....tiny nitpick. I still think the ending's a bit sudden

Oh the ending. It is kind of just another fadeout. But, sometimes a fadeout is what you want. It might seem to end too suddenly because I had another section in mind for the piece, but I thought it had gone on for long enough, and I just wanted to finish it. I'm still pretty satisfied with how I wrapped it up.

It also sounds very realistic, did you record this??

...in Logic! :lol:

It's got pretty realistic piano sounds and adds a touch of reverb to them too.

Thanks for your comments, guys!

Great work. A nice thought trough piano piece... you know what would make it even better in my opinion.. a nice quiet hi-hat and ride cymbal rhythm. :) when the things start to sound more happy, it would fit like a glove :)

Thats it from me,

cheers

Thanks a lot, Phant!

you know what would make it even better in my opinion.. a nice quiet hi-hat and ride cymbal rhythm. :) when the things start to sound more happy, it would fit like a glove :)

Interesting idea. I've considered what the piece would be like if I made it more of a trio. For the drum part, what about brushes during that middle section? I agree that a hi-hat with a ride symbol would work quite nicely but I'm trying to think what would work better.

Thanks again, Phant.

-John

John

Very nice ending!

I can hear a muted trumpet playing along with this. But of course that is up to you.

Nicely done

Ron

I still think the ending's a bit sudden.

Very nice ending!

What's this?!? . Controversy with a capital C?!?

I think both opinions are acceptable. What do you guys think?

Thank you very much, Ron. I'm totally with you for a muted trumpet. This is how I hear it: its playing a countermelody during the first section. That first minute and a half is all about the chords, and I wouldn't want the trumpet trying to play in unison with that. Thus, it comments and adds colour to the already colourful opening. Later, it takes the melody in the second and third section giving the piano the freedom of two hands for the accompaniment instead of just the LH. Good call.

Expanding on that idea: quartet.

Drums with brushes, ride cymbal, and hi-hat, bass, piano (obviously :P), and muted trumpet. Gorgeous. :phones:

Thanks again, Ron!

Peace on Earth,

-John

well yeah... if you want, I can do a nice quiet jazzy beat for you, I'm a working drummer, haven't touched my electronic kit for ages :)

Anyway, brushes are a good idea, but im more of a cymbal guy when it's about jazz... snare sounds too militaristic to me :D

well yeah... if you want, I can do a nice quiet jazzy beat for you, I'm a working drummer, haven't touched my electronic kit for ages :)

Anyway, brushes are a good idea, but im more of a cymbal guy when it's about jazz... snare sounds too militaristic to me :D

If you want to mess around with this piece and add some drums, go right ahead. :) If you are gonna do something for this, would use your electronic kit or something else?

Are you suggesting the piece could use cymbals sparingly for effect or cymbals throughout the entire piece? I think snare can sound very non-militaristic if you don't use it too rigidly.

Btw, there is still unresolved controversy from before; don't forget!

Peace on Earth,

-John

well the way I'd do it, I'd hook up my electronic kit to a sequencer using midi cable, and fire up EzDrummer, to get some decent sounding samples. Then I'd play right into it, fix any errors i might make and thats it. I would make that kind of ride cymbal pattern with hi-hats on the beats 2 and 4, and maybe add some snare and tom ghost notes.. you know a really cool smooth jazz beat :)

I really like it!

Very nice and smooth feel!

Somehow the beginning reminds me of something Chopinesque. Maybe its just me.. anyway its a very nice feel, which totally captures the atmosphere you were going for.

All the best,

Lukas Engberg

I really like it!

Very nice and smooth feel!

Somehow the beginning reminds me of something Chopinesque. Maybe its just me.. anyway its a very nice feel, which totally captures the atmosphere you were going for.

All the best,

Lukas Engberg

Thanks, Lucas! I appreciate your comments!

When I wrote the opening, I was going for a Debussy feel actually. Chopin might have been subconsciously inspired :P but overall, it was a lot of Debussy, and maybe some Herbie Hancock.

well the way I'd do it, I'd hook up my electronic kit to a sequencer using midi cable, and fire up EzDrummer, to get some decent sounding samples. Then I'd play right into it, fix any errors i might make and thats it. I would make that kind of ride cymbal pattern with hi-hats on the beats 2 and 4, and maybe add some snare and tom ghost notes.. you know a really cool smooth jazz beat :)

Sounds cool! :) Do it! Smooth jazz for me has a little stigma attached to it since so much of it on the radio sounds terrible. But, there is good smooth jazz, and I bet that's the kind you write :P.

Let us know how it sounds.

Peace on Earth,

-John

Very lovely! Reminds me a bit of Thomas Newmans music in the beginning. I would love to have this on my ipod. Send it to me if you can :]

Your wish is my command!

Click my signature, which takes you to my soundcloud profile. "The New Umbrella For a Black Man" is the third track. On top of the track's player, you should see a little arrow pointing downwards beside a heart, a pencil, and trash can. Click the arrow to download it.

I'm glad you liked it, Adamich!

-John

superb playing my friend.

on that ending, i can hear like trumpets, layers of dark saxs, smooth ride cymbals, and acoustic bass, making it a true detective like 50's,60's theme.

great stuff

superb playing my friend.

on that ending, i can hear like trumpets, layers of dark saxs, smooth ride cymbals, and acoustic bass, making it a true detective like 50's,60's theme.

great stuff

Nifty! I like the instruments you suggest. 50's', 60's detective theme? Very interesting

Thanks for the comments, The J!

-John

I quite enjoyed listening to it..Particularly, begining rhythm..Thanks for sharing..

I love this as a solo jazz piano work. It's very laid back and clearly evocative of the style, regardless of how it begins or ends. It might not even need to be exclusively jazz but rather contain elements of another style or influence. You could do something different with it like add electro-acoustics, perhaps another piano playing the ideas of the jazz tune in a completely different style or at least highlight some of the big ideas with it. There are lots of other things you could do to make this piece stand out in a more contemporary music environment.

But I think it's fine just the way it is, too. I dig the groove, love the mood you set for me, and just overall enjoyed the piece. Great job!

-AA

Thanks a lot, Shaun!

In terms of 20th century, contemporary music, my song is admittedly tame.

You could do something different with it like add electro-acoustics

You mean like synths?

perhaps another piano playing the ideas of the jazz tune in a completely different style or at least highlight some of the big ideas with it

Like a duet? Having another piano bring out only big ideas sounds like

I had a crazy idea today that I could arrange it for the big band and it would have a certain "other" feel to it than a jazz ensemble usually would have. I think it's tone is a little bit more sombre than most charts.

I dig the groove, love the mood you set for me

I was going for a sort of trance-inducing sort of mood with the LH rhythm underneath the chords. I'm glad it resonated with you!

Peace on Earth,

-John