Phil Kelly's Comments

Hi Phil,

With regard to your contribution towards "The World's Longest Piece", would you be happy for me to reproduce it for you, as you said that the Finale soundfonts were very poor?
Please let me know if and when.

Cheers,


Simon

I checked iTunes and they do have the other two.

Funny! I cam here today to find out when your CD would be released, and that info is at the top of your page. Great! Will your music be available on iTunes? I get most of my music from there these days. Anyway, I can hardly wait for the CD release.

The start of Rain/Red Badge brings to mind an old romantic film from the 30s. Then it gets warmer and more modern. I like it. BTW, I grew up in Washington state. It's a nurturing environment for creativity.

Dig it! Gauvin and Randazo went to my high school in Huntington Long Island. They were there 25 before me of course. Randazo is now a chef. I actualy met Joe through our mutual friend David Berger. Berger used to lead the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Randazo was the road manager.

Yeah, I see all those guys from time to time. You must also know Alan Gauvin and John Marshall, right?

Lanny Morgan! That explains it. Say, my lead alto man in NYC says he knew you back in Texas. Do you remember Chuck Wilson?

I checked out Blueonious on your websight. You're swinging 'em into bad health. I noticed you're from Bellingham. Is that Chuck Isreals at the bass? It's hard to tell out of my little laptop speakers, I'll have to listen again to your stuff in my studio on a proper system. Your band sounds good, somewhat reminiscent of Oliver Nelson or Quincy Jones recordings. Your lead alto man reminded me a bit of Jerome.

Anyway, I'll did ya later. Gimme a shout if you get to NYC. 914-663-8323

Hi Phil, thanks for checking out my sight. The big band track there isn't really my band, it's just me and two other cats playing all of the parts. That should explain why the drummer sucked, because it was me! Anyway, there are some clips of my big band on YouTube. Just search "Andy Farber & his Orchestra"

Hey Phil if there were 5 scores I should buy and analyze which five would you choose? :)

Thanks for the props Jery -

Now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this project, I'm starting to get excited about getting it moving!

I'm blown away.

Jesus, Phil, you make the rest of us sound like amateurs.

Wonderful, complex arrangements (and fabulous playing). I'm sure I could learn a lot from seeing the scores.

Much appreciate the notification.

Cheers,
Jer

SNEAK PREVIEW OF MY NEW CD!!

On the playlist , I've added two new charts
that have been recorded by my "beta test " band -
the INCREDIBLE UNTx 2 O Clock lab band led by Jim Riggs ( who is retiring this year after 30 some years @ UNT ) These guys have tested all of my new stuff for the first two CDs, and are doing it again this year.

The tunes are @ the top of the playlist:
Play Tonic, Buds!
Limehouse Blues

I may a bit biased, but I think the 2 is easily the equal of the better known 1 O Clock . In fact , Riggs and the 2 O Clockers were selected as BEST college band in the recent Downbeat poll ( june issue ) and hopefully will have a great new CD of their own out soon.

I'm hoping to record my new one sometime this coming fall / winter. I have most of the writing done and about 66% of the production bread -so I'm fixin' to head towards the barn on this'n !

Watch this space!! :)

( and check out these kids on the playlist )

Hello phil,
It is really nice to have a very nice comment from a great composer such as you, I'm really honored, thanks a lot.
Best regards,
Ahmad

Hello phil,
Really beautiful and very high standard music, fantastic orchestration; you are really great composer.
Best regards,
Ahmad

Hi Didier:

So called "smooth jazz" is a touchy subject for me. I guess it all comes down to where one subjectively draws the line stylistically.
I do own ( and enjoy ) CDs by artists like Dave Sanborn, Gerald Albright, Grover Washington,Tower of Power, EW&F, Tom Scott,Jeff Lorber, Chris Botti, the Yellowjackets, etc.

However: the product cranked out by Kenny G, Dave Koz, Boney James and the like holds absolutely no interest for me.

Therefore, I'm not sure if I have anything worthwhile to contribute to such a group.

but good luck with it anyway!

Hi Marius:

Actually, about 95% of the stuff posted here is old fashioned live players. ( I'm fortunately old enough I go back to the time when that was the way it was done ! ) However, I have used sequencing and samplers for pop and R&B tracks as well for a long time too.

For most things ,I still prefer the "human touch" ..whether its playing an acoustic instrument , or programming a sequencing
basis for an electronic score.

About Ithamara, I only know about her by the media.but she isn't a famous singer in Brazil. do you know? As Luciana Souza, I think her carrer is abroad... I only know that she is a jazz singer that acquired good reputation in USA. I once listened a record of her. She is a great singer, isn't she?

Thanks a lot, Phill! "Saudade" is the name of the feeling that you have when you really miss for something or someone.You can feel "saudade" of your mother, of your girlfriend, of your homeland, of your youthfull or your childhood..I composed this track saudade when I was 23 years old. feeling "saudade" of a girl that I loved in my college days ( but she was a commited girl...)
Interesting: I compared you with Brookmeyer regarding your expertise as a big band composer, and you are saying me practically the same thing that he told me , by occasion of my audition at New England Conservatory, in 2001.I had sent to him this track "Vento Follha Terra,(with guitar cello and flute) as a portfolio. So he made compliments for the lyricism of my music, mentioned Egberto Gismonti, and finished saying: well,.. you are a Brazilian...I remember feel emotioned by this occasion, as I'm now.