21. For The Very First Time

As my live performance opportunities became more limited, I relied increasingly on recordings to push myself to the highest possible performance standards. I used my Tascam four track recorder to create what I regard as my signature recording, an album entitled For The Very First Time which is available on my homepage through iTunes or Amazon.

For The Very First Time consists of six original instrumentals which I still treasure for their unique analog warmth and depth of expressiveness. It is a crossover album of Rock, Jazz, Classical and Latin music styles with written and improvised elements formed into a cohesive whole. The instrumentation is comprised of percussion, bass, guitar, various keyboard sounds, strings and winds all played by me on synthesizer. It's worth noting here that I have always refused to use sequencers or automated tracks or rhythms. Some would say this is a limitation and a sign of being trapped in the past. I would say that it is a sign of my nearly uncompromising view that music making is a uniquely human process, with the one possible exception being in the realm of experimental electronic music. I am strengthened in this belief by the current growing trend of artificial intelligence encroaching on the creative musical process.

The need to be able to generate digital music content put me in the position of augmenting my Tascam four track with a Roland 8 track digital recording console which allowed me to produce CDs that I could upload and convert to WAV or mp3 files for streaming or posting online. I created my next album of original and classical piano solos using the CD format for a friend's art gallery opening. But I still sorely miss the vinyl album format for its insightful liner notes and unified album concept. Years ago, the music market transitioned from singles to albums. Now it's going back the other way as "users" (I love that word) compile playlists of singles. As a friend used to say, sometimes the only thing that's new is what's been forgotten.