Tribute Song Listing

This piece attempts to capture some essence of Jimmy Page's "hammer of Thor" sound with Led Zeppelin. The emphasis is on structure, harmonics, and meter—not soloing. The title alludes to the Indian atmospherics of "Kashmir." I have integrated some of the unpredictable manipulation of time signatures that makes seemingly simple Zeppelin songs complex. The long repeating phrase is played on guitar and bass in five measures of 19/4 overlaid on drumming in 19 measures of 5/4. The intent is to trick the listener into thinking that the riff will synchronize with the drum track and resolve into the opening phrase sooner than the riff actually will. The inspiration for this device is "Black Dog" on Led Zeppelin IV. Composed in January 2008.

Imagine the silhouette of the mature Clapton in Armani, backed by full horns. Composed in the late 1970s but never recorded until the spring of 2008.

The title is the translation of what the dog sings in dog-speak. I have carried that melody in my head since the 1980s, but I did not mesh it with the other parts of the song until the fall of 2007. The lexicon of pop music has incorporated so much of James Brown, as it has the technique of Jimi Hendrix, that is easy to overlook his influence. Mainstream pop music would be a lot less soulful than it is, if not for James Brown.

Grace happens. Composed in May 2008.

The first song I learned to play on my Vox Supercontinental organ was "Gimme' Some Lovin'." In my book, Steve has more street cred than any other player in rock 'n roll. He has beautifully fused the soulfulness of blues with the accessibility of the pop song—as illustrated by the genius that maps John Barleycorn Must Die into Arc of a Diver. He is rock's George Gershwin. Composed in February 2008.

This piece is inspired by Don's jazzier side, revealed in songs like "Sunset Grille" or "New York Minute." I recall, during my period in Los Angeles, talking to Don just as he was finishing Building the Perfect Beast. True to form, he described the songs as addressing "the state of union." That was still several years before the Berlin Wall came down, and Don and I no doubt had divergent views on what the state of the union was. But Don impressed me then, as he has impressed me since, as a thoughtful man who expresses his views with grace and civility as well as passion. Composed in May 2008.

I first saw Peter Gabriel perform at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles in December 1973, when Genesis was touring after the release of Selling England by the Pound. My reaction to the performance was that Genesis could be the next Beatles. The next time I saw him perform was at Winterland in San Francisco, after the release of his first solo album in 1977. Peter is a "high beta" artist, whose work either draws raves or blank stares, even from his devoted fans. He is the antithesis of the comfortable mainstream. This piece alludes to "Solsbury Hill" and "Shock the Monkey" and, more generally, the interplay of world music beats and Tony Levin's gurgling sounds on bass and Chapman stick. The vibes section sounds a bit like Peter accidentally walked into the wrong studio when Steely Dan was recording Countdown to Ecstasy, although it still incorporates the world-music feel that has emerged so strongly in Peter's work. Composed in January 2008.

Picture Bryan Ferry in a black London taxicab, passing through Trafalgar Square. This piece reflects the influence of two brilliant albums by Bryan: Avalon, with Roxy Music, and Boys and Girls. The ambience, spaciousness, and texture of both albums are stunning. There is a hint of Joe Jackson when the horns enter. The solo alludes to Phil Manzanera's style across many albums with Bryan. And where is the taxi going? To The Strand, naturally. Probably the Savoy. Composed in January 2008.

Heading west from Laurel Canyon, with the top down. This piece alludes to Joni's sound during the mid-1970s on Court and Spark, The Hissing of Summer Lawns, and Hejira (a true masterpiece). Composed in January 2008. 

This piece is a tribute to the second and third incarnations of King Crimson. The second incarnation, commencing with Lark's Tongue in Aspic, supplies the pun for the title. The triptych consists of Robert Fripp, John Wetton, and Bill Bruford. The beat, however, is more consistent with the subsequent incarnation, in which Adrian Belew and Tony Levin supported Robert Fripp's complex patterns, while Bill Bruford adopted a "world music" sound on drums. Composed in February 2008.

This piece alludes to Bill Bruford's playing from roughly 1977 to 1980. During that period, Bill played with Allan Holdsworth on solo projects and on the first, eponymous album by U.K., which also featured John Wetton and Eddie Jobson. The pairing of Bruford and Holdsworth produced music that was explosive in its emotional and intellectual intensity. The latter part of this piece refers to that collaboration. The preceding piano solo is improvised and recorded on the first take. Parts of this piece (up until the piano solo) were composed in the late 1970s. Recorded in 2007 and early 2008. And the title? I read an interview with Bill in the early 1970s, while he was playing in Yes. He described auditioning some years earlier with the British blues band Savoy Brown. Bill did not pass the audition because the lads in Savoy Brown thought that he "sounded like a Chinese drummer."

Robert Fripp is the John Nash of electric guitar. Supremely cerebral in his approach to composition and performance, Fripp deserves recognition alongside Phillip Glass for refining the technique of complex, interlocking ostinato patterns. This piece celebrates three iterations of Fripp's brainchild, King Crimson. The saxophone alludes to the band's early incarnation of In the Court of the Crimson King, which included Ian McDonald on woodwinds and keyboards. The violin and drumming allude to the Lark's Tongue in Aspic incarnation, featuring Bill Bruford on drums and David Cross on violin. The guitar ostinati are characteristic of the third incarnation of King Crimson, marked by Fripp's intricate interplay with Adrian Belew and Tony Levin during the Discipline era. Given what Fripp's playing reveals about his clarity of thought, I imagine him a daunting adversary at chess. Composed in January 2008.

The title is a play on words, expressing both the emotional power of John's songwriting and his second chance to share his gift with us for a bit longer. The repeating phrase on electric guitar is a metaphor for the flow of life. The intense interlude is the havoc created by a life-threatening illness, which happily resolves and thereby reaffirms the man's essence and purpose. The bass emerges as the lead instrument at times to acknowledge John's reputation as a compelling instrumental player as well. Composed in February 2008.

Mark King created an exceptional sound through his slap-and-pop bass style and the melodic, stylish compositions of his band, Level 42. Mike Lindup was his perfect complement as keyboardist, singer, and fellow songwriter. The compositions on Staring at the Sun, featuring the evocative legato guitar work of the late Alan Murphy, brought the planets into alignment. Composed in June 2008.

This song bears the influence of a four-letter word on a 1984 Van Halen release. Composed in August 2008. 

Gordon Sumner (Sting) is one of the great popular songwriters of the last century, ranking with Cole Porter and Paul McCartney. This song alludes to various periods of Sting's music. The muted ostinato figure on the guitar obviously refers to The Police (and to the most famous ostinato in pop music, "Every Breath You Take"). But the rest of the composition and arrangement allude to Sting's solo work, which I find far more interesting than his work with The Police. The theme for this song is an overlay of threes and sevens: 49 measures of 3/4 on 21 measures of 7/4. The inspiration for this variation on a waltz is Sting's beautiful phrasing of "Island of Souls" from The Soul Cages. I imagine the drumming more closely fitting Vinnie Colaiuta's work with the solo Sting than Stewart Copeland's work with The Police. Composed between March and August of 2008.

Composed from June to August 2008.

Composed in the winter of 2008.

Industrial strength dance music. Composed September 1, 2008.

Allan Holdsworth may be the greatest soloist on any instrument in the history of jazz. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock all have nothing on Allan. His understanding of harmonic theory is unparalleled among improvisational musicians. This short piece does not try to emulate his soloing style. I could not begin to do so. Composed September 8, 2008.

I saw Emerson, Lake & Palmer in concert only once, in San Francisco in February 1974, when the band's playing and composition peaked. This song attempts to blend some of the raw Hammond sound of ELP's debut album (which sounds in passages like a continuation of Keith Emerson's playing with The Nice) with the more orchestrated sound of the fourth ELP album, Brain Salad Surgery. Composed between August and December 2008. Still a work in progress, but "pre-released" for the fan club in Budapest.

During my years in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, my regular restaurant and watering hole was L'Express on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. It was also popular with the session players, who mainly lived in the Valley. David Paich and other members of Toto could be seen there around the time band produced Toto IV. A special tribute to the late Jeff Porcaro. Composed in January 2009.

This piece is the musical conversation that I imagine Jeff Beck having with Mark Isham if they found themselves assigned to adjacent seats on a flight across the Atlantic. One of my favorite performances by Jeff is his arrangement of "Diamond Dust" on Blow by Blow. Imagine that feel combined with the textures of Mark's Vapor Drawings. Composed February 6-8, 2009.

I saw Frank Zappa in concert only once. It was in San Diego, the week that Richard Nixon resigned as President, around the time that Frank had some commercial success with Apostrophe. Upon listening to his music again now, and upon hearing the performances of it by Zappa Plays Zappa, I am impressed by how many serious musicians he influenced by his composition. If Nixon were alive today, he might say, "We are all Zappa fans now." My personal favorite is "Peaches en Regalia." The impressive performance of it by Zappa Plays Zappa was in my mind as I wrote this homage to Frank. Composed February 14-15, 2009.

Perhaps after a late stop at the In-N-Out in Reseda. Composed between June 2008 and March 2009.

Composed in the summer of 2007.

Jaco's playing had an ethereal quality that conveyed a tranquility onstage that tragically eluded the man offstage. I am grateful to have seen him perform with Weather Report and with Joni Mitchell beside Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays. This sketch is a composite of my recollection of Jaco's playing with Pat and Lyle, and with Wayne Shorter. Composed between the winter of 2007 and the spring of 2009. 

Composed on July 19, 2009. Still a work in progress.

Originally composed in 1985. Arranged and recorded in 2007-2009. I decided to dedicate this song to George Harrison after his death. The solo was recorded in one take. It is a meditation on the musical essence of George. The bass line is my conception of Paul accompanying George, in the style that marked Abbey Road.

Composed December 2, 2009.

I first saw Steve Hackett perform with Genesis at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles in December 1973, on the Selling England by the Pound tour. His gold top Les Paul was a howling animal. Composed December 19-20, 2009.

Inspired by the Skunk Baxter era of Steely Dan circa 1974. Composed in December 2009.

Composed in January and March of 2010. 

I developed an appreciation for David Gilmour late in life. This composition quotes a post-Waters Pink Floyd song that is a favorite of mine. Composed in December 2009 and April 2010. 

For Pink Floyd. Composed in February and August 2010.

Composed December 24-26, 2010. I composed this piece for Richard Page after listening to the Mr. Mister album Pull, which was shelved for 20 years by RCA Records until its release in 2010.

I had a burst of energy around Christmas 2010. Two songs emerged that were influenced by listening to the recent releases by Richard Page. For a week, I thought that "Our Man in Moscow" captured something that I was hearing in Richard's newly released work. Then, on New Years Eve, I got the idea for something that sounds much more characteristically L.A. I was struck by the comment of Richard and his former bandmates in Mr. Mister that their long-delayed fourth album, Pull, reflected the heavy influence of Weather Report. And so this song has a bit of a Weather Report (and Steely Dan) feel, including a brief interlude of swing. Consequently, I may refile "Our Man in Moscow" in The Common Man, since its title alluded to Langley and things political anyway. Composed December 31, 2010-January 1, 2011.