My intention was to recreate from remote memory "Creature Comforts," which I released on my 2014 "Downward Facing Dogs" album. The obvious pun in the title reflected a period of isolation and challenge, and the mood that I endeavored to create was far from the mood that the original composition / improv imparted. To be honest, when I listened back to the 2014 piece, I said to myself, “Good God, man! What the hell were you thinking?”

In a word, the 2014 piece, which at the time seemed wonderful to me, and I was proud of my multi-instrumental performance, was now an abomination. It now seems pretentiously shreddy, chaotic, ill-conceived, and technically challenged. I know. I can be a harsh critic.

So, the original title of the piece just won’t do, because the new piece is vastly different and seems downright pretty to me. I decided to call it “Comfort Creatures,” and it made my wife and me think of a picture that I took of our now 20yo dog “Bella” in a TARDIS bed on her lap in the car. She certainly looks like a comfortable creature.

I began with the piano part, performed with an M-Audio Hammer 88 controller triggering Synthogy Ivory 3 German D. Then, I performed bass using a customized Yamaha bass through a Tech 21 Sans Amp into a Cali 76. The bass has a Fender American PUP in the bridge spot and a Fralin PUP in the neck spot.

The piece has multiple braided guitar parts, performed on an Ibanez PM 1000 and a PRS Hollowbody II with piezo. The signal chains typically include the UAD-2 ENGL Savage 120 emulation. The clean tones from this model are just brilliant. I rarely find myself firing up the MESA Boogie rigs these days.

I find it difficult to classify pieces into genres. This one has elements of Classical, e.g. counterpoint, chord motion, melody, etc. It is a basic binary structure with theme and variations.