Tonight really felt "in the groove". There is a kind of freedom I feel when I get something solid rhythm-wise in the left hand, and the right hand can be free and not tethered to the beat of the left hand. Once I get into that vibe, the right hand becomes open to more spontaneous expression. Not sure how to describe it more than that, so let's just let it be what it is...

Tonight I needed to be patient as I got into the music. It can be tempting to compose "from the ego", where I'm playing what I know will sound good but I've also done it a million times. It's a little harder to wait until the music suggests itself where it wants to go. The music may meander for a while, or be seemingly stagnant as I'm repeating notes or chords and waiting for a direction to follow, but eventually I find that flow state and I can almost sit back and watch the music happen. The second to last piece apparently was seriously quoting Star Wars; I knew it sounded familiar but I couldn't tell where it was from. 

Towards the end I played along with a pad sound on my iPad, but I also had a borrowed Theremin! I didn't record the other instruments on their own track, so they are far back in the mix, but I thought I'd include them anyway. Also, one of my microphones finally ran out of battery, so I recorded the music in mono using one mic. Hey, one does what one can...

Did a couple waltzes tonight. The last piece I took the opening motif from Beethoven's Fifth and had a bunch of fun with it. It morphed into Fiddler on the Roof and Fly Me To the Moon, so go figure. I had a couple note accidents; it is surprisingly difficult to play faster than one can think! ;)

One piece is definitely not relaxing, be warned. I started off just playing with staccato (light, separated notes) but didn't find my footing right away. At some point the left hand turned into a fast walking bass, then a kind of ragtime. My deal with myself is to practice "Yes, and..." when it comes to the direction the music is going, so I didn't fight it and just went for it. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was quoted a few times, too. Enjoy.

Quite the large audience tonight! I never know, nor does it matter, but it certainly is fun. I followed a common pattern of starting off with a few single notes which becomes the thematic material for the piece. Later pieces can have more energy and movement, and we bring it home with a simple tune to say goodnight. At the very end, I played a little phrase that took me into the final notes of "Where is Love" from the musical "Oliver!". I thought that was some subconscious at work. It felt good in any case. Enjoy.

A couple new people tonight; always fun. I felt in the zone tonight, and enjoyed composing as the music unfolded moment by moment, which has always been what I try to do! A few pieces felt like they could have ended a bit earlier but I was enjoying messing with them too much!

My friend and flautist Paul Harris joined me again tonight. It is always such a treat to play with him. It is rare indeed to meet another musician who can jump in to free improv, listen for harmonic shifts, know when to play and when to pause, take the lead and generate ideas for us both to develop, indeed a treat.

I have been away for several weeks, but back now for some time, so look for a new episode each week!

Tonight Paul and I did several pieces in solid diatonic territory, but we stretched out on one atonal piece, which was actually quite fun. 

All good friends who know the drill here tonight. I edited out the clapping. I spent most of today doing paperwork and purging emails, so I was in a blah state when people arrived. I told them there were no guarantees; the music may put people to sleep or I might start banging as loud as I could. Kinda did a bit of both! Enjoy?

Several new friends tonight! Had about 12 people in the the audience. The piano was tuned today by the great Victor LaGamma, so I naturally was drawn to the most sonorous of harmonies. I seem to be averaging about ten minutes per piece. That's not a plan, but an observation!

Some melodies were circling around in my head that might have been a nod to "Laura", "But Beautiful" and something else, but I never quite went there.