Most of these were recorded and produced by students in my Digital Audio and Computer Music course for their production project. If they had access to talent to record, that was great, but if they didn’t, they were stuck with me and GenJam.
The recordings are single takes with the trumpet recorded via a mic and the rest of the band coming in as a pre-mixed stereo pair right out of the tone generator. Since the trumpet player typically hit lots of clams, the students had to edit and mix as best they could, which is what made it an interesting project. However, GenJam’s improvisations were always dead on, and the interactivity between us is very evident.
Since these are student productions, the results are mixed, so to speak, but this is a fair sample of the kinds of tunes we do. I’ve grouped them into categories I use to organize my playlists.
Hard Bop – My favorite genre: Think Blue Note Records, 50’s & 60’s
Up a Step – One of many Hank Mobley tunes we doTheme for Doris – From Harold “Tina” Brooks whose career was all too briefStreet Singer – Tina Brooks’s masterpieceOuta’ Sight – by Jack (not Jackie) WilsonTerra Firma Irma – Joe Gordon tune with my favorite title of all time
Movie & TV Music – I love adapting themes and cues
I Spy – What a great tune! It has a bridge!I Dream of Jeannie – Always closed the RIT Open Houses with this oneChinatown – One of my favorite movie themes (and movies)The Odd Couple – From the movie and TV show
Hard Latin – More intense Latin tunes
Manteca – Dizzy Gillespie’s Afro-Cuban classic written with Chano Pozo & Gil FullerJeanne – from Gato Barbieri’s brilliant score to Last Tango in ParisThetis – Scaled back Hank Levy chart for the Don Ellis OrchestraYou Go to My Head – Rhumba arrangement I put togetherVaradero Blues – From Dutch Latin band Nueva Manteca (creative mix for GenJam)
Bossa Novas – Laid back Latin tunes
What Now, My Love – Covers from Alpert to Zamfir: Here’s my entryLovey – An original I wrote to commemorate the passing of a family catCorcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) – Tom Jobim in 7Nature Boy – Enigmatic eden ahbez classic with Mad Men Intro/Outro
Straight-Ahead Swingers – The default jazz style for most folks
Jeru – Gerry Mulligan’s great chart for Mile Davis’s Birth of the Cool albumLady Bug – Demo tune I wrote to the chords of Tadd Dameron’s Lady BirdHere’s How – Early demo blues I wrote to answer the question: “How does it sound?”
Holiday Tunes – We’ve got 41 in all, enough for a 4-hour gig
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – Just a straight-up arrangementGreensleeves – Another straight-up treatmentMistletoe and Holly – A rather whimsical Latin arrangementWe Three Kings – Intense 6/8 versionHolly Jolly Christmas – As a 7/4 Mambo: From sublime to ridiculousWhite Christmas – Have to include this one!
Al Biles 