Old 01-20-2019, 06:01 AM   #1
mschnell
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Default Stolen Moments (again)

-> https://soundcloud.com/user-213300358/stolen-moments

I fell in love with this Jazz song by Oliver Nelson when I in my micro studio did the recording and mixing for the Jazz quartet of a friend of mine who is a sax player. I showed the results here, and there has been a long and inspiring discussion about it (-> https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=197773 ).

So I decided that I would like to play the song with my own band, as well. Now this band features a great female singer, and hence I needed reasonable words for the piece. The really shallow love-song-lyrics I found in the Internet, to me seemed totally unappropriated for the music, that in part is a Blues in Minor and hence creates a decently mournful and desperate feeling, and in part the Jazz chord sequences sound dramatic and menacing.

When I got to know about a real-world drama that happened to four rather distant acquaintances of mine, I felt impelled to do the lyrics (in English) for the song, based on the story of the two doomed interlinked couples, told from the perspective of the female adulterer. When mentally taking her place, I envisioned her state of mind as a mixture of mournful despair and stubborn protest against the finger-pointing and lack of compassion, she had to suffer, after the drama suddenly got disclosed at a moment of utmost sorrow. I hope this feeling is conveyed by the recording.

Thanks to Oliver Nelson for the music, and Diana Gabaldon for inspiring me to do lyrics in English.

-Michael

Last edited by mschnell; 05-17-2019 at 05:33 AM.
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Old 01-20-2019, 06:29 AM   #2
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Wow, I really enjoyed this.. Your band is awesome, and your new singer is, um.....


VERY listenable
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Old 01-22-2019, 12:59 AM   #3
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I enjoyed this piece. I didn't read the thread, but I read your post and listened to the song. Nice work!
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Old 01-23-2019, 12:17 AM   #4
mschnell
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Thanks for Kudos!

-Michael
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Old 05-25-2019, 01:26 PM   #5
mschnell
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Another discussion on this piece has been done here -> https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=221240

Moreover, recently a professional producer pointed out that the cymbals are too bright and the drum kit is too wide.

I confirmed this and this is what I responded:

I did not try to impose more "focussing" on the drums, but panned the overheads simply full left and right, hoping that the narrow positioning of the mics (on a single stand pointing down with some 120 degree opening angle) would do the trick. Then I placed the other drum mics somewhere in between. Additionally, I use a full stereo reverb for the overheads that supposedly even widens the impression. Maybe simply using a folder track for the drums and deliberately "monoing" the signal a bit might help to do a more consistent mix.

Regarding the sound of the cymbals you are right again, but here it's intentional (but maybe exaggerated), as I do like this kind of sound that I know from the 80th ECM studio recordings on LPs.

In fact I don't use a reverb bus, but I like to create a dedicated room for each instrument. This of course is not "natural" at all, but it helps to allow the listener to tell the instruments apart more easily. Again my personal taste is such a more "analytic" listening. Nonetheless I do have the impression that the overall sound has a little bit of "Club" feeling (the audience very near to the stage), rather than a dedicate "studio" touch.


-Michael

Last edited by mschnell; 05-26-2019 at 02:26 AM.
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Old 05-26-2019, 07:09 AM   #6
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After repeated listens, I never even noticed about the drums until you mentioned it here. Not imposing "focus" apparently worked, though I will say on most jazz classics, the drums are more 'monoish', but I didn't find it distracting. I don't hear the cymbals so bright as much as prominent. Again, one of those things I didn't even notice until it was brought up.
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Old 05-26-2019, 07:38 AM   #7
mschnell
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Thanks again for you comments !
-Michael
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