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ALDEBARAN (Keyboard Extravaganza)

Aldebaran is a massive Red Giant star in the Milky Way. I thought it would be fun to tell the story of birth and death of Aldebaran, which naturally begins with the Big Bang (tam-tam). After a textural opening of gongs and bells, the vibes establish the “pulse” of this musical universe. Three Balafon layers (African log xylophone) set the stage for the groove that forms the star. The simple melody is played on Gender Wayang (Indonesian mallet instrument) that brings out an interstellar quality. Glockenspiel adds flavors inside the groove.

"In Your Quiet Place" by Keith Jarrett

“In Your Quiet Place” by Keith Jarrett – one of my favorite songs from Keith and one of the first songs I learned way back when I was studying with Gary Burton. I can still vividly remember the lessons and Gary’s 5th floor corner office at the Berklee 1140 Boylston St. building in Boston. I also fondly remember his vintage set of gold Musser M55 vibe that he used for teaching and gigs. Those bars played "like butter". My lesson time was usually around lunch time and Gary would most often be eating a sandwich while I butchered these songs. Probably gave him indigestion. Ha!Ha!