I think this was back in 1972.  At any rate, I was still in high school when I wrote string and flute arrangements for this local 45.  Jan Ince sang two of her songs, and Caltrick Simone (whose real name I’ve forgotten) produced.  I also played ‘cello on it.  An internet search reveals that copies […]

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A song about aging, always a crowd-pleasing subject.  This is the first verse.

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I joined Them Keener Boys for their debut CD in 1999, contributing trombone to “How’s It Going Mary?”, and backup vocals to “My Booty Cost a Dollah” and “Whores.”  If I recall correctly, I also played uke on “My Booty.”

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I think everyone can appreciate the sentiments of this song.  I recorded it for my CD That Regrettable Weekend, then later arranged it for uke, voice, and viola.

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When I was sixteen, I wrote a piece for string orchestra, which was played by the high school orchestra.  It was not a particularly sophisticated piece, relying heavily on tritones, but I learned a lot doing it.  And I can still remember the thrill of hearing it for the first time.  I apologize for the […]

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For Virginia Matthews’s dance “Check Mate,” I provided piano music (severe, contrapuntal, and diatonic), a spoken text (scrambled chess instructions), and chess pieces with bells in them.  This was all back in 1980, in San Francisco.

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“Clowns” was an orchestration exercise I did in high school, back when I was sixteen. Fortunately, the public school I went to in D.C. had an orchestra, so I was able to hear what I did. My subject was a piano piece by Joaquin Turina, chosen simply because it was short and suitable. I had […]

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On December 17, 2011, I did my bit for the annual “Filthy Song Night,” at the Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn.  I brought out my baritone horn, which I seldom play in public, and offered a traditional variant of the hymn tune “Old 100th.”  You can listen to it here. Addendum: No, I guess you can’t.  […]

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When I was 13, I played ‘cello in a city-wide youth orchestra in Washington, D.C.  I had forgotten about this performance at the White House until I rediscovered this program.  Simply to amuse myself, I slipped “played ‘cello at the White House” into a couple of bios.  So, if you happen across one of those, […]

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Every year, Meg Reichardt holds a holiday recording party.  Everyone writes a seasonal song; and records it with whoever and whatever is available.  My contributions for 2011, “Jesus Under the Mistletoe” and “The Easter Bunny’s Noel,” are now online over here. I also participated in 2009, with “Or So I’ve Been Told” and a round […]

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