Thanks for being brave enough to sing… I might give it a real gander sometime. Why don’t you post the clarinet samples? Doesn’t sound bad to me. I bought one for 35 but it seems my 13 year old is getting around to learn quicker than I, when he’s bored and sitting around. Seriously, post the clarinet, I dig the double mixing and throwing them in and around.

It’s a chill winter night, when the air is filled with the kind of mist that in warmer weather would be fog. We’re sitting in one of those spaces that exist in the midwest in ways that such spaces don’t really exist on either coast. It’s one of those places in which the booths are red, the carpet is a soothing color, and people wear button-down shirts, even if they are not at all button-down people. In the corner there’s a baby grand, not an expensive one, but one that still holds a tune wonderfully despite having seen better days.

A man in a huge sweater, woven from a Scots wool, sits at the piano. He’s had his Pete Hamill records out, and he would sing like one of the Roches if he had a soprano voice and a good harmonic sense, but instead he sings like an earnest fellow who did the right thing by beoming a physics teacher at the local high school.

All of life is a shimmering image—a ceramic doll, remembered jazz from a tinkling piano, an old high school sax recently bought for a song from a small-town pawnshop on the state line.

He closes his eyes, he remembers the poem, and he sings. He doesn’t worry that he’s not a Roche or a Chapin or a even a glee club. He just sings—and in his sincerity, and the mildest unheard imagined sound of the mist falling outside, we all find a moment of peace, and ask him to play another.

The singer knows, as do we all, that it’s not about the ideal compression in the most talented voice, but about making it real, and putting it out—raw, ready, and accompanied by a clarinet.

FPB !
I absolutely love your interpretations of my lyrics. This one is in every way as wonderful as “Hieroglyphs of Love”. Your voice sounds great in this and the searching plaintive mood of the whole piece is perfect. The piano and the clarinet really compliment.
I am honored. Beautiful job.

Geez, I wish I could write reviews like Gurdonark…
I bet those ceramic demons were “Precious Moments” figurines (pardon me while I suppress the urge to vomit at the thought of them).
Wonderful sincerity, great phrasing, love the clarinet.

I can’t really beat Gurdonark’s review - he’s totally nailed the process of speaking of what this track holds, the heart of all we here at the mixter hope to be a part of the leap of faith that is creating and sharing.

That poem (eg the lyrics) is absolutely fabulous FB. I read it before I listened and it stands on its own as quite the bit of literature. Your vocal delivery suits the mood of the poem perfectly and I know where this piece would sit very well in a broadcast setting. Don’t know if you know of Harry Shearer’s weekly radio program, “Le Show.” It’s a whole lot of satire and other truthful and humorous commentary mixed up with a bit of music because Harry makes the show as he goes so he puts a few tunes on to give himself time to think. He never tells you what was played and there is no real rhyme or reason to what gets chosen but it’s all a bit “not mainstream” shall we say. I love Harry’s show because it’s commentary gets at the truth far better than straight news does. The same way this song gets to the artistic truth a whole lot better than some spit polished bit of pop fluff might. (and just to be clear I’ve yet to hear anything of that genre here at the mixter)

Ah.. who needs Simon, we’ve got our own “mixter Idol” going here :-).

Nice to see another mixer stretching the old vocal chords and very nicely done too.

As has been said its the vocal expression of the lyrics that makes this especially nice.

I can’t better Gurdonarks comments either, but there’s something touching about this, I miss the days when people just got up and sang or played something. And I’m very pleased you used my piano. I like the ending too (is that just reversed?)

Well said, oldDog. This track has that feeling of spontaneity that comes out of a few people sitting in a room, belting out tunes sort of made on the fly.

This track comes from a place of great love of music and collaboration. Splendid work.

A fine surprise to hear another vocal on these samplepacks. I like this a lot because your voice has a natural mood and a very unique expression. A beautiful song!

well i missed this .It might have been uploaded on April 1st but its far from foolish.

Your voice and the piano give it a very close Stephen Sondheim feel with the sung/spoken style an honest actors type of delivery.

I can see you walking around the set of a 1950s room setting followed by a single spot and its the first song after the interval.

Nicely done.

Hey, FPB, love the vocals, the style, the musicality, the experimentation, anchors evocative lyrics, everything! most of all, i really love the clarinet solo and reversing piano at the end. you are one talented and creative music jack in the box! fabulous!