New England (Suite)

Contemplative interlaced harp and piano. A repetitive harp intro is accompanied by sparse piano chords, interweaving, questioning and answering each other. Ever changing piano chords shift the mood, creating sombre moments as well as moments of hope and clarity. Sparse, delicate and emotional, torn but determined. Driving in a car through suburban America, Autumn leaves falling, crunching underfoot. Ringing out changes.

Harp and No harp versions are simplified melodies with an added synth drone.

      New_England_Extended-JPM
      New_England_Harp-JPM
      New_England_No_Harp-JPM

Ice and Steel

An atmospheric slow-building track. Sustained synth notes cut through with glassy, overtone-like sound effects. This intensifies and fades as the track progresses, sometimes interspersed with bursts of mellow static. A fragile regular beat is established, then fades out. Fuller synth chords emerge. The thin beat is re-introduced, accompanying a slowly shifting progression of synth chords and radio static. A short, simple synth melody enters over the shifting chords and regular beat, turning into a single repeated note by the end. Hypnotic, chill, mysterious, icy cool. On film, accompanying an enigmatic landscape, real or imagined, a cold barren place at dusk or a bleak situation.

      Ice_and_steel-JPM

I’m Mystified

Smooth lounge jazz number. Piano chords, double bass patter and soft drums begin, joined by wistful saxophone melody. Piano takes a dynamic solo accompanied by drums and more busy double bass. Back to emotional sax melody. Nostalgic, warm and fuzzy, yet cool and laid back, perfect for a romantic old-school TV/Film sequence, Casablanca-style star-crossed lovers staring sadly into their stylish cocktails, intoxicated by love.

Bed track has No Saxophone.

      Im_Mystified-JPM
      Im_Mystified_Bed-JPM

Sandy-Haired Girl

Jaunty country-folk acoustic guitar instrumental. Light-hearted acoustic guitar repeated phrases, melodic acoustic guitar, moments of tension and relief. Upbeat, gentle and pastoral, would suit a Film/TV scene in a rural setting, gentle Americana to suit an innocent ideal of rural life where the greatest threat is a fox among the chickens.

      Sandy_Haired_Girl-JPM

Blackheart Blues, A Sea Shanty

Thoughtful acoustic guitar instrumental. Quiet acoustic guitar intro, freeform strummed section, back to original motif, building in intensity and volume. Pensive, nostalgic at first, becomes more emotional and forceful, would suit a contemplative documentary scene, stirring from thoughtfulness into action.

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The Real Business

Solo jazz piano. Slow-paced, measured jazz piano chords, starts gently, growing in intensity throughout with clashing and resolving chords ebbing and flowing, like inner turmoil. Romantic, thoughtful, wretched in equal measure, perfect for a quiet, pensive film moment, our troubled character unable to decide a course of action in love.

      The_Real_Business-JPM

African Rhythm Layers

Wonderfully percussive and relaxed, bit like a version of Nick Drake, near a river, on a Kora, building into something more positive and hopeful as it progresses. Wild but gentle, short but sweet.

      African_Rhythm_Layers-JPM

Postcard for Dominie

Melancholy solo piano. Haunting piano intro in an unsettling rhythm. Piano chords added, clashing and resolving. The sun comes out with the main motif repeated on a rolling wave of bass piano notes. More intricate melodies introduced , tumbling piano motif. Jazz piano soloing, more forceful, intense, emotional chords before a return to the haunting early motif played with added conviction. Searching, thoughtful and desolate, sounds like a message in a bottle bobbing over the seven seas, would suit a Film/TV/Doc journey, perfect music for a cross-country train journey as the landscape flashes by.

      Postcard_For_Dominie-JPM

The Jester

Wistful solo piano. Dramatic, comedic chordal piano descent before Amélie-style European piano. Lolloping, waltz section, turns melancholy with low, stormy piano chords. Rumbling bass clef notes before the sun comes out with a bright tinkling segment, leading to a romantic waltzing around the keys. Indecisive, dramatic, tender yet troubled, would suit a European film set in on rainy Paris street, the character’s tumultuous lives at odds with their quaint surroundings.

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Byron

African jazz-style instrumental. Dynamic drum intro, bold brass enters in unison, African-style jazz guitar, Étiopiques-style keys and lively marimba before a siren-like chiming, dissonant brass build, over increasingly frenetic marimba. Returns to jazz groove with a sax solo on top and a repeated melodic motif underneath on keys. Full band to the end. Joyful and excited, reckless and strange at times, would suit an upbeat summer advert, or as evocative mood music for a travel documentary.

      Byron-JPM