Seasons In Concert

PART I – SPRING INTO SUMMER

1. Rain - solo piano

An excerpt from this piece, which I recorded on my 1982 album WINTER INTO SPRING (Windham Hill).

2. Cat & Mouse (with an excerpt from Handful of Keys) – solo stride piano

A piece in an older jazz piano style called stride piano. Stride piano basically means that the left hand strides between a bass and a chord while the right hand plays the improvisation. Stride piano was most predominantly played from the early 1920s to the early 1940s. My two main influences for stride piano have been: Thomas "Fats" Waller (1904-1943), who also in 1929 composed the standards Honeysuckle Rose and Ain’t Misbehavin’, the latter which was the title of the Broadway play in the 1980s about Fats Waller’s music; and also the late Teddy Wilson (1912-1986), who was best known for playing with the Benny Goodman Trio & Quartet in the late 1930s, and for backing up singer Billie Holiday on some of her first recordings in the 1930s.
In this piece the left hand is the cat and the right hand is the mouse. The last part of the song is an excerpt from Fats Waller’s 1929 composition Handful of Keys. I have not yet recorded this on CD.

3. Blossom/Meadow – solo piano

I recorded this song on my 1982 album WINTER INTO SPRING (Windham Hill).

4.‘Opihi Moemoe – solo guitar

A piece by the late, great Hawaiian Slack Key guitarist Leonard Kwan (1931-2000), who was one of the three most influential slack key guitarists in history (along with the late Gabby Pahinui [1921-1980], and the late Sonny Chillingworth [1932-1994]). Leonard composed this piece in the 1950s and recorded it in 1960, and it has been re-released on the recording THE LEGENDARY LEONARD KWAN–SLACK KEY MASTER-THE COMPLETE EARLY RECORDINGS (Hana Ola Records). I am playing it on an 8 string guitar built for me by Ervin Somogyi, based in the G Major “Taro Patch” Tuning on the 6 highest pitched strings (A-C-D-G-D-G-B-D).
Slack key is the name for the beautiful traditional finger-picked solo guitar style unique to Hawai’i. This tradition began around 1830 and predated the steel guitar by about sixty years. In 1982 I started Dancing Cat records primarily to record many of the master Slack Key guitarists. www.dancingcat.com

5. Kalena Kai – guitar duet played with the Hawaiian Slack Key guitarist Keola Beamer on the island of Maui, Hawai’i

I recorded this song as a duet with Keola Beamer on his 1994 album WOODEN BOAT (Dancing Cat). It was composed by Charles E. King or John Kalapana in the early 1900s. Keola is playing in an F Wahine Tuning (C-F-C-G-C-E, from the lowest pitched string to the highest), often called “Leonard’s F Tuning”, since it was first recorded by the late slack key guitarist Leonard Kwan; and I am playing again on the 8 string Somoygi guitar based in the G Major “Taro Patch” Tuning on the 6 highest pitched strings (A-C-D-G-D-G-B-D), and tuned down two half steps to sound in the key of F to match the pitch of the tuning Keola is in..

PART II – SUMMER INTO AUTUMN

6 & 7. The Great Pumpkin Waltz/ You’re In Love Charlie Brown – solo piano

Composed by the late jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976), for the Peanuts® animations created by the late cartoonist Charles Schulz (1922-2000). These pieces first appeared in the 1966 episode “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, and the 1967 episode “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown” respectively.
Vince Guaraldi was best known for his standard piece Cast Your Fate to the Wind, which he recorded in 1962, and also for his soundtracks for the first sixteen of the Peanuts® animations. In 1996 I recorded an album of Vince Guaraldi’s compositions, titled LINUS & LUCY-THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI (Windham Hill). I play about 45 of his songs, the most songs I play by any composer, and a second recording of his compositions is planned.

8. M.M.'s Dunk – solo harmonica

This piece is influenced by my two main harmonica mentors: Sam Hinton (www.samhinton.org), and we recently produced a double CD of his entire repertoire of harmonica solos, MASTER OF THE SOLO DIATONIC HARMONICA (Eagle’s Whistle Music); as well as the great harmonica player and inventor Rick Epping (www.rickepping.com), who I am also actively recording.
I recorded this piece on a compilation album with songs by various artists, SUMMER SOLSTICE (Windham Hill).

9. The Cradle – solo piano

A balled by the late jazz organist Larry Young [Khalid Yasim] (1940-1978), from his 1969 album HEAVEN ON EARTH, which is dedicated to mothers everywhere. I recorded it on my 1994 album FOREST (Windham Hill).

10. Corrina, Corrina – solo piano

A traditional American song, which has been sung three different ways: about a lost love, as a lullaby, and also as a children’s song, which is the spirit in which this version is played. I recorded it on my 1991 album SUMMER (Windham Hill).

11 & 12. Peppermint Patty/ Charlie Brown and His All–Stars – solo piano

Two more songs by Vince Guaraldi. Peppermint Patty first appeared in the 1967 Peanuts® episode “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown”, and it is also featured in several other episodes. Charlie Brown and His All-Stars is the title song of the 1966 Peanuts® episode of the same name. I also recorded these on my 1996 album LINUS AND LUCY–THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI (Windham Hill).

13. Cast Your Fate to the Wind – solo piano

This was Vince Guaraldi’s impressionistic composition and hit from 1962. I also recorded this on my 1996 album LINUS AND LUCY–THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI (Windham Hill), and I also played it in the Peanuts® soundtrack that I had the great pleasure of scoring in 1988, “This is America, Charlie Brown-The Birth of the Constitution”, where I used mainly Vince Guaraldi’s compositions.

PART III – AUTUMN INTO WINTER

14. Woods – solo piano

I recorded this song on my 1980 album AUTUMN (Windham Hill)

15. Pu`uanahulu – guitar duet with Chet Atkins

This traditional Hawaiian cowboy ballad was recorded by the late, great Chet Atkins on his 1996 album ALMOST ALONE (Columbia). This is Chet’s arrangement, inspired by the late great Hawaiian Slack Key guitar master Gabby Pahinui (1921-1980). Chet plays it in the keys of C and F, and he is in the C Major Seventh “Dropped C” Tuning (C-G-D-G-B-E), and I am playing on the 8 string guitar again tuned to A-C-D-G-D-G-B-D, which is similar to the tuning Chet is using, except the highest pitched string is tuned to D.

16. Waltz for the Lonely – solo piano

Composed by Chet Atkins and Charles Randolph Goodrum, and their beautiful ballad worked best for me as a piano solo. Chet recorded it on his video CHET ATKINS AND FRIENDS-MUSIC FROM THE HEART, and on his recording THE MAGIC OF CHET ATKINS (Heartland). I later recorded it on my 1999 album PLAINS (Windham Hill).

17. Skating – solo piano

This piece was composed by Vince Guaraldi and it was featured in the first Peanuts® soundtrack that Vince did in 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I also recorded it on my 1996 album LINUS AND LUCY – THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI (Windham Hill). This song always takes me to the scene in the video of the park in Billings, Montana where we skated as kids.

18. Thanksgiving – solo piano

I recorded this song on my 1982 album DECEMBER (Windham Hill).

19. Variations on the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel – solo piano

I also recorded this song on my 1982 album DECEMBER (Windham Hill).

20. High Plains Lullaby #19 – solo guitar

This piece, inspired by Eastern Montana, is played in a type of tuning in the Hawaiian Slack Key guitar tradition called C Mauna Loa Tuning, where the two highest pitched strings are tuned a fifth interval apart. I play it on the 8 string guitar in the key of C, and it is tuned to A-D-C-G-C-G-A-E.

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