I must be on a kick of liking only a few songs on a release. I’m sure like most things it will pass. Today’s post is a little late because of all the stuff I’m attempting to finish at the same time. I’m still in the midst of the Christmas project. There’s the thought that one of the songs may need to be resung because of the language. I chose to sing O Tannenbaum in it’s native tongue of German. However, there is concern that I may not have done it enough justice and might have to resort to the English equivalent of O Christmas tree. It’s sorta sad that I may have to do that. But I’d rather have it feel right than be like I’m stumbling through something.
Then today I got a call for of all things… Christmas music for a TV show. Oh the irony. I was hoping to have this entire project done back in September and here I am into mid-November and suddenly I’m still working on getting the mixes and the songs right. There are 10 songs who’s mixes are just in need of tweaks, but there are two more that feel like the arrangement need more stuff. Of those 7 are of public domain, so that’s the wisest choice for this show, since all they’d have to worry about is my masters and not about the publishing. So I’ve asked Chris (the mixing man) to go through the notes I’ve made about the current mixes to see if we can get them done by tomorrow.
It’s a tight deadline but it would be a fantastic shot in the arm if one or two songs got picked for the show. It would certainly help to push the rest into the finishing stages. So that’s where the Christmas stuff sits. At this point, I’m unsure that it will hit the iTunes music store to make it in time for this year’s Christmas season. DAMN!
It’s that concept of putting something out when it’s not quite ready. That’s part of my choice for today’s artist. Cheryl B. Engelhardt. I think she’s a budding songwriter who’s got great potential. In fact she originally had me listen to a song called “Keep”. I rather enjoyed that song, but it’s not finished and it’s not on iTunes yet. So in the interest of helping her out for much needed consumer support (you), I opted for a song on her current CD that is on iTunes. There are a couple of gems such as this song. However, there are other songs on the album that are either demos, or live recordings that to me would have been better left off.
I dig the groove on this song, especially in the opening figure. It’s got a simple tight groove. I think the bass player has laid down a very solid performance that really carries that section. The funk guitar is nicely placed as well. Not entirely grounding breaking but played so well that it’s a joy to hear. I like the interesting twist the chorus takes away from the solid funk feel that is set up in the intro and two verses.
I’m certainly interested in hearing more of Cheryl in the future. I’m excited to hear how the first song she sent me ends up. Hopefully the rest of her next release would incorporate the stronger songwriting all the way through. That would truly make her a force to be reckoned with. I do encourage you to explore more of her album, you might find you like something I’ve dismissed.