MacJams.com - Song: Have Pity (on the Crescent City) by ziti

Have Pity (on the Crescent City)
by ziti

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Guest profile visits: 1559
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Song comments: 46
Tokens: 0
Plays: 415
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Downloads: 95
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Submitted on: Dec 04, 2005 - 08:58:43 PM
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Keywords prayer (19), new orleans (11), tribute (33)

Description This song actually started the night before katrina hit new orleans. i sat in my studio with my guitars and my computers and my little tv set...trying to will that son of a bitch to head east.....by dawn I had recorded all the intro, or the approaching storm, and had the rest of the tune mapped out....even the lyrics, which is amazing for me ...cuz for me, lyrics are ......really hard.

I feel a huge draw to nawlins....the music from there is my favorite. and my fortunate association with the great amadee castenell, a masteful and well renown sax player from there, has given me a great rspect and love for the place, and it's musicians.

over the last few months, i watched as the new orleans story played out. how much those flood waters washed away. and how much those flood waters exposed.

I dedicate this song to all the people of New Orleans, and the culture that is the heart of all great american music. i pray that the spirit that is new orleans grows stronger as they rebuild. in these days, we need all the music we can get our hands on. I have tried to emulate the style of the neville brothers or allen tousaint on this piece....but seeing as it's just me on this...i fall short!

enjoy!

I remixed the drums, and re-posted this song.

Lyrics what would america be
without fats domino
professor longhair or satchmo
all the music we love
comes from new orleans
most joyous place
that's ever been

so angel of mercy
please have pity
on the crescent city

if you could find one spot
that holds america's soul
she gave us her children
jazz, blues and rock and roll
there's music playing
everywhere
creole sweethearts dance in
congo square
they dance to the neville brothers
dancin to doctor john
king toussaint's rhythm
is still rockin strong

so angel of mercy
please have pity
on the crescent city

we watched in horror
as the levees broke
with no way out
for the poorest folk

politicians
they don't care
people dyin everywhere
dying in thier homes
dying in the street
dying in the dome
now the people are scattered
but the soul is strong.......

Hardware yamaha bass & keyboard
fender strat
2 PRS custom 22s--sapphire and ruby
line6 pod
akg perception 200
mbox

Software: gb

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	jgurner said 1094 days ago
	Awesome You've weaved an incredible sonic tapestry that's a fitting tribute to the Big Easy. The sound is as frenetic as the wind or a warm, sultry night down in the French Quarter. And I think the lyrics do a great jobs of wrapping up what a lot of people who know and love the people feel.

	ziti said 1093 days ago
	jgurner thanks for the kind words...this song means alot to me. Your response is welcome!!!

	dajama said 1094 days ago
	Excellent Excellent sound, nice guitar work, and effective percussion. I like the lyrics, and I love the way you sing them; it's bluesy, with a kind of Mark Knopfler vibe going on. The music catches the mood of the whole disaster, especially the ominous intro. Great job.

	Einarus said 1094 days ago
	Very cool Excellent groove - really dig the percussion. The guitarwork is excellent, as always. Nice vocals - really fit the mood. Excellent production - so clean and full. Great.

	ginz111 said 1094 days ago
	Great Stuff As Usual Z. Love it!!! Carl

	said 1094 days ago
	boss sound Deep roots well up from the ooze, becoming my reins and stirrups. I ride this one far and wide. More than regional -- it's transcontinental, dare I say transworld? Thanks for providing a lift for my soul journey.

	TEXASFEEL said 1094 days ago
	When the levy breaks... Every thing changed and effected us, even up here in the Dallas Fort Worth area. I've met a musician from there already. He works at our Brook Mays. Nice sentiment. Dig the blues and Latin beat. Regards John

	chakeres said 1094 days ago
	Now that's a Vibe Well done z. You got that New Orleans vide going into overdrive. Great playing and the mix is top shelf. And what a great tribute to a great city. Thanks for hooking me up, makes me want to get some Voodoo Red.-JAC

drakonis said 1094 days ago

Wow...
This is a giant leap past early peeks I heard... Love the soft hurricane
guitar work for the intro, and throughout. Your voice is perfect for
this... no need to send my DragonSauce back, it lowered your voice
nicely. Good lyrics, great singing and playing, wonderfully soulful
melody. I often worry about songs about the disaster, but this was a
tasteful tribute. Awesome work, man! DL'ed/Faved!
ttfn,
Drakonis

jiguma said 1094 days ago

Guitar tapestry
Fran, this reminds me a lot (vocally) of Robbie Robertson - a good
thing! I really like the percussion parts you've got happening here -
excellent stuff - and the guitars as usual are wonderful. You have such
a great "big picture" way of dealing with guitars, with various parts
weaving in and out of each other in a tapestry of feeling - I suspect
that recreating this live would see half a dozen zitis across the stage!!!.
The solo is a killer. I know virtually nothing about New Orleans music
(or New Orleans itself for that matter), but I have been through a
cyclone, and this evokes some of the feelings of that night - the fear
and beauty, but most of all the short term intensity and relentlessness
of the damn thing. I really like this style of playing Fran.
Great writing, great playing,
Neil

ziti said 1093 days ago

Guitar tapestry
tapestry?...yes...the sound of many guitars weaving in and out is a dream
sound....since layla came out...all the little parts to hear....there are a million
ways to play everything on the guitar...and it's like a game to find things that
go together. Once i have a basic rhythm track all the way thru...with the feel i
want, then I find alternate ways to play the original parts; in different octaves,
different regions of the neck...without the miracle of GarageBand, I would
never get to hear what all these parts sound like together...unless as you say,
i had six guitar players hanging around.

glad ya like it!!

	Scorpjammer said 1093 days ago
	Great Song, Ziti Song has a great hook. Strong and powerful tune. Your playing and arranging is terrific. Signature Ziti sound and stylings. Hmmm. I could almost hear a soulful trio of female background singers or male and two females echoing the chorus. Maybe on a future version....Just a tought:) 10s/fav/ipod Scorp:)

rtcooper said 1093 days ago

ZOWW-WWIE
This Immediately muscles into the Top Five Favs of mine.

Stunning.

Thought I was on Desire Street with the Shadows of the Supernatural
Swirling Around Me. Great Aural Landscape! Percussion is evocative
and appropriately Tribal.

Best Piece on NO that I've heard. Lyrics are Superbly written and
Perfect for you.

I think this the Single most Organic and "Whole" performance of yours
to Date.

Pro Production Values. Top Shelf All Around.

Congratulations.

Coop

	Jim Bouchard said 1093 days ago
	you got it! If you were trying to evoke the Neville bros. you certainly are on the mark, tho not overly derivative. The vocal does remind me a lot of Robbie Robertson also, and all in all this is an excellent tribute to NO!

	alley-oop said 1093 days ago
	voice I like that you are developing your vocals. It makes your message that much more powerful. Great guitars, great music bed. I like the music legacy of New Orleans connection to the common struggle of the every man and woman. Already, you're writing words with craft, Bravo!

	eDrew said 1093 days ago
	Guitar Work That's some very soulful guitar playing my friend. Enjoyed the music more than I did the vocals. Touching tribute for a grat city.

	Z293 said 1093 days ago
	So Many Textures So little time. I was listening to this as you took it down yesterday, so I had to come back today to hear the rest. To steal your line, deepest bows.

	perceptualvortex said 1093 days ago
	The intro is really good, reminds me of some weird cross between King Crimson and Pink Floyd. This is a great tribute to N'Orleans. Did I mention that your singing sounds kind of like Zappa here? I'm thinking of "Stink-Foot" in particular, but the album "Apostrophe" more generally. As usual, you know how to make that axe sing, and the solos here are really nice. Great going Fran!

	notsosweet said 1093 days ago
	A fitting tribute to a beautiful and vibrant city.

	aclarke said 1093 days ago
	Real glad you remixed this and brought the vocal out more. In my opinion it was essential in conveying the entire feeling of the song. Granted, your guitar playing is always soulful... but in this case, the voice stands on the same level. Great job... I liked this song tons the first time I heard it... I love the way it came out here!

	snowdragon said 1093 days ago
	well, you caught me right off guard on this one. Told you you could write lyrics and sing them if you set your mind to it. Excellent tune Zetes.

	SlimGirlFat said 1093 days ago
	The usual stunning guitar work from you here Ziti. Soulful yet full of hope this is a great tribute song for those people in New Orleans. I'm glad you actually put some vocals to this, perhaps, yes a tad too high in the mix and a touch too spacey but all in all i like this very much Slimmie

Ejh said 1093 days ago

You've already heard from me...
...at least a little, about this one...

You really have nailed down a Meters-style groove... that trebly rhythm
chink-chink-chink is right in there... and the bass is very Meters-ish...
in a good way... I'm coming to realize that you have more feel for the
bass than is immediately apparent...

Your intertwining guitars are great... this is becoming a signature of
your sound on MacJams... Nice hearing your cut loose a bit here...

And I do hear the Robbie Robertson comparisons... This would be in
line with his "Storyville" stuff, also New Orleans derived...

My only nit-pick, and it is a nit-pick, is that at times in the vocal it's
like you're trying to sound Southern...one of the things that I like
aboutt Robertson, and Knopfler, is that they can step into a Southern
vibe, but still sing like themselves... My own opinion is that you can
just sing like ziti and it'll sound actually stronger...

The song's very heartfelt, though, ziti, and that's a good thing...

Ed

ziti said 1093 days ago

grits with that?
HHAHAHAh....jeez the last thing I wanna do is sound
SOUTHERN....hahahah...the problem with my singing is i don't have any IDEA
what it's supposed to sound like....this singing stuff is so new to me...the only
singing I've really done is back in the drinking days, and it was just really
shouting, and I never RECORDED it...so this is totally new for me. And I am
paranoid as hell about it, to be frank. But as Ally said, it does make a more
honest statement than just accompanying someone else...much more
personal. So I am working on it...and it's so helpful to get comments.
Also very confusing..if you read the comments...slimmie says too
loud...aclarke says turn it up...big help...hehehehe.

Thanks as always ed, for the thoughtful comments

z

Jim Bouchard said 1093 days ago

grits with that?
I'd briefly commented on this, but coming upon what Ed is saying about the vocal is pretty true, if there is a nit to pick about this song, it is the quality of the vocal. Since you admit needing some guidance there, let me offer my humble opinion. On this song anyway, it sounds like you're acting and not being yourself, whatever your self is. The level of the vocal is fine. It's just that the vocal here is sort of spoken, and I think it either needs to be just spoken or really sung. If you're speaking it you might want to make it more conversational and intimate, if it's sung I think it needs to have a more melodious treatment. Like a lullaby you might sing to a child, it doesn't need to be sung with a lot of power but with more emphasis on the melody. I'm not looking for Aaron Neville here, but I would love to hear him sing this!

But this is a great tribute to NO! Love your guitar playing, and that you are using your voice to say what needs to be said in words!

---
It's almost unforgivable [telling a band their music is wrong],
it's like telling you how to make love to your wife - Steve Albini.

	Tom Atwood said 1092 days ago
	Two voices here It's great to hear your voice, Z, but the most instantly recognizable voice for me is your guitar. Always fresh and innovative, alive and blue, full of sadness and hope. Perfect. An excellent tribute. --- <a href="http://thelostrecords.com/atwood-artist.html">american plain cd</a> <a href="http://thelostrecords.com/noel-project-artist.html">splendor bright cd</

	ziti said 1092 days ago
	wow... you know as much as we all say how much we love to get constructive criticism..it seems like ya hardly ever really get any. This is wonderful, constructive criticism, and i thank you for it. I am commited to improving my songwriting and singing...so this is soooo helpful...Jim, Ed...great stuff! thanks! z

alley-oop said 1091 days ago

wow...
I remember JimB.pointing out once on an old song of mine, that I'm acting or
trying to sing in a certain way, instead of singing as my voice naturally is.
At first I didn't really understand what he was saying. But now I find it very
liberating. I'm finding the real character in my voice, So it is good advice.
The importtant thing for me Mr. Z, is that you are very good lyricist and that
always riviets people. So man! keep writing! I'm really looking foward to
hearing you sing oyur next song!

	ziti said 1091 days ago
	wow... i have been missing out by doing this "blanket thank you" at the end....I haven't gotten the full benefit of this kind of detailed discussion....stupid me! thanks ally!! z

	alanfraser said 1092 days ago
	Very cool mix Fascinating mix in the restraint on the guitar next to dominating percussion. Excellent vocals perfectly matching the vibe. Subtle build into a story that's wonderfully told. Excellent.

	Tadashi Togawa said 1092 days ago
	Sound of soul. Groan of guitar. Man's singing voice. Soul becomes a sound.

	Mcboy said 1089 days ago
	what a sonic delight.....my ears and brain just had a feast.....u r vocal has that right tone for this track......gruff but smooth......how'd u do dat???? veery kooolacoius!!!

	sky shoes said 1089 days ago
	Great tribute From a great musician. Thanks Ziti

	Macaudion said 1088 days ago
	AWWW... NICE ONE Z! I LIKE MCBOYS WORDS ABOUT THIS ONE CEPT, MY WHOLE BEING WAS BASKING IN COOLNESS OF THIS VIBE. THANKS FOR INVITNG ME TO THE PARTY - DION

	juicyjassi said 1088 days ago
	great! this was simply awesome. good job

	teedub said 1088 days ago
	Nice Really like the percussion, nice work. Guitar is real nice too. Very good vibe. Nice tribute to the great music and musicians from the city.

	earwig999 said 1087 days ago
	Better This track is better than most of the stuff on here. It's really hard to find a well produced one but you did it!! The lyrics are a nice touch too.

	Mystified said 1086 days ago
	All ziti all the time.... This is a great track, z. It has soul, feeling, the blues, love....I could go on. But I'll just say it's an honest, touching composition that doesn't hold back. And that's how it should be. And I like the vocals on this one.....just to weigh in on the debate ;)

	stratcat51 said 1082 days ago
	Pro Quality ! This is a great tune. Does the Big Easy proud. I like the way the guitars weave in and out with the little volume swells. The vocal treatment is really nice also.Yer wailing away on those PRS's.

	ziti said 1093 days ago
	Wow... Thanks drak singing...and...melody are not usually words that are attached to me.... thanks!!!! z

	ziti said 1093 days ago
	Great Song, Ziti i will have a song in the future with the Tortollini Sisters singing backup....we are working out the details with their management team.... Thanks Scorp!!!!!

	ziti said 1093 days ago
	ZOWW-WWIE Thanks Coop...this is a very big "production" number by my standards. I'm really happy that you like it!!

	ziti said 1093 days ago
	Guitar Work edrew...you are a wise man with a good ear....my singing is what it is...gonna keep trying to make it as un-offensive as possible! heheheh...I would die for a great voice, but i've learned to deal with it....there are nice recording techniues i'm working on to help the vocals, and I am learning alot doing it. thanks for the kind words and the time !!! z

	ziti said 1091 days ago
	Very cool mix why, thank you alan!! that's very nice of you to say that

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