MacJams.com - Song: Funky Flute Groove Experience by composerclark

Funky Flute Groove Experience
by composerclark

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Submitted on: Aug 07, 2008 - 09:21:58 AM
Last Updated: Aug 12 2008 - 06:51:45 AM

Keywords Funk (194), Blaster (1), Classical (408), Flute (121), Guitar (943), ()

Description I was wondering why I had never submitted a song in the 'funk' category before, but then remembered that I hadn't ever written anything in this category either. Well, I still haven't... this is kind of a funk/classical/latin/blues crossover number, I guess.

I wrote some pieces a few years ago for soloist (sax) and electronics (on CD) called Urban Dance Music (the first of which was my first submission to MacJams), in which I tried to create a fusion between contemporary classical music and jazz, blues, and rock. This piece is along the same lines, but this time I'm borrowing from funk.

Another difference is that FFGE is written for 1, 2, or 3 live performers (flute, with optional electric guitar and/or turntablist) and electronics (on CD). When this was premiered a month ago we had all three of the above, with the turntablist improvising along with the music.

The version I'm submitting to MJ's has me on electric guitar, and everything else (including the flute) is made by a Korg Trinity V3, driven by Digital Performer. It represents a kind of milestone for me in that this is the first time I have ever tried recording live audio digitally, and it is therefore also the first time I've ever submitted anything to MJ's with myself on guitar.

The title is whimsical; I Googled "flute, funk" and noticed that the words "groove" and "experience" also came up fairly frequently in the search results, so I just shuffled the word order a bit until I came up with this one, which seemed in keeping with the spirit of playfullness in the music.

More info:

• My blog entry about FFGE and the process of recording it; or
• FFGE Program note.

Hardware Gibson ES-335, Laney LC-30 amp, Korg V3 Trinity

Software: Digital Performer, Audio Desk

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Ejh

HenriROGERsoloandbands

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Cameron said 154 days ago

cool air space
Very interesting piece. I imagine that the live version would be even more so; the "real" flute combined with the electronics would be quite effective.

I was particularly impressed with the panning of the percussion instruments in this recording. Nice spacial feel. Also, the pauses in the music added to this impression of space. The texture is rather spare and uncluttered.

Nice electric guitar. Congrats on your "debut"! I'd like to hear more of that in future submissions.

	composerclark said 154 days ago
	Thanks Thanks for being so quick off the mark with your comment, Cameron! I really appreciate it. The electronic part consists exclusively of basses and percussion, which is probably why you got a sense of spatial openness here. The guitar part was an afterthought, and I tried to make sure it didn't get in the way of everything else that was going on.

	Ibstrat said 154 days ago
	Kind of a combination of King Crimson,Bitch's Brew, and Zappa with your quirky melodic sense.I love it!That minor blues in the middle is a great touch.Fantastic to hear you play guitar.Nice solo!

	Reinholt56 said 153 days ago
	Hi CC.... This is a wonderful piece, full of goodies, that is arranged, performed and recorded extremely well. Top notch music and I love it. Take care. Paul

	peacepiano said 153 days ago
	Funky Funkmaster, you have out done yourself. This is a very enjoyable and interesting piece of music. Your blend of classical and funk is startlingly original but easy on the ears :) Thanks Bill

	kristyjo said 153 days ago
	Funk master- I never would've thought, but, of course, that's what makes it so much fun. I can imagine the additional layer of DJ/turntable and the live flute player made it even better. Lots of room here, but the parts all hang together quite well.

	cchaplin said 153 days ago
	It fuses very nicely ! Maybe it's just me, but I can even hear subtle hints of Argentinean tango in there (I could easily see the flute being replaced by a bandaleon). I also love the way you couple the guitar with the contrabass.

	sloparts said 153 days ago
	Very unusual Clark, and also very good. Interesting mix of instruments and styles. I like this a lot, but I especially liked the way you kept it moving even in the quiet places. Loved the blues section you threw into the middle, and although it is out of place with the rest of the song, it actually fit perfectly into it. Very nice work my friend, Kudos to you Ed

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks, Ed! Your comment about the minor blues section in the middle is interesting… I was aware as i was composing it that we had moved away from whatever funkiness the music might have had previously, but, as you said, it felt right anyway, so I went with it! Just left a comment for your latest.

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks, Ed! Your comment about the minor blues section in the middle is interesting… I was aware as i was composing it that we had moved away from whatever funkiness the music might have had previously, but, as you said, it felt right anyway, so I went with it! Just left a comment for your latest.

	Karmatoburn said 153 days ago
	startin the groove generator. I can only hope you decide to do lots more like this. The scratching, drums, accompanied by the acoustic bass and flute just rocks for me. The little sustained harmonics and bell's are very cool accents. Phenom mix. and probably all written out :-) you are a monster talent sir

	jiguma said 153 days ago
	Laid back funk .... .... and other oxymorons ;) So very cool Clark, and such great midi sounds - flute and bass in particular sound so real. Some lovely guitar parts too - I always thought of you as a pianist. I love the variations and the "what's around this next corner" feel. Top post! Neil

composerclark said 153 days ago

Thanks
'Funkmaster' and 'Clark' is also an oxymoron, which is why I thought it'd be funny to describe myself that way. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and especially that you found the bass(es) realistic. There is one main bass line, an acoustic jazz-type instrument, and I doubled it at various points with an electric bass, sometimes at pitch, sometimes an octave higher, to give the bass sound a little more definition in the mix. I then added a third bass in a few spots to play counterpoint with the other basses.

I write a lot for piano, but guitar is my main instrument.

	Stun Nutz said 153 days ago
	holy crap! I enjoyed this piece a lot... pleasant peculiar funkiness. I am amazed at how much this reminds me of one of my early GarageBand pieces! I mean, they flow differently and evoke different moods, but both have a similar flutey quirkiness! Check it out here.

	magnatone said 153 days ago
	Funky flute wow clark - this is so complex in my ears, the way you compose, and the stuff your musical brain can think of, just amazes me. This is VERY cool - so unexpected from you - hope you try more of this (although, not LESS of anything else you do PLEASE) - I just love it!

drakonis said 153 days ago

eclectic-meister
talented in composition and variety... love the little trip to South America around 2:45. Such a delight to see you around again! Very nicely written, mixed, and arranged. There's enough rhythm, funk, and consonance that I don't get completely lost, and this makes me dizzy trying to follow... in a good way! Excellent guitar work, love the little bends here and there.
ttfn,
Drakonis

composerclark said 152 days ago

Thanks
Wow, I just visited your page and discovered you've been pretty busy with new uploads that I missed, so I'll have to rectify that! Just heard one and left a comment.

I'm always pleased when you are able to leave a comment for my music, Eduard, because you have excellent ears and I really value your opinion. The section you refer to at 2:44 or wherever is a great example; I didn't have South American music in mind at all when I wrote it -- I was just thinking 'minor blues with an occasional weird twist' -- but, now that you mention it, I think I can hear what you mean... so, thanks!

	said 153 days ago
	Funky Flute Groove. I am not a music expert. But to my two ears I like the arrangement and it sounds very nice. And I love the flute and guitar. Thanks for sharing.

	guitapick said 152 days ago
	Play with my head... ...walking in and out like that...whew...gets funkier and funkier...nice guitar work and I love the lines on the flute...great spaces of play...

	Doadars Uncle said 152 days ago
	Nice twists Clark! This is delicate and funky all at once. Jazzzzy!!! Metheny feel to it! I really like it! Doug

	mowguy3 said 152 days ago
	Funky Flute Groove So much to listen to, so many directions. Your guitar is just nuts, Love it. Realy enjoyed this tune. Thanks and be well, Russ

	Feter said 152 days ago
	Funky Flute Groove Experience what a master can do wth electronic tracks /??? ... I ll tell you what my ears telling me ..Jehtro tull .. with there own sane jazzy visual sence ..I m diggin this so much ..this is amazing ..a real master peice ! thnx alot for sharin it !!!!

Ejh said 151 days ago

Clark! You're playing guitar!
AND I still want your brain!

This is like some take from the great lost album from the Sixties in which Charlie Mingus tried to get this sound he was looking for out of Bootsy Collins, Ian Anderson and members of King Crimson...I'd love to hear a breathier flute on it...

I love that it has funk to it, but also a certain intellectual unpredictability...

I really enjoy hearing your guitar playing... Sounds great, and now I'm dying to hear it in a more 'guitar-centric' piece... Let's see...ES-335?!?! AND a Laney?!?! You, sir, have been holding back...

Ed

composerclark said 151 days ago

Thanks
Thanks, Ed! Your comments are always so generous. I've only ever had one electric guitar - the ES335 - which I bought about 30 years ago, when I had aspirations of being a jazz guitarist. It's a nice guitar, but I was convinced for about 22 of those years that it didn't sound very good because I was playing it through a cheap, terrible-sounding amp. Then, a few years ago my wife authorized the purchase of a new amp, so I checked a few out and discovered that the guitar didn't sound too bad at all through a nicer amp, and I chose the Laney. But still, I hardly ever play it! I go for months at a time without taking the guitar out of its case. Maybe now that I've figured out how to record audio and edit it I might try playing a bit more… Never enough time to do all you want, though!

Thanks again!

	spitlogic said 151 days ago
	Interesting This has a lot going in here. All the different elements are well spaced out and dont clutter the song while giving each instrument its own space. Kinda reminds me of pulse time modulation (not sure why that reference came out). I would like to hear the turntablist get a little solo though (hehe). Cool jam.

composerclark said 149 days ago

Thanks
Thanks a lot! I really appreciate your comment. I'd like to see a turntable solo in there too; I think that would be extremely cool. The problem is that I live in a fairly isolated environment (island in the North Atlantic) where there just aren't too many turntablists around. The turntablist who was supposed to play in this broke up with his wife and moved to Asia a couple of weeks before the premiere, so I had to assume we'd have no turntablist, so I ended up not leaving any space for a solo. Then, as it turned out, we did find somebody a few days before the premiere, but the piece was finished by then, so he just improvised some cool sounds in the background.

But, yes, a turntable solo would be good for sure.

Jim Bouchard said 150 days ago

nice!
The guitar sure doesn't sound like an afterthought. Really nice panning, great space. I'm not crazy about the midi flute (though it's more in a piccolo range, I think). If you were to make it more synth-y sounding it would be less like a simulacrum and stand more on its own. I like the part it plays a lot, though, and that's just a small nit to pick, because that's what I do. You're really a master!

	HenriROGERsoloandbands said 149 days ago
	Great ! Great ! :-)

	Scott Carmichael said 149 days ago
	so great to hear you playing some guitar... it's different for you in that way... but, it still reflects your playful and restlessly exploring spirit... and has your composer chops written all over it... I like your use of space... and the notes that you don't play... is this a result of interacting in MJ for years, and a compulsion to get in the recording game... you are out there man

	EZamor said 148 days ago
	Funky Flute Groove Experience a groove experience, indeed! excellent work. as a flute player myself, i find this piece particularly enjoyable. cheerz, -=ez

	Bowman said 145 days ago
	What's so wonderful... is that even though this isn't your "thing" (honestly not mine either) yet it still has music integrity and is just plain fun. Always a treat to hear new stuff from you Clark. Best, Charlie

	LunaTrick said 138 days ago
	What a tonic that was... Adore the fluted groove - amped me up. Reminded me of Marc RIbot (sans Waits)! Brillo!

composerclark said 112 days ago

Thanks
Woah... I'm unforgivably late in responding to these last few comments here... Sorry 'bout that!

Thanks very much for you kind words, LT. I'm not sure who Marc RIbot (sans ou avec ) Waits is, so I'll have to go check that out. One of the best aspects of this place is that people say, "that sounds like (so-and-so)," which makes me curious about the music of said so-and-so, and it's always a thrill to discover good artists I may never have encountered before.

I'm writing a rather long-ish reply to make up for the fact that I am so late in doing so...

Cheers!

Norman Goodman said 132 days ago

Outstanding
This is excellent....exceptional lines. Very effective use of tension and tremendous phrasing. The guitar playing and flute motifs are very reminicent of the harmonic approach used by Alan Holdsworth...more so the flute perhaps, however the guitar certainly follows suit...Bill Frisell is another similar stylistic reference. Piece embodies the fusion genre in my opinion. First time I have heard your guitar playing....awesome!

VicDiesel said 129 days ago

Cool!
If this is written out, you should not have a hard time finding a real flautist to play this, and it would improve the sound quality tremendously; this piece deserves it. The guitar definitely works very well. You did mention playing guitar somewhere, but I don't associate you with the instrument. You should do more of it.

Very cool piece overall. The beginning is almost like a modern classical piece in its sparseness, but then the more regular funky riffs set in (1:30). And starting at 2:50 it's almost like straight jazz.

Love the percussion and bass btw.

	Char said 126 days ago
	Entertaining because it was very complex. Take as much time as you need to create masterpieces. Thank you.

	lengold said 117 days ago
	What a thoroughly beautiful mixture of sounds - pure class. Cheers Len

	davidsmith99 said 115 days ago
	FFGE superb!

	Enrique Gil said 103 days ago
	Hello Mr Clark! I did not know you could write different kinds of music. Wow! I love the deep bass and the yip yip yips! The flute sounds equally cool.

	magnatone said 88 days ago
	Funky Flute wild and wildly entertaining trip Clark!

	thetiler said 17 days ago
	This was indeed quite interesting. Lots of VERY creative funk! Wow! WAy To gO. I like how you mind works :) This seems like only somebody that has been emersed in music for a long time can do right. And you sure seem to have nailed it in the creative department!

	Skean said 8 days ago
	This piece talks to me as I walking around in my woods, the whole song is a great panting about freedom. I love this composition.. Kudos

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks a lot, Mark! Coming from one of my favorite guitarists anywhere, a compliment about my playing from you means a lot. I'm also flattered silly by your references to King Crimson, Miles, and Frank, all artists whose work I love. I'm really glad you were able to have a listen!

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks Paul! I'm really glad you like it, and I appreciate your comment.

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks a lot, Bill. The idea of me as 'funkmaster' is pretty funny, which is why I used the term in my song description — I've never made any funk music in my life before this, and I'm not even sure this falls into the funk genre… not sure if it falls into any genre, come to think of it! Anyway, thanks, and I just left a comment for your latest.

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks The idea of me as funkmaster (or master of anything, for that matter!) is so incongruous that I thought it was kind of funny to refer to myself in that way, as I said in my previous comment… But I'm glad you were able to have a listen and that you enjoyed it!

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks a lot. I really admire your music, and am amazed at your versatility; just left a comment for your latest.

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and yes, every single note is written out, which is probably why it took about two months to write this… I'm a slow + steady-type composer, I guess. I also really liked your latest!

	composerclark said 153 days ago
	Thanks Thanks for the link, Eric! I just checked it out and left a comment; very cool!

	composerclark said 152 days ago
	Thanks Thanks as always for your enthusiasm, Karen! It means a lot to me, it really does... very encouraging! I just heard the beautiful track you uploaded today, and left a comment. Thanks again!

	composerclark said 152 days ago
	Thanks You make wonderful music, so I always value your opinion! Thanks for having a listen, and I'm glad you liked it!

	composerclark said 152 days ago
	Thanks Huge thanks, Bob. I'm pretty self-conscious of my guitar playing, so it's nice to get a vote of confidence from an outstanding guitarist such as yourself! Loved your fishing tune!

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	composerclark said 152 days ago
	Thanks Thanks, Doug! Now I gotta go listen to some Metheny to hear what he sounds like! I appreciate your support. Just left a comment for your latest.

	composerclark said 152 days ago
	Thanks Thanks a lot, Russ. As I mentioned above, I'm kind of self-conscious about my guitar playing — this is my 20th submission to MacJams, and the first on which I play guitar (or play anything, for that matter!) — so I'm glad you liked it. Just left you a comment on your latest submission.

	composerclark said 152 days ago
	Thanks Jethro Tull? Cool! I like him a lot. As it happens, I think the flutist for whom I wrote this played a gig with Jethro Tull (Ian Anderson) once. Huge thanks for your support!

	composerclark said 149 days ago
	Thanks Merci beaucoup, M. Roger!

	composerclark said 149 days ago
	Thanks I always look forward to your comments, Scott, and your music as well. Well, especially your music! I hope you're working on something? It's been a while; I hope you are well! Thanks very much.

	composerclark said 147 days ago
	Thanks Thanks very much for your kind comment. I am afraid I had not heard any of your music before, but I was pleased to do so yesterday, and left a comment for you in return. Pleased to meet you!

	composerclark said 112 days ago
	Thanks Thanks Norman! You've given me another couple of names to listen to — Alan Holdsworth and Bill Frisell — so I plan to do just that. I especially appreciate your compliments about the guitar playing, since you're such a fine player, and I think of myself as basically a hack guitarist. Thanks again!

	composerclark said 112 days ago
	Thanks Thanks as always for the careful listen and detailed comments, Victor. I am pleased that you enjoyed it. Not sure if this is even possible for a recorder, but it would be a cool sound to have if it were. Cheers!

	composerclark said 112 days ago
	Thanks Thanks very much, Char. I just listened to the track you did with Luna Trick, and found it very moving.

	composerclark said 112 days ago
	Thanks Thanks very much, Len. I'm glad you were able to have a listen, and that you enjoyed it.

	composerclark said 91 days ago
	Thanks Thanks a lot, Enrique! I'm glad you were able to hear it. My first three submissions to MacJams were along similar lines to this, but I subsequently removed two of them, but "late night blues" is still here.

	composerclark said 77 days ago
	Thanks Thanks Karen, nice of you to say so!

	composerclark said 16 days ago
	Thanks Thanks Bill. The fact that a guitarist of you calibre likes it means a lot to me. Hope you and your family have a great Christmas!

	composerclark said 7 days ago
	Thanks Thanks very much, my friend. Always a treat to get a comment on a submission that has been gathering dust for a while! Happy New Year!