"Satin Doll" | Arrangement by Joe Pass

Boy oh boy. Am I a horrendous jazz musician. I’ve been trying to chip away at improving this deficiency over the past 10 years or so, but to be completely honest, I haven’t made much headway—and that’s okay: it’s just for the fun of it. It’s a hobby. Most of what I’ve been doing is trying to treat music as a language, and learning some of the lexicon of jazz musicians that I admire. This is the A Section of Satin Doll as arranged by Joe Pass. There is so much to playing jazz, and these are some small baby steps I’ve made.

Thank you to everyone on Patreon for your encouragement and support: https://www.patreon.com/mikevitalemusic

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Latchkey Kid (Live at Studio 333)

The reason I started a Patreon page, no joke, was to start doing more things like this.  Live videos and live recordings.

Naturally, it's a budget thing.

This video, recorded live on Thursday January 17th 2019, is going to look and sound amazing.  Why is that important to me?  Because I am trying to land some festival gigs.  Playing festivals is a great way to make some new fans, and I can get the band booked if I have videos that look and sound great, like this one:

So, that's what I'm doing.  I'm planning on trying to make several more videos like this one.  "Latchkey Kid (Live at Studio 333)" is the second of many, hopefully.  I need a few up beat songs as well as a mid tempo tune like "Fool For You" to pitch us as a well-rounded act to these festivals.

Paul Jones, Tom Bremer, and Frank Reina at Studio 333 in Cerritos, CA. (pictured from left to right)

I was speaking with one of my friend's who is nearly the same age as me.  She is suddenly gaining a great deal of success as a songwriter.  She mentioned that the reason this is, outside of the music being good, is to have a team of people around her, that are good at what they do.

This is what I am trying to build on right now.  YOU are part of that team also, if you want to be: https://www.patreon.com/mikevitalemusic

Mike Vitale performing Latchkey Kid at Studio 333 in Cerritos, CA.

Monika Lightstone is part of this team.  She is the one shooting this video footage and all of this amazing photography.

Frank Reina, Tom Bremer, and Paul Jones are a part of this team.  Studio 333 is a part of this team.

Frank Reina, Tom Bremer, Paul Jones, and Mike Vitale at Studio 333 in Cerritos, CA.

We make really beautiful things when we all work together.  I'm hoping that this enthusiasm that I am feeling, is contagious.  I hope that you feel it.  It's momentum.

This momentum needs to grow in order for my music to reach ears, so I am working as diligently as I possibly can, to create a team, to nurture the project, and to watch this grow.

I am so very thankful to have you be a part of this team and for you to grow with all of us, should this be something you are interested in:  To grow older, to grow better, to grow smarter, to grow emotionally.  

You have my deep and sincere gratitude.

"Latchkey Kid (Live at Studio 333)" is being edited and is on the docket to be mixed here shortly.

I will have more to share with you soon.

- Mike

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If I Only Had a Brain - Harry Connick Jr., Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg

I just got done taking a master class from a young Harry Connick Jr.. I’ve been working on transcribing his version of “If I Only Had a Brain” from the album 20. In my own humble opinion, it’s a masterpiece, and I cried the first time I accidentally listened to it. I was so moved by its grace, that I knew I needed to learn it and sing it.

It’s a beautiful piece of music to begin with, but Connick’s use of chord substitution is pretty cool and sophisticated—he also creates some beautiful tension in his chord voicings, using many terse intervals such as m2 and M2 in his chord inversions, which are my favorite. Lots of suspensions. I learned a lot. I learned too much. Still trying to absorb the information. Bottom line, it just sounds boss (in a very touching and emotional manner), despite all the bullshit jargon I just prattled off: that’s what I’m after. That’s what I got.

I did my own thing with it and deviated from his arrangement as I saw fit.

I recorded the vocals using an AT4033 and SM57 on the guitar amp. If you dig it, please like the video and subscribe to my Youtube Channel. The support is invaluable and deeply appreciated.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone on Patreon for helping me to make these videos

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