Music

As I've frequently said, the only thing that has remained steadfast and constant in my life has been my music- listening, composing, and performing. I've performed in big bands as a trombonist and in small jazz groups as a pianist for well over fifty years. I remember back to 1950 when, as a sophomore in high school, I joined the musician's union, along with my buddies Dave Campbell, John Milik, Bobby Vinton (yes, THE Bobby Vinton, only he was Stanley Vinton back then). The first band I played in was Count Cavi and His Cavaliers in Canonsburg. Then it was on to Idol Jordan, Bobby Vinton, Russ Romero, Lee Barrett, and some I've forgotten...

In recent years I've been composing and arranging primarily in my home studio, to which I've always referred as the Far Pavilions Studio. I chose this name because it has a faraway fantastic ring to it, reminding me of something not quite reachable or attainable, sort of like the mystical place described by Edward Lear: "...the land where the Bong tree grows..."

This page contains music that I created with MidiLab/2. It's a collection of CD albums and other individual favorite tunes.

All selections were produced in my home studio, all non-piano parts played on a DX7 keyboard and integrated with my Yamaha C7 Grand Piano, which was recorded on a Tascam 8-track tape machine synchronized to the computer and MidiLab/2. (huh?)

I hope you enjoy listening!

If you have trouble downloading and playing, make sure your computer is enabled to play MP3 music files. Also, your security settings or anti-virus program may be blocking file downloads. You'll need to enable file downloading, at least temporarily.

My Brush With Greatness

I sat in with the great Richie Cole during his appearance at Sebastian's, where I was playing a regular gig. My kids whispered something in his ear, and he called out "Where's Jim Bell?" and I went up and sat down at the piano. Richie decided to play 'Swingin' Shepherd Blues, a safe B-flat blues tune, since he didn't know me from Adam. Well, I did all right, and even took a chorus or two. What a kick that was!

Pavilions

In 1994 I produced Pavilions, my first music CD, including a composition that I wrote in 1987 entitled Suite for Orchestra, along with a few other original compositions. It was a gratifying project, enabling me to get a look behind the scenes of what it takes to produce a CD. Here are some of the liner notes from the jacket.

Pavilions is a diverse mix of compositions ranging from classical forms through jazz/pop to the latest directions in musical style. Each is remarkable in that all instrumental parts and sounds are derived from a single performer via a keyboard, then subsequently blended and synchronized with state-of-the-art music technology.

Suite for Orchestra is a work in five movements, employing a common unity of thematic material. The first of these movements, Tema con Variazione, opens with a cannonade of brass and woodwind figures under a fountain of glittering percussive tones, announcing the cardinal theme for the first time. We are then led through a brief labyrinth to an extended rubato piano solo, accompanied by the virtual orchestra. As the solo completes its closing cadenza, we are abruptly returned to the discipline of tempo by a rumbling, protracted crescendo, spiraling upwards for five octaves, to a reprise and conclusion of the opening sequence. Having thus exposed hints of the themes in this initial oratory, the remaining four movements of the suite provide each the opportunity to further develop within a pastiche of frameworks, ranging from the melodic Andante Cantabile to the funereal Elegia.

Celebration and Mare Tranquillitatis demonstrate the ability of recent music technology to use sounds and playing techniques that do not and cannot occur in the real world, a la musique concrete. Koko-no-Loco is a sampling of traditional Afro-Cuban jazz influence and improvisations; the 'untitled' composition is a structured version of melodies derived from late-night musings at the piano, while Ethernet features two versions of the same song performed in widely contrasting and opposed fashions.

James Bell has had long and successful careers simultaneously as a computer professional and as a jazz pianist and composer. In past decades he has also worked as a trombonist and arranger, traveling and performing with 'big bands' throughout the country. As the gap between computer technology and electronic synthesizers began to narrow in the mid 1980's, Jim discovered that it was now possible to transform into reality musical ideas that had long existed only in his mind, and the work that led to this album was begun. Pavilions represents a confluence of skills, talents, and artistry garnered over a lifetime of creative endeavor.

Synthesizers:
• Alesis HR-16
• Roland U220
• Yamaha TX816, TX81Z, SPX90, DX7

Computer sequencing software:
• MidiLab/2 for OS/2
- designed and programmed by James Bell

C-7 Acoustic Grand Piano by Yamaha
Recorded and mixed at Far Pavilions Studio, Los Gatos, CA.
Pre-master editing at Sonic Images, San Jose, CA. (April 1994) Engineer: Tao
Mastered at Music Annex, Menlo Park, CA. (May 1994) Mastering Engineer: Tom Carr
Cover design and layout by Musical Services Unlimited, Seymour, MO

Suite for Orchestra (from Pavilions CD)

Orchestral scores were produced with Encore notation software, a product I've been using since 1991

Movement	Audio Tracks (MP3 format)	Full Score (PDF format)
I - Tema con Variazione
II - Andante Cantabile
III - Allegro Agitato
IV - Elegia
V - Marcia al Trionfo