What I’ve tried to do here is provide some documentary content: To really show what it is you’re hearing.

The audio and video for this song were tracked at the same time. What you hear and what you see are one-in-the-same. When you see a computer recording something in the background, you can bet that that is the audio you’re hearing in the recording. There is even some out-take footage.

This is one more way I’m inviting you into the making music process. I shot this on an inexpensive (~$100) consumer HD video camera and edited it in Final Cut Express HD. It was surprisingly easy.

As always, this song is available to you for streaming or downloading from my store at a Pay What You Want (even nothing) price. Please SHARE this music with friends via Facebook, Twitter, embed it in your blog, whatever… It’s a subtle way of showing your friends how hip you are and helping me out at the same time.

This was a fun project to assemble. What do think? Is it cool? Is it dumb?

Talk to me…

As always, the show was super fun. Steve and I met when we organized and performed together last spring at the Atmos Trio “Twitter House Concert.”

We got together in my studio to play some tunes. I employed my Ustream rig which consists of the iSight cam on my MacBook which receives a nice audio mix from studio’s mixing board. I had also just received  another HD camera as a gift so I had a 2nd video feed destined for YouTube. I also made a multi track recording of the show.

Upon reviewing what we had captured to disk, the music was deemed worthy to share. Just goes to show that a good sounding record doesn’t need to take a pile of cash and months to make. Just a couple of musos and healthy does of simpatico.

Please be sure to share this music with a friend.

If you would like to hear the rest of the album sooner rather than later, simply fill-out the mailing list form in the sidebar and you’ll be linked to an Exclusive Advanced Access Listener’s page.

Enjoy!

Album artwork by Linda Palmer.

Here is a brief peak into what we played. There will be higher quality video on my YouTube channel in the next day or two.

Posted via email from AtmosMusic

My way of giving thanks for all the wonderful support I’ve received this year. I truly appreciate it.

Happy Holidays!

Posted via web from AtmosMusic

Every Thursday, I play a solo jazz guitar show right out of my home studio. From my perspective, it’s The Hippest Thing Ever!

On this particular Thursday, I was being pummeled by spammers and well–it gave me the blues.

Posted via web from atmosmusic’s posterous

Damian and I have become familiar with one another via Social Networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. When he sent me a tweet indicating that he had a tour wrapping-up in my area and was interested in doing some playing, I wasted no time in inviting him to be a guest on Ustream for a Concert/ Clinic.

We hung-out, played some tunes and took questions from the audience and everyone had a great time. There was kind of a buzz before and after the event as well.

It’s always super fun to take “Virtual” relationships and have them become face-to-face ones.

Here’s an embed of us playing through one of my tunes Mr. Tippy Toe.

Posted via email from atmosmusic’s posterous

A few months ago, a fellow guitarist and friend, Ruth Parry and I decided to play a series of gigs on Thursday afternoons just for fun. It was at a small local cafe a few blocks from Ruth’s house and near where I teach. Fun and convenient, why not!

The venue has wi-fi so on impulse, I showed-up to the first gig with my laptop and streamed the show to Ustream. I thought it was a neat idea and sure enough, the Ustream audience seemed very into what we were doing. We would play to the room and not really notice much what was gong-on with the laptop. I would read comments in the chat module later in the day when I finished teaching. Ruth and kept doing this weekly gig for a month or so before she secured a new teaching position that conflicted with our Thursday schedule.

When the next Thursday came, I decided to live-out a longtime joke/ fantasy of mine: I would play a gig from home. No loading gear into my car, setting-up, tearing-down… just play. Now the “room” was the Ustream audience. I could interact quite directly with them, and I know many of them from Twitter, Facebook and Friendfeed.

This is turning into my favorite gig. I like to let the audience in on what it’s like being a working musician. Let the whole experience be inclusive and invite them into my world (which for me, is a fantastic dream). A pleasant and unexpected side-effect of this is a fairly dramatic spike in CD sales for my main Jazz group, The Atmos Trio.

So, as I’ve said during nearly every show, “Gigging from home–I’m DOIN’ it!” You’ll find me on Ustream every Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm (PST).

LIVE on Ustream.tv

Tip: Don’t Hear/ See anything? Press PLAY or REFRESH button

Live Concert Videos

Here are the latest two Atmos Trio Albums. FREE (low res)/ PAY WHAT YOU LIKE (High Res).

I’ve been putting some of it together and want to share some of it with you now. The shear volume of stuff far exceeded my expectation. I thought I was going to have to upgrade my DropBox account! It will take awhile just to post everything, but here is a start.

Nardis.

Don’t You Realize

Armando’s Rumba

All-Star Jam

Thanks so much to those that played, attended and participated in some way. More to come…

Steve found a gracious and enthusiastic host in Juan Candelaria who has a gorgeous home in Capitlola CA. He was a wonderful host who helped set the magical tone for the evening.

The dialog for the planning stage of the evening were all conducted in the public time line on Twitter where anyone interested could ‘listen-in’ and contribute to the project/ conversation. Several good people did just that: Zach Parkes, bass player, blogger and overall positive guy took photos. This was all  surprisingly effortless and crystalized very rapidly. No mainstream media (radio or print) promotional avenues were used. All planning and correspondence was done via Twitter. Advice and well-wishes came from all over the world, including from our good friend Steve Lawson, who, is my personal House Concert Guru (Thanks Steve!).

The eclectic mix of music presented (Categorized “Neo-Chamber Music” by Zach) was a blend of rootsy singing by Aaron Ford, looping magic by solo bassist Steve Uccello and magical soundscapes by Gustaf’s electric cello, preceded the Atmos Trio set. The Concert concluded with us inviting all the performers back for an impromptu musical exchange. Made-to-order Magic!

Thinking it might be fun to continue the theme of community that emerged on twitter, we encouraged guests to take photos and make audio and video recording of the concert. We supplied a URL where they could share their content–and share they did. Over the course of the next couple of days, over 3 gigabytes of data arrived on my desktop. Sure, I saw some cameras and microphones strategically placed around the room, but the extent to which this event was documented really surprised me!

This is one of the things that make House Concerts special: Everyone can participate. Everyone is involved.

If you prefer to participate as a spectator, you certainly have that option. If you want to be more involved–that is welcome as well. In this setting, the audience members are not merely “asses to fill seats.” The audience is a significant component to the event. They have stepped up to fill the valued roll as a collective collaborator.

In the coming days, I will post video and audio content and, if there is interest, make it available for you to edit remix and share any way you like.

Want to host a House Concert of your own? You can learn more about it and have the Atmos Trio play in your home.