Released February 4, 2025
The goal of The Promise was to feature songs that have a smooth jazz vibe with a hint of ambient styling to create tracks that are soothing, uplifting, and sometimes emotional.
This album pushed me a little bit. Both in performance and production. It also includes something I never imagined I would record - a bass solo!
No loops were used in this album. Everything was performed note by note, using various synthesizers, virtual instruments, and my beloved bass guitar.
The Journey is my first publicly-released project.
When I tentatively named this project I had no idea of where it would take me. As I look back now, I find that the journey wasn’t at all what I imagined. Isn’t that always the way? I am reminded of a caption from years ago of one of my favorite comic strips, B.C. by Jonny Hart, where the final panel read: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him what YOUR plans are.”
During the time I worked on this collection, I lost two important people in my life, both in different ways. Each has a song on this project dedicated to them.
The Journey
This was the last song added to the project, it had to be. I wanted it to be upbeat, with an eye towards the future.
Desert Morning
This was the first song of the project, inspired by watching the sun rise through a cloudy sky over the Las Vegas strip. I worked on the chord progressions from the solitude of the living room at my resort looking out the window; later I wrote the drum track while sitting in a crowded Las Vegas airport while waiting for my flight home.
Emily
In memory of a dear friend who passed away in late 2023. Books could be written about her life experiences; yet with all she went through, I never saw her without a smile on her face and a song in her heart, and she never stopped praising God. She was a truly amazing lady.
I wish I could have had her father Bill, my brother in rhythm, lay down the drum track for this song. If I ever get the opportunity to make that happen and will re-release the song.
I Will Remember You (Deana’s Song)
I worked with Deana for over a dozen years at a marketing agency in Sherman Oaks, CA. Her sudden passing really hit me (and our company) hard. I will be forever grateful for her support as I worked through a health issue that we both shared. Her grace in dealing with two tragic circumstances was genuinely inspirational. I wrote this song in three days, the fastest I have ever produced a song, so I could create a video as a memorial to her, even though only a handful of people ever saw it.
Alone
When I started this song, I was not in a good place. I wanted to write a dark song to match my feelings, but as I started putting working on it I found it to be therapeutic, a time of healing (which almost became the song title).
My Time
I drove my son to Bible study groups on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings. During that time, I would sit in a well-known coffee chain and enjoy a cup of coffee while working on my music. That was “my time”, and this song came from those sessions.
Something New
My first foray into Ambient music. I am intrigued by this style of music as it can be very complex and can sometimes bend, if not break, the rules of traditional music. I am only scratching the surface here as I begin my exploration into this musical genre.