Sideways Portal - Press Kit

Coming soon - Sideway Portal press kit content will land here!

Real Trumpet Audio Loop Library

For those of you composing, arranging, and producing tracks: spice up your mixes with my Real Trumpet Audio Loop library - over 500 ACIDized loop, licks and one-shots...check out my YouTube ad:

Sideways Portal - Live Video Feed

This video feed, captured by the nice folks at the Corvallis GT, is pretty neat. A short glimpse into our June 2008 performance at Sunnyside Up Cafe. Unfortunately, the audio quality from the video is sort of like listening to shattering glass hitting a steel plate - quality like this is usually reserved for stuffed animals toys that bark or growl! Despite the glistening distortions you can still catch a bit of the essence of the Portal in action.

Some things to note in this particular clip:

A new composition is borne when the lively waitress announces to the patrons "two casadias without a number" - thus inspires the rhythmic chanting and accompanying groove. But the mood soon evolves into something else entirely, then settles into yet another funky setting. Rarely do things in life stay the same and this is true of the music we're creating in the Portal. A placid groove is dissolved, shattered and moves to more dangerous territory...tempi, moods, and rhythms are mutated...the good, bad and ugly all get a voice at times! But all is forgiven...concerted shrapnel, hit-hit-stop...chaos...Dave's announcement: "Now, it's open season" - segues into a short fugue of sorts...then we go deep and dangerous again only to sum it all up with the big hit-hit ending...

Anyway, that's nice that a bit of this gig was captured - feels sort of special! Dave Storrs (Drums/Percussion), Rob Birdwell (Trumpet/Flugelhorn), John Bliss (Guitar), Page Hundemer (Bass), and Aden Kalin sitting in with us on Tenor Sax.

Rob

A Noteable Day of Gigs - June 14 2008

It's just after midnight as I post this little nugget - I'm usually not one to boast too much, but tomorrow (I mean today) will be a whopper of gigs!

9:00 am - Corvallis Farmers' Market: XTET featuring Tryggve Andersson on Accordion! We'll play many Swedish folk tunes, some Americana selections, Jazz and show tunes...(Tryggve is my father-in-law - it's always a great joy and honor to make music with him!)

11:00 am - Cloud 9, Corvallis Riverfront: Sideways Portal will already be in the zone...I'll shift into my spontaneous combustible suit and join in...

3:00 pm - Private Wedding: Sideways Portal to add the post nuptial good cheer music.

8:00 pm - Viking and the Svens will open and then we'll re-ignite the XTET and play a mix of originals, some perverted standards, and prominantly feature Tryggve Andersson once again on the accordion.

10:00 pm - Skol!!!

It should be a fun day of music and a good test of endurance!

As a sidebar, checkout what total strangers are doing with some horn lines I posted on SpliceMusic.com - every day or so I get email alerts notifying me that so-and-so (in this case "ohlala") used a clip or two of mine in their track? Now if only one of those tracks would sell 20 or thirty million copies!!! (I know, that might take all the fun out of it!)

ohlala

by slimslender

Played 0 times

Made with the Splice online sequencer. splicemusic.com

Early Bird Jazz Band - Remix 2008

Here is the much talked about but little understood Early Bird Jazz Band remix...(well, at least the files to create the re-mix....)

Every year I record a number of audio snippets of the LPMS Early Bird Jazz Band students - these are in the form of free associations, random and/or pre-conceived quotes, riffs, solos, excerpts from some of our charts, ensemble hits, laughter...you name it! Then, over several days, I cut, chop and hack away at the raw audio until everything is parsed down to a fairly fine grain. Recognizable tunes or melodies become fragmented; yet in this state they are the perfect artifacts for creating audio re-mixes and/or mash-ups or whatever you want to call them. This particular collection of audio clips is amazing. I hope you (the Early Bird students) get a chance to explore the audio files and get creative with your own remix.

How To Create Your Very Own Early Bird Jazz Band Re-Mix

1. Download the EBJB-Remix-Loops-2008.zip file - be patient, it's 80 MB. The wait will be worth it though and the download shouldn't take that long. When you unzip the files, you'll find over 350 short WAV (audio) files with all sorts of musical and extra-musical offerings! These files (or typically a small sub-set) can serve as the building blocks for your own re-mix composition.
2. Next you'll need some software to arrange and create your masterpiece. I personally use Cakewalk's SONAR...but there are other free (and not so free) audio loop editing and song creation tools out there:
• Windows users: Sony's free ACID XPress - download it here!
  
• Mac users: GarageBand - maybe you already have this software; you're set!
  
• SpliceMusic.com - you can actually create your re-mix online, without downloading any additional software!
• Surely there are other tools out there - google "loop software"
  

Remixing is essentially re-arranging, orchestration and composition all blended into one. And of course there's the technological aspect, dealing with your computer, a sound card, mixing, setting levels, mastering - some of which you'll simply need to explore on your own. Let your ear be your guide. Know what you want, then find a way to do it. There are folks who make an art of this and I think it's not a bad way to get into composing and arranging.

The standard compositional elements, devices and techniques apply: theme, variation, contour, melody, backgrounds, rhythm, re-capitulation, etc. In other words, crafting a good remix should challenge your creativity and your musicality. You will likely need to apply the "less just might be best" principle. I wouldn't recommend trying to wedge in all 350+ audio clips/loops into your remix tune! Economy is also the hallmark of a well crafted composition.

Need more help or tutorials on creating remixes? Search around - there are lots of articles and discussion online and examples abound. Here's one!

Rob's Remix - coming soon!
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Student Remixes - coming soon!
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(Note - I'll be updating this post with more stuff...so stay tuned and let me know if you've created a remix!)

Early Bird Jazz Band - 2008 Spring Concert

What a terrific year it was for the 2007-2008 Linus Pauling Early Bird Jazz Band! Here's the concert audio of our May 2008 Spring Concert - enjoy!!
The Preacher
My Little Suede Shoes
Jump Jive and Wail
A String of Pearls
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Mission Impossible
One Way Blues

A video of the event was captured and I can make that available - just let me know and I'll make you a copy.

Thanks to all the parents, family, friends and, especially, the students for making this such memorable year of music making!

Rob Birdwell

Sideways Portal at Sunnyside Up Monday June 9, 2008

Sideways Portal - live!
Sunnyside Up Cafe - 116 NW 3rd, Corvallis, OR
Monday, June 9, 6pm to 8pm

Don't miss Rob Birdwell (Trumpet/Flugelhorn), Dave Storrs (Percussion), Page Hundemer (Bass), and John Bliss (Guitar) performing their mix of spontaneous compositions (yes, they are "real" compositions in every way - they're simply and completely spontaneous!) - this intimate atmosphere is a great place to listen and connect with our work. After months of practicing, recording and planning, it's a joy to finally be out and about performing our stuff!

Sideways Portal at Sunnyside Up Cafe - Two Shows: April 28 and May 5

Come check out a new musical collaboration - we're called "Sideways Portal" and the group features the talents of Dave Storrs (percussion), Page Hundemer (bass), John Bliss (guitar) and myself, Rob Birdwell (trumpet/flugelhorn). Future incarnations of the group will likely include Mike Curtis (tenor sax/clarinet).

Though we've been foraging together for several months, working on our sound and approach, we'll finally make our public debut at Sunnyside Up cafe in Corvallis on Monday April 28, followed up by an encore performance the next week on Monday May 5. Both shows start at 6pm and we'll play until 8pm. Hope to see you there!

This should be a treat - we'll offer up what Dave Storrs likes to describe as "spontaneous compositions" - inspired by a strong undercurrent of contemporary Jazz and World music, our sound is the product each performer responding and contributing, leading and following, listening and ultimately going where the musical journey goes - all the while with a that certain je ne sais quoi, which if I recall my junior high school French, means quite literally "that which swings cool baby."

Hope you can make it to Sunnyside Up cafe on Monday April 28 and/or Monday May 5 - the "Sideways Portal" may be just the thing you're looking for!

XTET at Sibling Revelry

Always a joy to play with these guys - and what a wonderful flow of folks coming in to enjoy the wine, food, clothes...and hopefully the music too!

Rob Birdwell (Trumpet/Flugelhorn/Bundy II Tenor Sax), Stuart Curtis (Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute), Mike Rhodes (Bass), Viking (Drums), John Bliss (Guitar)

One Way Blues

Here's a new chart entitled "One Way Blues" written especially for the Linus Pauling Middle School Early Bird Jazz Band. We meet twice a week and it's an outstanding group of musicians. This year our instrumentation consists not only of Alto, Tenor, Trumpet, Bass, Guitar, Piano, Drums, but we've also have Clarinet, Baritone, Tuba, Violin and French Horn!
It's a straight ahead blues that features short solos, soli, and/or featurette sections for the Tenor Sax, Violin, Flute, Alto, Trumpet, Drums, and Piano. Hopefully there's a little something for every player here! Enjoy!

One Way Blues (MP3)

Personal Song Service - now only $50

Back in 1999 I created a Personal Song Service - the deal was, I'd write tunes for special occasions based on just a simple narrative from anyone wanting a song.

It wasn't exactly the huge success I'd hoped for - but over a two year period I wrote about a dozen tunes for people all over the U.S.A. From a simple song that went out to "Grandma" in Minnesota, to a song for a lobbyist in Washington D.C. - and for each of these tunes, my fee was only $20! I enjoyed writing each and every song and received nothing but positive feedback from everyone I wrote tunes for. And then I gave it a rest.

But now I'm opening up the Personal Song doors once again! For only $50 (a new rate and subject to change at any time!), I'll write your Personal Song The tune can be for you or someone special. Any special event...or for no special reason at all.

Interested? Contact me with the details of your Personal Song request and we'll go from there!

Rob Birdwell

Yamaha P120 Instrument Definition for Cakewalk/SONAR

I've owned a Yamaha P120 keyboard for a few years now (mine's the far "hipper" silver and genuine imitation Cherry wood version) and use it for composing/arranging all sorts of stuff - it's a simple and reliable instrument. But for reasons that defy explanation, I had never been able to find a Cakewalk/SONAR instrument definition file on-line for this instrument (I searched the world over - nada). So, thinking it should be easy, I took a crack at creating one from scratch...and, wonder of wonders, it worked! Now, I'll do what someone should have done years ago - I'll share the file with you and anyone who needs it!

Download my edit of the Yamaha P120 Instrument Definition file for Cakewalk's SONAR here: Yamaha-P120.ins (a Cakewalk/SONAR text/instrument definition file)

(Note: at the time of this writing, this Instrument Definition file works with SONAR 6 - I can only assume this file format will work with SONAR 7...just a best guess!)

I relied upon the P120 manual and this reference. I had to guess a few times on the bank setting - the solution was, it turns out, fairly obvious.

Enjoy!

Rob Birdwell

The Storrs Sessions

In September of 2007, musician Dave Storrs and I crossed paths one day while I was going to pick up my "crappy Chrysler" at the repair shop. (It's actually not so crappy!) And thanks to the timing of that vehicular breakdown, Dave invited me and some other terrific players (John Bliss, Page Hundemer, Steve Willis, and Mike Curtis) to his Corvallis studio for a jam session. Right out of the gate there was a very good vibe with the music and sounds we were making and, to date, we've compiled quite a number of fine recordings.

Here's a playlist of some of our early sessions featuring Dave Storrs (Drums), Page Hundemer (Bass), John Bliss (Guitar), and myself, Rob Birdwell (Trumpet/Flugelhorn). Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more!

Rob Birdwell

Rob Birdwell CD - Portrait

Listen to Rob Birdwell's new CD ("Portrait"), on CDBaby or iTunes, then order your copy!

Rob Birdwell's Portrait CD Available on iTunes

Check it out - Rob's Birdwell's latest CD ("Portrait") featuring John Bliss (Guitar), Steve Willis (Bass), and Viking (Drums)...now available on iTunes!

Portrait Rob Birdwell Release Date: Jul 16, 2007 Genre: Pop ℗ 2007 BirdwellMusic.com

Rob Birdwell's CD Release - Portrait

My son's rendition of me is one of the inspirations behind my new CD and the cover art - his simple and sincere offering. And that's precisely the essence of what I hope the music on Portrait - which is now available - will convey.

Four of the tracks on Portrait are "studio" offerings with me making all the noises - while the other five tracks were recorded live as a quartet at Bombs Away Cafe on June 28, 2007 and feature the talents of John Bliss (Guitar), Steve Willis (Bass), and Viking (Drums). A "live" setting provides opportunities for Jazz players to not only be inspired by each other but by their audience - and the bar is raised further when the recording machine is running! So we just went for it, using our instruments instead of pencils, and began to sketch away at various sonic settings.





The tracks on Portrait (all original tunes) are:

1. Shameless (Birdwell)
2. Aerostar (Birdwell)
3. Blue In You (Birdwell)
4. El Camino (Birdwell)
5. TV Buddha (Birdwell)
6. A Ghost at the Gig (The Ballad of Frankie Templeton) (Birdwell)
7. Reinhardt In Tunisia (Bliss)
8. Frumpy (Birdwell)
9. Buddy Collette (Birdwell)

There are many more "portraits" to be made and I look forward to sitting for another soon. Hope you enjoy this one!





Rob Birdwell

OSU Beaver Baseball Champs

Way to go Oregon State Beaver Baseball Team! ...and while you're celebrating, check out the XTET this Thursday, June 28, at Bombs Away Cafe. We'll play Jazz from 7:30 to 10 PM...no cover...all ages welcome...great food!

Two of my champion team pictured here! (lower right corner)

Musical Collaborations Online

This piece on NPR about the growing maturity and acceptance of online musical collaborations is mighty interesting. Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane jammed over the phone, so the evolution of this technology makes perfect sense.

My first random musical "WebJam" happened in 2003 and was with some musicians that I didn't know from a site that originated in Germany - posted was a a synthy groove with some pretty cool chord changes...I liked the groove so I loaded in the basic mix into my DAW, added my Flugelhorn jam track, then uploaded my take to their site...it was subsequently mixed....here's the result:

Rob's Flugelhorn WebJam with various folks

Now, in 2007, we have a plethora of sites/services (very easy to use and sophisticated) that allow us to musically collaborate with our close associates or total strangers:

• eJamming
• Indaba Music
• JamGlue
• LightSpeed
• Mix2r
• Ninjam
• Splice
• YourSpins (Remix Favorite Songs)

CCT Ragtime - KGAL Interview

Here's a radio interview with Mary Jeanne and myself (recorded Wednesday, May 9, 2007) with KGAL host Craig Solomon

This was fun to do - Mary Jeanne is a real pro at this stuff, and Craig was a very nice host.

Two quick corrections:

• Ragtime actually won the Tony awards in 1998, not 1995
• I don't believe I sound quit this dorky in real life (okay, so I probably do!)
  

Archive radio link: http://www.kgal.com/mp3/KGALvTalk_2007_05_09b.MP3

Ragtime Orchestra Dress Up Themes

May 10: Formal Night
May 11: Formal Night
May 12: Jazz/Ragtime Night
May 13: Dress like your mom or how your mom would dress you night
May 16: Crazy Hat night
May 17: Wacky Tie Night
May 18: Movie (characters) Night
May 19: OSU/School Spirit Night
May 20: Teddy Bear Night
May 23: Black Clothes Night
May 24: Pajama Night
May 25: Miss-matched clothes Night
May 26: Formal Night
May 27: Formal Night

Thanks to Ryan B. (Trumpet) for putting these themes together - I think they're great! Naturally, you're free to dress how you want, but here are the dress themes for all of our shows - have fun! -Rob