Category Archives: Original music

Why this tune? I wrote this week’s tune in 2018 for the Lucky So & Sos, the latin/ jazz/ funk/ hip-hop ensemble I wrote about back in September before our show at the Capital Cider House. Now that the band has been reactivated I hope to perform it live with the group in the DCContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Be Free”

Why this tune? Song ideas can come from anywhere at any time. This song is a case in point. The “anywhere” was a pharmacy on St. Croix, which sells a variety of “mystic baths.” I saw “Jinx Killer” and thought it would make a great song title. I didn’t, however, try out the product. it’sContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Jinx Killer”

Why this tune? I wrote “Island In the Sea” in 2016, inspired by the time we spent on the lovely Caribbean island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. The singer invites their partner to get away from the rush and action of the city and travel to “a sunset shore under starry skies.”Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Island In The Sea”

Why this tune? This song started as a request from a friend, who wanted a song to express the dread she felt on Sunday evenings, thinking of the busy work week starting the next day. According to an article by Angela Haupt in the Washington Post, the “Sunday scaries” have been a thing for years,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Sunday Night Blues”

Why this tune? Sometimes it can take months to write a song, and sometimes it can happen much more quickly. “Free Sailing” was the result of an afternoon at the piano, after I (for some reason) decided to write a be-bop tune. I called the tune “Free Sailing” in part because I started with aContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Free Sailing”

Why this tune? Every year around this time, clouds of dust from the Sahara desert blow across the Atlantic ocean. We just experienced this year’s storm on St. Croix and other Caribbean islands. The resulting haze can be irritating to breathe, but it does have a positive effect of reducing the chance of major hurricanes.Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Sahara Dust”

Why this tune? I wrote “Park Road Serenade” in mid-2020, and shared it first in a livestream concert.This was one of the shows sponsored by Mr. Henry’s restaurant in Washington, DC. The tune didn’t yet have a title, so I asked for suggestions from the audience. Ian Taronji proposed the title I used – itContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Park Road Serenade”

Why this tune? In February, I received a Facebook message from Dee Osinski, a songwriter and musician based in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. She had heard a livestream I performed in from the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts on the island, and asked if I could add chords to her newContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Woman On The Moon”

Why this tune? “ “When The Morning Comes” encourages us to welcome the chance for a new start on a new day. I wrote it after a period of writer’s block, taking inspiration from the early hour. You can hear it on my 2018 album “Making Up For Lost Time,” featuring Aaron Myers’ vocals andContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: When The Morning Comes (lyrics video)”