Category Archives: Original music

Tunes on Tuesday: Pot Luck

Why this tune? This week’s tune is an obscure bebop head written by Johnny Mandel for Stan Getz in the 1950s, that I came across while searching for some Mandel songs to suggest to singers I work with. It’s nothing like “The Shadow of Your Smile” and other more famous works, but still a funContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Pot Luck”

Tunes on Tuesday: Conversation (duet)

Why this tune? I first shared “Conversation” on Tunes on Tuesday
in June, performing the second version of a song
that I started to write back in February. I shared the post with the team at the “Switched On Pop” podcast and was delighted to get a supportive comment 
from them: “Small talk is so hard. ThisContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Conversation (duet)”

Tunes on Tuesday: These Are The Words

Why this tune? Tunes On Tuesday returns to my Torah Tunes project with a song for the first portion of Deuteronomy, D’varim (דְּבָרִ֗ים) in Hebrew. The first verse of this fifth book starts “אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים” “eleh ha-d’varim,” usually translated as “These are the words.” The “words” here refer to the laws and practices conveyed byContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: These Are The Words”

Tunes on Tuesday: Are You Out Of Your Mind?

Why this tune? This week’s song is also the title of a cabaret revue I’m presenting at the new District Fringe festival this month
in Washington, DC. I put together a bunch of my songs (and two covers) to
create a narrative that explores our relationships with our 
friends, our partners and ourselves. I invited Barbara PapendorpContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Are You Out Of Your Mind?”

Tunes on Tuesday: Nothing To Say

Why this tune? This week’s tune comes from another rehearsal,
for a show on June 26, 2025 at the Lamond-Riggs
public library in Washington, DC. Vicki Golding, Percy White and I are playing 
”Nothing To Say,” which I wrote first in 2021 as a
way out of writer’s block. I wrote one verse then, turning a story aboutContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Nothing To Say”

Tunes on Tuesday: The Last Banana

Why this tune? I just spent an enjoyable weekend at the
Vocal Jazz Summit in Virginia Beach, VA, learning and
connecting with over 80 jazz vocalists from all over. For my spot in the vocal jam session I pulled out
this song, which I wrote in 2024 as a musical apology for a breakfast offense. I was gratifiedContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The Last Banana”

Tunes on Tuesday: Conversation

Why this tune? I’ve heard from several songwriters that
the best writing is rewriting. I’m following that
principle with this week’s tune. I started working on “Conversation” in February,
when I wrote the first version during a “skirmish”
challenge, writing to a song prompt. I’ve gone back several times to review and
improve the lyrics and the structure. I madeContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Conversation”

Tunes on Tuesday: Rubato

Why this tune? This week’s song is another one I have been
”polishing” since I wrote the first version in January. Since then I added a bridge, cleaned up the
melody, and made some improvements to the lyric. Every revision has been better than the last,
and closer to what I’d consider “finished.” As I wrote in January,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Rubato”

Tunes on Tuesday: May Exploration

Why this tune? Where does a new song come from? This one started with a post by my old friend Manisha Shahane
with the caption “Entered May with this exploration…” She asked me to write a second section, which led
to the short tune I recorded for this week’s post. I used her tune as the introductionContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: May Exploration”

Tunes on Tuesday: If You Could Fly

Why this tune? I wrote the first version of this week’s song at least three years ago (if not more) and have been editing it occasionally since then. This is the fourth iteration of the tune, which started in 4/4 with a much more complicated harmony and melody. The latest version has simpler harmony andContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: If You Could Fly”