We weren't trying to hide from you, Deac 🙂 Just haven't started publicizing until the layout is just right. Good to have you.

Hey guys. Glad you've come in from the cold. The layout is fabulous, Gavin. Well done. What a cool thing to be "in" on something from the beginning. I feel like an insider. lol

The Featured Artists page gave me the giggles. Thank you for that. I've been meaning to ask you if you'd mind me using a clip of that song in a song reel (portfolio of my work).

You are always an insider, Jen. Yes, please go ahead and use that song. I need to figure out what to do with it (with your permission). Your performance is too good to languish on my website.

I've been working (back burner) on a jazz album for a couple years now (really, really back burner).... Your thoughts?

You mean, you're thinking of including this on the jazz album? If so, go for it. I'm not sure it's technically jazz, if there is such a thing, but it does have a kind of jazzy vibe with your voice and the sax.

Nice job on the song folks, I don't know that I would categorize it as "Jazz" as much as "country", much of which I've heard coming out of Australia and New Zealand. It's reminiscent of artists I've heard from there. Although, what do i know. I got a "jazz cut" that reached number 10 on some Jazz chart this year. I never realized it was Jazz. The style of a song often comes down to interpretation. 

Thanks MAB. I have a whole bunch of song evaluation credits to use up at NSAI, so I sent them this one. The evaluator agreed with you about the country feel, more specifically '80s country. I may need a time machine to do anything with this :). He/she was right about the time period, though - it's an old tune I came up with 35 years ago. I never dreamed when I was banging this out on an out-of-tune piano in the attic of my parents' house in Scotland that I was writing "country." To be honest , I never really have any idea what I'm writing LOL

The NSAI evaluator wasn't happy about the title choice either. Maybe "You'll Never Know" would be better, since it's the first line of the chorus.

Thanks Marc. Yes, I agree. Totally country. I was thinking to recast it (with Gavin's permission) to have a 30s style jazz feel. I'd be very interested in the evaluation Gavin, especially if they critique my performance. I have so many weaknesses that I know of. It's always good to know of others...knowledge being power and all....the power to change and learn.

Hey folks. Gavin, a lot of songs we all write can feel "dated." But there are other ways to look at it. I find that in Europe, Australia, etc, there is a love for older (70's and 80's) country music. A friend of mine named Scott Southworth, writes very traditional country, and has found new life in France, England, Scotland, and Norway. Over the past three years he has made trips over there to play big festivals and really is embraced by that population. But if you were to hear his music up against what is on the radio today it sounds like it would fit in 40 years ago. The difference in what he does from my point of view is he makes his lyrics very modern and hip. The styles of the music are very traditional but it is conversational and possibly if done in a different style could be very different. And that is the part about ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION. 

What I felt Jenny was doing here was what I would consider "RETRO" That happens from time to time with music. You might remember artists like Dwight Yokum in the 80's and 90's who were very much like Buck Owens from 20 years before. And k.d. lang, from the same time frame. She was a "throwback to the Patsy Cline era of the 60's. 

Some of the songs I have written over the years with certain artists have done similar things. I've written a few with very sultry singers, who bring back the torch songs of the 40's and 50's. Those can fit nicely into a jazz format. 

All of these are academic excercises, and I think it is cool you guys collaborating long distance. To me, that is the overall purpose for sites like this and why I am glad it is carrying on from the BMI site. Thanks for carrying the torch on.

MAB

Jenny, the evaluator didn't criticize your performance. If he had, I would have felt compelled to drive the six hours to Nashville and punch him on the nose ?. It's the song that they evaluate. The evaluations can be rather formulaic and some of my songs probably defy evaluation and leave them scratching their heads. I have had some useful feedback on two songs, which I used to make changes, some nice compliments on a couple and a bit of a critical mauling on others. To be honest, not many of my songs are really of the type to get the best feedback from these guys, but the evaluations come with the membership and I'm a frugal Scot, who is bloody well going to use what he's paid for LOL. I'm really only in NSAI because I enjoy attending the local chapter meetings every month.

I am really intrigued to hear how you go about giving this the old 1930s feel.