A dramatic intro with beautiful vocals over a bed of latin percussion and a jazzy bass/synth line. The lyrics are a commentary on our inability as humans to make positive change in the world, often stifled by religious dogma and bigotry.
In the style of a classic jazz ballad, with a beautiful string and vocal arrangement. Around For The Fall is a song about a lover who refuses tp take the fall of their lover in the Fall season.
Let's call it Western Jazz. Inspired by Joni Mitchell's jazz/folk period with a western style lyric. About a couple who leave the comfort of their home to travel across the desert in New Mexico on horseback. Suffering the hardships of their journey, they finally make it home to discover how much their love for each other has grown.
The soundtrack for this video is a studio recording of “The Bird Sing” with still photos depicting its nonsensical lyric. In editing this video, my hope was to express this lyric on multiple levels.
Pink & Powder Blue is an uptempo, vocal, jazz/waltz composition about a relationship that’s on the rocks and in the midst of a possible breakup. Instead of being deeply heartbroken and tragically blue, our vocalist is only Pink & Powder Blue. With big-band horns and jazzy vocals, this track is driven by an awesome drum & bass groove reminiscent of the bebop era. While shopping for bathroom tile my wife said she liked the, “Pink & Powder Blue.“
A rock/pop song about acts of love at home and around the world.
A medium tempo BlueEyedSoul/Jazz tune that talks about hope, youth, and a plead for our world to come together as one. The universe is calling on us earthlings to do the right thing, to save our planet from an early demise.
Jazz/Rock tune about life with COVID 19. This was written and produce while in quarantine. The Summer of 2020.
This is one of the bands more popular tunes when playing live. I wrote this for my wife, Holly, who I say this to on occasion. Flugelhorn solo, Matt Carr
Starting off very soft with electric piano and vocal, Stillness is about being in a mindful meditative state. The song gradually builds to a bridge that finds the vocalist in a refreshed state and dreaming of a loved one. A fender rhodes solo follows with a build into the last verse again being in a meditative state. An exercise in jazz harmony with angular melodic movement.
A four-on-da-floor, blue-eyed-soul, jazz crossover track from KING BETA. Lyrics about the importance of words and their meaning. Parts of this video were filmed at a location close to my house where people would gather a few hours everyday to display their protest signs and banners. It all blew down 2 weeks later.
In the tradition of the old 12/8 jazz ballad, this recording, packed with big harmonies is about a person who only sees blue through his window as his world is falling apart. But, after a very soothing vibe solo and a commentary on how all of humanity experiences a blue window at some point in their life, our vocalist’s window suddenly let’s the sun through to shine a positive light on his life.
This jazz fusion tune is about the work that’s always ahead of us in a relationship. Thus, the metaphor, Road Work Ahead. Complete with a groovin bass and drum track with a distorted Fender Rhodes solo and plenty of vocal harmonies.
An uptempo Rock/R&B tune about hating your job and the struggles for money.
The soundtrack for rhis video is a studio recording of the song “One Or The Other” using still photos from our last performance at Catfish Lou’s in Porltand OR, just before the Covid outbreak.
This song was originally written for the musical, Bridgetown, about Portland Or and was performed at the 2010 Fertile Ground Playwrights Festival. Sexy City (Subtitled, “it’s all business when we’re going down.”) is about Portland’s strip tease industry. According to one statistic, Portland has more stripers per capita than any other city in the US.
Absolutely fantastic song, performance and video. Enjoyed jazzy vibes very much. Brilliant playing and singing, very inspiring to watch and listen to!!! Warm greetings, Nadia
He Gonna Lie & She Gonna Cry is a blue-eyed-soul, vocal duet about marital betrayal. This being one of the bands more popular tunes, it has both a catchy bass line and melody with a slightly retro Motown vide.
Hey Fred, it’s really great! I love the groove I love the idea of the song… I thought it was about my beard. LOL. Good work brother and I mean it. Peace and love, Mark Hudson, Producer for Ringo Starr, Aerosmith, Harry Nilsson, Celine Deon
In the classic style of the 12/8 rock ballad, this lyric is about all the women I admire dressed in red.
A reggae tune about Manhattan and Hermosa Beach in southern CA. This was my last LA group, The Stickmen’s most popular song. This version (there are many) is sung by Christy Bradley an artist I produce here in Portland OR.
The making of the Portland Trailblazer theme. They asked me to do a redo on their theme music, but keeping with the original melodic motif.
The Full version of the, ‘Trailblazer’s Theme.”
KING BETA at the old Duff’s Garage on E 82nd in Portland OR featuring the ever lovely, Ms. Suzanne Elstad on vocals, myself on keys, Mike Doolin on guitar, Ward Griffiths on drums and Jon Hughes on bass.
‘He Gonna Lie’ performed at the old O’Connor’s Vault. I miss this place.