Origins

This CD is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend and mentor Mike Shain, who passed away May 5th, 2008. Mike was a life changing force, and a musician beyond most all musicians. He had incredible musicianship, perfect pitch and could orchestrate music for any instrument on the spot... like a "Mozart" or "Beethoven". Mike leaves behind his wife Carol and son David, who along with the music world, will miss him forever... and have lost a true artist and guiding light through his music and his knowledge. The CD title "Origins" reflects much of my own development having had him as a teacher and friend. Thank you Mike. Origins is a collection of original “Origin”al guitar pieces created to express our place here in the Universe, and that we are all a part of a much larger picture than the one of our self. We are all connected to one another, but also seemingly plugged in to what today we might call a “network” of inspiration and creativity. As I have mentioned with prior CD releases, I like to write music in what I call a “Spontaneous Compositional Form”. This is just picking up your instrument and in essence playing whatever comes to mind at the time. It’s kind of fun to play your feelings at the exact moment you are having them. This idea has always been a part of music. Even great composers of the past like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart did this, and the tradition today is carried on in Jazz and other genres of music as improvisation. All art is built on this element of interpretation, however, with music it has the ability of being sort of “a happening” at that moment. The CD consists of eleven pieces which all came about sequentially and in “Real Time”, most with no over dubbing of additional parts, but all done at least as they appear (or sound) as part of a whole experience to myself. I hope a couple are enjoyable to some who listen, but regardless at the time they were what I felt myself... and if lucky, maybe others have been “plugged in” to the same network and some sounds may strike a note of familiarity. Thank you again for checking things out. Craig Smith