Falling Grace by Steve Swallow
Been practicing and studying Falling Grace these past few days.. Listened to several versions including with Chick Corea and Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, John Scofield.. It’s the jazz tune I didn’t know until Pat mentioned it his interview with Rick Beato.. I’m playing it in 12 keys on the piano and getting it together on the violin. Today I dusted off my microphones and computer and worked on this video. Hope you like it.
Pat Metheny interview
Long time fan of Pat. He shares some true wisdom in this interview. I even jotted down a few things I heard for inspiration. Thought you may enjoy. The video is long but worth it. Some long lasting ideas:
- Do what you know is good
- Work on fundamentals all the time
- Be compulsively productive
- Play tunes in different keys
- Use dynamic variety in melody
funniest moment – We all suck compared to Bach!
Roda de choro celebration!
Liza Wallace CD Release Concert
Saturday, May 22nd, 2021
Hi friends!
Saturday night I’ll be performing with Liza Wallace, Nando Duarte, Clarice Cast and special guest Fay Roberts at the Conference Room Patio in Playa Vista, California.
It’s Liza’s CD release party and promises to be a fun evening. Here’s the flyer. If you’re a fan of Brazilian music and jazz, you’ll love it.Call and reserve a table, they can handle 85 seated in the outdoor patio.This show is really amazing. If you follow me, you know all about Liza. She’s doing something I’ve never heard before with Brazilian music. She plays melodies, she accompanies, she plays solo, she improvises and sings bossa nova while playing the harp. Yeah..So here’s your chance to get out and hear some great music and have a nice meal. Thanks for tuning in. See you there. P.S. It’s early – 6:00 – 9pm.
Brazilian Music Series with Ted Falcon, Nando Duarte and Clarice Cast
Brazilian Music Series with Ted Falcon and Friends continues on April 17th with Brazilian musicians Nando Duarte on 7 string guitar and Clarice Cast, percussion. Performing choro, forró, samba, MPB classics and more!
Please expect to buy some kind of dinner…You will LOVE the food and the wine! Very very good!
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And the first time finding the place/parking can be challenging, so slow down and look with your eyeballs!
**************We suggest making reservations. (310)862-6436 for Reservations please call during Work hours, after 5:00 pm.
LOCATED AT: 12181 Bluff Creek Dr. Suite A1, Playa Vista, CA 90094
https://www.conferenceroomrestaurant.com/
TURN OFF OF BLUFF CREEK DR. onto “Campus Center Drive.”
This parking Entrance is IMMEDIATELY after you turn on to Campus Center Drive from Bluff Creek Drive. (It comes up very quickly)
Get your parking ticket and make an immediate left up the short ramp to just the 1st floor parking level, make a left and park anywhere. Get out of your car, and look for the blue handicap signs. Follow them out, make a sharp left, and walk to the end. You’ll see the “Conference Room” & “Rodini” Go thru to the outdoor patio area.
**Parking is validated by the restaurant. See Less
Music See Less
Live music returns 4/3/2021
Liza Wallace – Brazilian Harp music
Friends!! Liza Wallace is releasing her album today on Bandcamp! It’s amazing and unique for a harpist to play Brazilian music like choro and forró on the harp. She really created her own sound. I had the honor of producing it, choosing the songs and musicians and helping her get it done. I chose some of my favorite musicians in Los Angeles to create the soundscapes: Clarice Cast, percussion, Adam Gust, drums, Fay Roberts, flute, Ilya Portnov, harmonica, John Tegmeyer, clarinet and Nando Duarte, guitar, electric bass, mixing and his incredible studio magic. I added violin, mandolin and some piano. There are original tracks by Liza and myself and classic tunes by Jacob do Bandolim, Pixinguinha, Hermeto Pascoal, Waldir Azevedo, João Pernambuco, Chiquinha Gonzaga and Sivuca.
Please support Liza and check out her music! I know you will enjoy it.
Thanks,
Ted
https://lizawallace.bandcamp.com/releases
Amigos! Hoje a Liza Wallace está lançando o novo álbum dela! É bem único e incrível ouvir uma harpista tocando música brasileira como choro e forró numa harpa. Ela realmente criou um som próprio que nunca ouvi antes. Tive a honra de produzir o projeto, escolhendo as músicas e músicos. Escolhi alguns dos meus amigos músicos preferidos aqui em Los Angeles para criar este som juntos. Com Clarice Cast, percussão, Adam Gust, batera, Fay Roberts, flauta, Ilya Portnov, gaita cromática, John Tegmeyer, clarinete e Nando Duarte no violão 7 cordas, baixo elétrico, técnico de estúdio, mixagem e produção. Eu toquei violino, bandolim e piano.Tem músicas autorais da Liza (e minhas) e clássicos de Jacob do Bandolim, Pixinguinha, Hermeto Pascoal, Waldir Azevedo, Jõao Pernambuco, Chiquinha Gonzaga e Sivuca.
Por favor dê seu apoio para a Liza, ouvindo o trabalho no Bandcamp! Eu sei que você vai adorar!
Um abraço,
Ted
My Hermeto Pascoal story
I was remembering that time I played with Hermeto Pascoal in Brasília in 2012. We talked backstage about the tunes I wanted to play. When I got to the stage, Hermeto says, “Let’s play one of your songs”. There’s a full house in Teatro Nacional Villa Lobos. I say, “You mean, let’s play one of YOUR songs”.
“No” he says. “One of yours, upbeat!”
I took a deep breath without a clue what I was supposed to do or play.
Hermeto makes a joke.. “He didn’t know what he was getting into!” I sure didn’t!
There’s a whole band there waiting for me..I survived Hermeto’s musical Boot Camp by just playing the first thing that comes into my head; a little groove, then the Turkey in the Straw, a fiddle tune.
As the band kicks in, I’m thinking to myself, “How the hell am I going to get myself out of this!!” Luckily I notice that I’m in the Key of D Major and Hermeto’s tune São Jorge is also in D. I make the transition, to my blessed relief, and Hermeto says, “Here’s a song by Hermeto”, drops the pandeiro and returns to his keyboards. The story would end there, but he wouldn’t let me leave the stage. After each song, I slowly retract off stage and he repeatedly calls me back! Where’s “Jet-ski” he said on the microphone. “Come back!”
He forgot my name.. In Portuguese, my name is Ted-gee, which rhymes.. I survived. When people ask me what it was like to play with Hermeto, this is the story I tell them.
Estéban guitar
Have you ever heard of Estéban?
Well, I ended up with an Estéban guitar recently.
How’d I get it? Well, I have a funny story for you, friend.
When my father moved from Allentown to Los Angeles, he insisted on bringing all his musical possessions. We paid a moving company to bring all of my Dad’s stuff to town. On inspection of all his beat up old amps and guitars, I found a dingy old classical guitar. I thought it would be handy to leave at work, so I wouldn’t need to bring a guitar each time to teach. I specifically remember the pride my Dad had when explaining to me that he bought the guitar for only $6.00 at a garage sale.. With case! Great deal! Haha!
The other day when I went to tune it, the tuner crumbled to pieces in my fingers. On inspection, I could see that each side of the guitar had a different set of tuners. This was definitely the handy work of my Dad. He could fix most things with force and super glue. Anyway, I called my friend John Heaney, who fixes all my stuff to see if he could help me. John recalled seeing Esteban informercials on the Home Shopping Network in the 90’s, selling his guitars and fake-flamenco to late night audiences. I had forgotten about that, but vaguely remember now. Before there was Amazon.com and the internet, people bought stuff from TV informercials.
I shared this dazzling tale with my kids last night, and how such a possession ended up in our abode. Passing of the guard. From a TV informercial to a garage sale, to my father and now to me, across the country. One day my kids will inherit this prized family gem. Ahh, how did a crappy guitar make it so far?
P.S. We were only able to stand 4 of the 5 minutes of the video, which I believe is an accomplishment within itself.
