by Modern Songbook Records | May 17, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, News
Chuck Brown passed away yesterday. He was immensely important to so many people. He has been a part of Washington DC’s musical character ever since I moved here and I can’t imagine this town without him.
I had a few chances to work with him and even hang out with him. I feel fortunate to have been in the room while he recorded “Mellow Saxophone” for Pete Ostle’s A La Carte Brass Band. I have a video of him singing Stormy Monday with just him singing and me on piano. I was lucky enough to spend some time at his house and eat a fried chicken dinner ( maybe the best ever) and drink Courvoisier Cognac with him. He was truly a man of the people. A terrific musician. An original. I am going to miss having him in our lives.
by Modern Songbook Records | Apr 18, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, News
A few years ago I looked up to find that- for several years- I had spent nearly 100% of my musical time either at my desk and piano, or in the studio recording. I know that sounds lovely to some people. Especially some hard-working gigging musicians. But for me it created something of a disconnect. I was making music without the benefit of any immediate feedback. I was writing in a resonance-free zone. I don’t think that it is a terrible way to make music or to make a living. But I really started to miss one of the key components of a satisfying musical life….an audience. An actual pay-for-a-seat appreciative, clapping audience. Yes this involves a world of difficulty that composing and studio work neatly circumvent. But the work was necessary for me. Luckily I had my band, Chaise Lounge, to fall back into. For the past few years we have amped up our performing schedule little by little. The benefits have been enormous. Firstly, I think that the more I play for people be better I am at composing music with, for lack of a better phrase, emotional impact. There are many ways to write music. Some of them are completely intellectual. And the closer I got to that end of the composing spectrum, the less satisfying I found my writing to be. The further the meter swung towards an emotionally resonant method of writing, the better it felt. and the better the writing actually was. Of course,another of the obvious benefits of playing live is…playing live. Really? where else can you get that adrenal high? Yes all the things that surround a gig are exhausting: the travel, the sound-check, lifting and lugging gear, booking agents, club owners, incompetent sound guys, the list could go on for pages. But the nut of it all, the standing on stage and playing songs that emotionally connect with the people right in front of you- that makes it all worthwhile.
I’ve been thinking about this as I juggle my life around my gigs. Tomorrow we are in Germantown MD at the Black Rock Center for Performing Arts. And this Saturday we are at The Hamilton in Washington DC. After that we will be in NYC at the Metropolitan Room. This is all difficult to do. And it is all well worth the trouble. I can hardly wait to unpack and play.
by Modern Songbook Records | Apr 11, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, News
The fine art of singing background vocals is a rarely noted craft. Had a session last night with the legendary Tommy Lepson and Dusty Rose and it was something of a lesson in this arcane art. Listening to them find the EXACT phrasing in the lead vocal track, and then discussing whether to match it or straighten out the rhythm in order to more fully feature the lead was intensely interesting. I can sing and I have had to put down bg vox on Chaise Lounge recordings. I struggle with this. I struggle with matching pitches, phrasings and vibratos. It was nice to have some old-school guys in the studio who come by those skills via years of singing and a high degree of natural talent.
by Modern Songbook Records | Jan 20, 2012 | Interviews
On Sunday, September 20, 2009, Liane Hansen interviewed Chaise Lounge on NPR’s “Weekend Edition.”
Visit NPR and listen to the interview and hear some songs!
by Charlie Barnett | Sep 22, 2009 | Charlie's Blog
Ever since our interview with Liane Hansen on NPR, our CD sales have skyrocketed. Well… FOR US… they have skyrocketed. Still, it is pretty cool to have CDbaby request literally hundreds of CDs. Of both CDs: The Early Years and Second Hand Smoke. The other thing that has happened is that a few people have requested the sheet music for our songs. I think that I am going to post lead-sheets for our songs on the CL site. I know that if I was digging around for the music for a song I liked I would LOVE to find an accurate lead-sheet in the right key. Every time I try and buy music online – it turns out to be so difficult I end up going to Dale music and buying a book.
Tonight, Chaise Lounge (plus a few fellow travelers) is backing up Dick Kaufmann at the Atlas Theater here in Washington DC. He will be doing three duets with Marilyn. I will be playing an entire evening at the piano. I am a much better pianist than a guitarist anyway. On board are Dan Hovey on guitar, Tom Williams on trumpet and flugel, Bob Spates on violin, and David Lonkevich on flute. There was a dress rehearsal on Sunday that lasted six hours. The show hits tonight at 8 PM. We are all looking forward to it.
Started work this week on two film projects. One is the theme for a show that the Newseum is producing. Paul Sparrow is in charge. Susan Brooks Kelly is editing. It is a short piece of music but has to be… just so…
Also a film for Susan Koch. More about that as I get into it. It is a terrific film.
I found a batch of used Manhasset music stands on Ebay and bought them today. At some point others will love me for putting all my junky wire stands in the car for emergencies and having a house full of sturdy workman-like music stands.
