5090 by FAWM: jeff9 (@jeff9)

jeff9

@jeff9

Songs

Joined

2021

Tampa, FL US
soundcloud.com/jeff-walker-4

I'm an amateur Singer-Songwriter of a certain age, defaulting mostly to country, alt-country & Americana genres--ones that suit my southern accent, but I like to dabble in other ones, too. I write lyrics and play some guitar to do my initial music composing. Frequently that raw stuff gets fleshed out into bigger productions with the help of software like Band In A Box, Logic Pro X and sometimes instrumental or additional vocal tracks from other folks. But I won't use at all any of those generative AI type tools like Udio, Sumo, ChatGPT, etc. for lyrics, music composition or vocals--just not interested in going there.

I've been on the Muse Songwriters site for quite a few years with this same handle. 2024 will be my fourth 50/90, I think, and I did my fourth FAWM this February, so I’ve gotten to meet a number of members of this community and collaborate with some really talented people. Seems like each year I do more and more projects where I'm putting other folks' lyrics to music, which I do thoroughly enjoy, especially for non-musician lyricists interested in hearing at least one man's musical interpretation of their work. So ping me any time with possibilities. And I'll always ask permission first if it's the other way around.

I hope to take part in more skirmishes in order to take advantage of the spontaneity factor and the nice surprises they can sometimes yield.

The material on my Soundcloud page has lots of examples of stuff I’ve written and performed plus quite a few collaboration projects where I’m usually at least the vocalist. This is just a hobby for me, so I have no expectations beyond stimulating the creative juices and having fun.

May the songwriting muses sweep down on us all again this summer and get our creative juices flowing.

Songs

River King by @jeff9 2w #americana #countryfolk

Down At the Fu Bar Buffet by @jeff9 + @nancycunning 1d #rockabilly

Berlin by @billwhite51 + @jeff9 1w #m #lesson #mtoward

Girl, Thank Me by @jeff9 + @nancycunning 1w #americana #altcountry #biab

The Death of an Eternal by @jeff9 + @billwhite51 1w #acoustic #live

I Can Be Had by @jeff9 +2 more 1w #country #americana #biab

Berlin by @jeff9 2w #lyric #needsmusic

Tangled Bolero (Havana Moon) by @jeff9 + @russkeys 2w #latin #bolero

Hurt Her That Way by @jeff9 + @yewnorker 2w #countryfolk #bouzouki #bittersweet

How Got Can One Man Get by @jeff9 +2 more 3w #country #rockabilly #boogie

New Clothes by @jeff9 3w #country

I've Got the Two AM Blues by @jeff9 + @gm7 4w #country #bluesy #honkytonk

Missing Everything by @jeff9 + @billwhite51 4w #countryfolk #singersongwriter

Hard Whiskey's Too Easy For Me by @jeff9 +2 more 5w #country #altcountry #biab

Losing Your Beautiful Face by @jeff9 + @essahumans 5w #uplifting #inspirational #countryfolk

These Things by @jeff9 5w #slow #really #singersongwriter

The Estate Sale by @jeff9 + @joeinjax 6w #country #sentimental #pedal

Waitin' For the Woman by @jeff9 + @donna 7w #countryfolk #mandolin #singersongwriter

She Took Me For Granite by @jeff9 +2 more 9w #country #biab

How I Wish by @jeff9 + @crisp1 9w #singersongwriter #melancholy

Good Examples of Bad Examples by @jeff9 +2 more 10w #country

Names On a Wall by @jeff9 + @greengrassgirl 10w #americana #war #vietnam

Fast Time Or Slow Time by @jeff9 10w #country

Soundboard

@slusk 17h

Hey Jeff, Thanks for your comments on "Your Man". Much appreciated.

@br0th3rh00d 2d

Thankyou for the lovely comment on my poem!

@lbrewington 4d

Thanks for the comments on "Thrown Away", and yes I was on the Zoom Song Circle, and enjoyed the song shared.

As far as constructive suggestions, ideas, and feedback, fire away, I'm open to any and all. I do see what you mean about the phrasing and I'm not sure how I feel about it one way or another. I was not trying to emphasize the feelings of imprisonment but maybe subconsciously I was (at least I feel imprisoned by limited technical skill!). It is difficult for me to record a guitar only track because I don't spend enough time on the metronome but something I plan on working on later this year, so I love that suggestion and want that to be a tool in my box in the future.

This song was actually one that got pretty stuck in my head and I ended up singing A cappella to myself after I recorded the demo, which doesn't happen for every song. I really appreciate your suggestion here and will pay close attention if I revisit the song, which I think I will because I do like it.

As far you covering the song, if you feel up to it go for it, I don't have any objections to that process and would be grateful to hear it.

@edward9thstreet 4d

Thx Jeff! Appreciate the listen and comments! I always like Pat's lyrics. I'm gonna try and get a video into the contest. I do have a face and bod just made for video!! Haha.

@billwhite51 4d

i dont think your points were off base. there are many ways to perform a song, and if @lbrewington allows it, i would love to hear you cover the song in your way. like with my song that you covered, you brought something to it that i could not have done, and i treasure both approaches...i would feel the same if you covered thrown away.

@unknownbecky 4d

I only just put it together that you're the Jeffrey who came to song circle this week! Great to have you—I really enjoyed your song and can't wait to hear more!

@sbs 6d

Yes, hubby cracked up as soon as he heard the punchline for “Girl, Thank Me.”

@mace66 6d

Thanks for the comments on 'Wow' - I'm not the most accomplished musician in the world, but for me, that is where all the fun is - trying to get something passably tuneful out of the instruments - I don't think I'd get that from AI?

@trebled 1w

Hi again Jeff - after much experimentation with vocal settings, this is what I usually now do to get the best vocal sound on GB for iPad:

2 layers of vocal melody - the first on ‘lead vocal’ setting with some reverb and a little echo added afterwards if necessary. The second layer on ‘sweet chorus’ setting, which just softens and fills the lead vocal line nicely. Again add some reverb and echo to this if necessary. Adjust volume levels between the vocal layers to get the best balance.

I’ll then often add a layer (usually only one) of vocal harmony, again on the ‘sweet chorus’ vocal setting, with some reverb and echo added as necessary. I’ve noticed I tend to make the vocal harmony line a little more prominent in the mix than most. It just seems to work better that way for me. (And, I guess, I don’t want the extra work involved to go completely unnoticed by the listener! 😆)

Anyway, I hope that helps a bit - play around with it and see what happens! :-)

@billwhite51 1w

I finished Heavenly Questions yesterday, but i think it will be a long time before I fully absorb it. Some of it rminds me of Ezra Pound's Canto's. although her ancient references are not nerly as obscure as his, and she actually is writing about relevant things. I love the way she interlces mathematics, science,and religion into her personal dark night of the soul, and finds some historical and mythical context for her own sorrows. mostly i enjoyed the recurring phrases as they recurred in different contexts throughout the book. many passages were so heartrending that they were difficult to read without tearing up.regarding some of the references that had t be looked up, i found that even if though i am familiar with Archimedes, or example, brushing up on him was of immeasurable help in understanding her references and why she as making them. I didnt know that Velvet Venus was a pencil, and at first it seemed something of a plunge to go though the horrific Sublimaze section to something as common and seemingly harmless as a pencil, but its significance surfaced in the final line when Krishna's pen breaks before his tale is completed. Thank you again for sending me this marvelous book. The only problem now is that she has said so many things that i am trying to say, and doing it at such a higher level than myself, that im either going to have to up my game or pack away my pencils.

@trebled 1w

Hi Jeff, and thanks for your lovely comment on my collab with @andrea. You asked about my setup - I’m sure it’s really quite basic compared to most here. At the heart of it is GarageBand on an iPad - I never use preset drum tracks or loops - I like to do everything myself. I hook up a Nektar Impact GX61 MIDI controller keyboard and Rode-NT USB Mini condenser mic via an Arturia Minifuse 2 interface. All budget level gear that does what I need it to really well. The blowy thing is a Carry-On Digital Wind Instrument (again not pricey), and the uke is a Klos full carbon fibre electro-acoustic baritone (not so cheap!). Thanks again for your kindness and your interest! :-)

@ohljazz 1w

Thanks for your kind comments on "Age Your Act!" I'm honored to be included in the same sentence as Mose and Shel.

@billwhite51 2w

scott walker did a whole album of brels tunes in english translation, and judy collins did a fabulaous cover of his The Dove, which you can hear here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIWBxwj7QkM.
in citing brel, i am alluding to his ability to transform long poetic lines into powerful music that isnt confined to common song forms. his dramatic cadency that builds intensity through the lyrics and chord development rather than melody. weill and brecht are no slouches in that department either.

@billwhite51 2w

thank you for your perceptive comments on the death of an eternal. to simplify things. ill just add that it is the christ story through the prism of nietzsche's concept of the eternal return and the biblical text "this generation shall not pass til all these things be done" which suggests to me that the story will be repeated for each subsequent generation, so i imagined christ as the eternal spirit of truth that returns and is martyred throughout time. and the verses themselves represent different eras.

@mikeb 2w

Thanks for the comment on Atomic Crazy!

@sbs 2w

Thanks so much, Jeff, for your music and your lovely comments. I won't be around in September but hope to see you next FAWM!

@billwhite51 3w

ive always considered a westerner with southern sympathies, having lived in memphis, charlotte, and cocoa beach but i did spend 17 years in Boston, the spawning ground of yankees, but it is where i meet my goirlfriend from north carolina, with whom i spent ten years, so southernisms are not entirely indecipherable for me. i just have to look twice, sometimes three times at them before the phrasing beomes apparent.

@billwhite51 3w

i hae learned a lot about lyric writing from writing music for lyricists, particularly in how certain phrases that look mediocre on a page can be exciting when musicated, and how some lyrics that look perfect on the page are impossible to sing.

@cbmagic 3w

Thank you, Jeff, I am glad you like "Lot Dreams". And I like Band in the box as well.

@russkeys 4w

Thanks, Jeff. Abandonado is a cool song. I do get the comparison. Interesting direction, if only I were Spanish speaking. . .

@edward9thstreet 4w

Thx for the listen and comments, Jeff.l! It's my Martin D16, drop D and capo'ed up a few frets. There's some mic bleed but mainly the Fishman pickup to a digital mixer where I roll off the boomy low end by a good measure.

@musicsongwriter 4w

It's a pleasure, Jeff. Thank you for your kindness.

@greengrassgirl 4w

Hi, Jeff, I'm back again to say thanks for your comments on Cavalcade, my collab with David Taro. He took my lyric and turned it into a phenomenal song. I'm so honored to share in the glow! 😀 I agree with you that his treatment of this is an "absolute tour de force." I'm still pinching myself.

@greengrassgirl 4w

Jeff, So happy that you enjoyed Gwyn's and my song, Bless Me, Father. He is just so darn good at that style--and every other style I've heard him do! Thanks for letting us know you liked it. Makes a difference!

@davidtaro 5w

Hi Jeff. Vocal levels are a tough one because it's often quite subjective. I tend to have a reference track in mind with most songs, where I'm trying to capture a similar 'vibe'. In which case I'd just A/B listen to mine vs the reference and try and get the vocals sitting in a similar way. Sometimes that's a bit more prominent than others, I think you just judge it on the track. For the Hard Whiskey song, for me the level was fine (and compares well to a couple of Sturgill Simpson songs I just very briefly cycled through). But equally you could easily bump it up by 0.5-1db and that would still sound fine. Or mess about with the EQs on the vocal, or indeed on anything that might be slightly masking the vocal (sometimes you bring down a certain frequency in the guitars or snares and suddenly the vocals sound a lot clearer). Anyway, bottom line - your mixes always sound super solid to my ears, so I'd just keep trusting your own judgement and comparing against professionally produced tracks that you like. Hope that's vaguely sensible/helpful!

@sbs 5w

Thanks, Jeff, for your appreciation of "Pom Pom Cigarettes." Love it when somebody else enjoys one of my favorite songs, especially,

@paul_pedersen 5w

Thanks for your positive comments on "Build Me a Time Machine", Jeff. I've admired everything I've heard from you, so supportive words from you are especially meaningful to ne.

@nosmoking 6w

Jeff, thanks for your comment on my song "I Should Have Told Her". Much appreciated!

@billwhite51 6w

i didnt yawn once. if fact, i was spellbound throughout

@mikeb 9w

Thanks for the listen and comments on 'With These Hands'. I use a Rode NT1 for vocals. The lead guitar on this song is my 72 Tele into Behringer chorus and delay, then a distorted blues amp profile on my amp. I think I may have cranked too much distortion in it, and also forgot to back off the amp's reverb, but the overall dirty effect works, I guess.

@gfandme 9w

Hi Jeff, thanks for listening to and reviewing a bunch of songs. Regarding your question about the use of AI: yes there is some AI going on in the songs, varying from nothing in some songs to a lot in others. What I notice is that new developments (nowadays AI) in the field of music are often looked at rather frenetically. In the past, there has been a lot of criticism and condescending behavior regarding the use of MIDI (guitar), synthesizers, loops and samples, drum computers, autotune, DAWs, VST(i)'s, accompaniment software such as Band in a Box and nowadays AI. You cannot stop these developments and if interesting tools come along, you better give them a try, Ultimately, I think it's about the emotion that the end result evokes in the listener. Anyway, just my two cents...

@robinleaf 9w

Thanks for your comments on "At Least I Know Your Eyes Are Brown" - it's a true story! 😅😅😅 The only other details I recall are that he wore glasses and had longish, curly red hair. It was a looong time ago.

@johnkaniecki 9w

Hi Jeff have a great FAWM

@musicsongwriter 9w

@billwhite51 9w

Thank you for all your mentions and comments. FAWM is about listening to songs as well as writing them. Its the time of year to be encouraged that, despite the decline of mainstream industry music, there are still so many people making the kind of music that made the united states the music capitol of the world. Discovering a talent like yours is as exciting as writing a new song. It is proof that while good music may go out of style, there will always be people to carry it on. it does bother me though when you compare yourself unfairly to those who have had illustrious careers. You are just as good as any of those guys, and in the long run may prove to make an even greater contribution. In that way does progress lie. Also keep in mind that an enormous amount of money is invested in the careers and recordings of the artists we admire and have influenced us. We who have nothing but our talent and tenacity have been doing pretty well on our own.

@deleted 9w

(deleted)

@billwhite51 9w

my nephew is a minister who lives in tampa and has his own church in land o' lakes. im sure ill be up that way to visit him at some point, and when i do, we can have that cup of coffee together

@kosch 10w

Thank you for listening to "Zombieland (Movie title Challenge)" - I now feel I may have to expand my entries in the "Spacepunk Gumbo" genre! 😆

@crisp1 10w

You made my day, Jeff. And I just woke up! How I Wish is all yours. Looking forward to hearing it!

@billwhite51 10w

thank you for your comments on immiserated angel. there are no references to any particular poem . but the first three verses are inspired by fairy tales and fables of children stolen by witches or demons, depriving them of the life they were born to live.

@doug66 10w

Thanks for stopping by, Jeff on No Tomorrow.

@billwhite51 10w

at first i didnt intend to write these songs. I didnt want to exploit another persons tragedy. but as life became more emoty, i had to find something to do, and writing songs took my mind off more pain, random things. so i keot doing it. im glad i am writing them, as many people have been getting something out of them. but yoiur comment was the nicest, i have been wanting to collaborate with you, but so far have not been able to write a lyric good enough.but ill keep trying, and we will get something together by the time 50 90 is over. and yes, i do feel the love. god knows i need it.

@billwhite51 10w

Naples