Istrail Tunes

I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)

2009-12-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

In the final installment of videos from Thanksgiving 2009, my brother and I took on the classic song by Meatloaf. That's my brother on piano and me on electric guitar and vocals. View the music video HERE.

Happy Holidays to all!

Twelve Bar Blues

2009-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the second song from the Thanksgiving jam session with my family, a twelve bar blues. That's my brother on piano and me on electric guitar. View the music video HERE.

Don't Stop Believin'

2009-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, Rebekka and I hosted my parents, grandmother, and brother at our house. It was great to see everyone. The first night after dinner we had a jam session for hours, and we caught some of it on film. Here is the first song from the session, the Journey tune "Don't Stop Believin' ". That's my brother on piano and me on electric guitar. Rock 'n roll! View the music video HERE.

Rebekka's Song

2009-11-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Rebekka's Song" is the closing track on the album, "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen and download HERE.

Rebekka and I started dating in college, when I was a senior and she was a sophomore. Soon after I graduated, I wrote this song and eventually performed it with a band at our wedding 5 years later. We've been dating for 10 years now, and it's been great.

Love Is Not An Open Door

2009-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

The eighth track on the album "Love Is Not An Open Door" is the title track. Listen and download HERE.

This was one of my first originals. I wrote it in eighth grade, as a lament about the difficulty of finding true love. Though I was just 13 at the time, the lyrics channel the soul of a wise and world-weary traveler accompanied by a latin rhythm.

The image of me jamming outdoors is by Portside.

MJ Tribute

2009-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at my digital piano recently figuring out how to play the Jackson Five's "I Want You Back." As I thought about the thirteen-year old Michael Jackson singing the song, I thought of the even younger Lee Istrail (six years old), years later, listening to MJ for the first time. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was the first album that changed my world. When I was six years old, my parents played it all the time. At night they would play the song "Human Nature" on the tape recorder in my room to help me sleep; I can still remember how the tune relaxed me. MJ was larger than life, and I miss him. And now I have a question for you, loyal Istrailtunes reader:

Q: What MJ song(s) should I add to my repertoire?

Mitch Marzec's Band

2009-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post, I discussed Jeremy Barnes' band and reminisced about the good old high school days when he and I jammed. Well, now I've tracked down another high school buddy who played some tunes with us back then.

High school-era Mitch Marzec was a singer and hard-rockin' guitarist who knew how to put on a great show. In his less intense moments, Mitch would chill out and display unexpected skills. After one all-night party, Mitch made me a very tasty omelette.

Mitch is now in a band called "An American Chinese." (official website HERE). Based in Philadelphia, the band offers up whimsical and catchy tunes. And I have never seen a website designed like theirs; the sliding green dot is awesome. Check them out!

Lights in the Dark

2009-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Lights in the Dark" is the 7th track on "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen and download HERE.

This waltz is one of the very first songs I wrote. Think of it as a teenager's attempt to counteract naivete by trying to understand the apocalypse.

The image of me concentrating intently while playing guitar is by Portside.

Rock 'n Roll Live

2009-07-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, I played some tunes for a friend's going-away party. The core of the set was early rock 'n roll (Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis) and Motown (Wilson Pickett). It was a great way to segue into the weekend, and a reminder that I need to get out and perform more often. The biggest hit was "Great Balls of Fire," which I played a second time as a special request. I feel more energized now, having gone back to the roots of rock 'n roll.

Happy Despair

2009-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week's song is "Happy Despair," the sixth track on "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen and download HERE.

As a high school student who suddenly had homework coming out of his ears, and who had to behave more "seriously" than before, I longed for simpler times. The theme is akin to the Rolling Stones song "As Tears Go By."

Photo by Portside.

Res Judicata: Reprise

2009-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week, I am directing you to another video of a gig in front of some friends. The music is NOT mine; it is the best tune from the Lion King. I wrote the lyrics in collaboration with my wife Rebekka, concerning the great legal doctrine of res judicata. It means no lawsuits for the rest of your days (on the same grounds). Ah, but the antagonist in this story tries to bring the same case three times.

Watch "Res Judicata" HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0KeHuBecQo

The Cliff Song: Harmonica Version

2009-06-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

"The Cliff Song" is the fifth track from the album "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen and download HERE.

I gave you a different version of this song back in September. This one has the only recorded Lee Istrail harmonica solo. The tale is about a friend who turns foe and tries to settle his argument with a gun. "The Cliff Song" is a flight of fancy which I wrote in high school. While I have never actually been chased by a gun-toting villain, this song captures my apprehension back in high school that my innocence would sometimes be dangerous. As Bob Dylan sang, "I offered up my innocence and got repaid with scorn."

Photo is by Portside.

I Bill My Time - Reprise

2009-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week, I am posting a link to a video of myself playing "I Bill My Time" for some friends. The law is very serious, so you've got to have a sense of humor about it.

My wife and I penned the lyrics, but note that the music is NOT mine. It's Johny Cash's. So even though Istrail Tunes is generally about my original tunes, this week I am flippin' the script.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyp08ykDjaw

Lamb in Wolf's Clothing

2009-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Lamb in Wolf's Clothing" is the fourth track from the album "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen to the track and the album HERE.

I had a good buddy back in elementary school who, when we got to middle school, suddenly started talking to me with scorn. He had hopes of becoming one of the cool kids, i.e. a "wolf," and he thought that hangin' out with me wasn't where it's at. Surely you know the expression "wolf in sheep's clothing." He was the opposite, a lamb in wolf's clothing, consumed with hunger for popularity. Ah, but the true wolves "feasted off (his) foolishness." I entirely lost touch with this dude, and good riddance!

PS: I cannot say whether I coined the phrase "lamb in wolf's clothing," but when you do a google search for the phrase, the link to my song comes up number 9 out of 285,000 entries. Not bad, eh?

PPS: This photo is by Portside. During the photo shoot, she cautioned me not to break the guitar. I was channeling the tradition of Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend, but I did not destroy my trusty first guitar, which I started playing at age 13.

First Concert

2009-06-01T09:47:00.001-07:00

Q: What was the first concert you ever attended?
A: Around the start of middle school, my parents took me to see Paula Abdul, with opening act Color Me Badd. It was a great show. This was before I started playing and writing songs. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Cheesy pop." But look, some of Paula's music still holds up. I have a bluesy cover of "Straight Up Now, Tell Me" in my repertoire. Remind me to play it sometime, and you'll see what I mean. But Color Me Badd? You will not see me covering their tunes anytime soon.

British Chick

2009-05-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

British Chick is the third song from the album, "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen to the song and the album HERE on Amie Street. British Chick was a college classmate originally from England, replete with a fabulous accent. I had gotten to know her pretty well, and had a thing for her. I sent her flowers and told her I thought she was peachy keen, and she then had a nice and straightforward discussion with me: "I just don't feel the same." And we just put the whole thing behind us and continued as friends. There was no cloak and dagger uncertainty, and no awkwardness; I found it utterly refreshing.

She was clearly enjoying attention from multiple suitors, but not in a way that says, "Look at me, I've got many guys wrapped around my finger." British Chick is very classy. As my line goes, "She's innocent but not naive / Her company is hard to leave."

Photo is by my official photog extraordinaire, Portside.

graduation again

2009-05-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my brother Larry graduated from college. Ten years ago this month, I got my tassel. That was the month that the album Lee Istrail-LIVE was recorded in the lounge of a dorm. How time passes. Larry, back then you were a middle schooler. And now, as Vince Vaughn said, "You're growns up and you're growns up and you're growns up." Congratulations, my man, I'm really proud of you. You've grown up to be a smart guy and a good guy. All the best as you start post-grad life.

Golden Afternoons

2009-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Golden Afternoons" is the second track from the album "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen to the track and the album HERE.

In tenth grade I "went electric," and just like Dylan, I got protests that I was selling out and leaving my folk roots behind. But like Dylan, I persisted because I was being true to myself. This tune is an instrumental designed to accompany a teenager's romantic daydreaming.

Photo is by my trusty official photographer, Portside.

Jeremy Barnes' band

2009-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Q: Did you jam with any folks who went on to be pro musicians?
A: A few. I'll give you one example. There was a band in high school playing at the same time as Extreme Delusion. We had an awesome Earth Day concert at school in 10th grade, in which members of the bands mixed and matched. These guys were wicked good. The band featured Jackson Kelly on guitar and voice. Jackson was one of my best friends during 10th grade. He had an intuitive feel for guitar tone and skill, a keen vocal range, and a wry wit. While the other guys in the band gravitated towards punk and harder rock, Jackson had one foot in the acoustic classic rock camp, like me.

Then there was the other guitarist, Mitch Marzec. Mitch was the main punk proponent, real serious about his Johny Rotten impression and acerbic tone. Mitch had me up in arms sometimes with his outspoken harsh words for the Beatles.

Finally, there was Jeremy Barnes, the drummer. Jeremy had a hard-driving Keith Moon style of playing and the crazy sense of mischief to go with it. Jeremy wound up playing with Neutral Milk Hotel from 1996-1998 (indie rock fans will know this band), and now he's in the band "A Hawk and A Hacksaw" with Heather Trost. Jeremy got away from his hard rock roots and now plays an eclectic brand of Eastern European folk music and has incorporated Romanian musicians into the band's lineup. This fascinates me because I am originally Romanian. Over time Jeremy and I switched influences: I got more into the Who and blues-based rock, and he got more into the music of my homeland!

Blue Eyed Doe

2009-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

And now, introducing a new album, "Love Is Not An Open Door." Listen to it HERE. The first track is "Blue Eyed Doe."

Back in 10th grade (that's right, this was the year of my supergroup Extreme Delusion) I liked a certain girl who rode my bus. I asked her out in the summer but she said she didn't know if that made sense because she would be away for a month at camp. I went off to camp myself and developed affections for somebody else (that's a whole other song called "Amiss"). But nobody can take away those bus rides home after school.

I decided to keep the song light in tone, and add an electric guitar solo.

The album cover art is by my friend Portside.

Lee's Second Band

2009-04-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Q: OK, so what happened after Extreme Delusion dissolved?

A: Well, I went to a new high school starting junior year. In my physics class, I met a guy named Ian who was a blues fan like me, and played saxophone and flute. We planned to jam sometime. But when he said he was in the school marching band, I didn't know what to expect; was he going to want to play John Phillip Sousa marches? Ian turned out to be a cool cat who could play the blues and jazz with great technical skill as well as improvisational flair and emotion. He got me into John Coltrane, and during my junior year we played a few live gigs and recorded several tunes, whose stories you can read in the Istrail Tunes archive: "Blue Rain," "A Picture of You," "Amiss," and "Nostalgia"

Ian eventually went off to rabbinical school, and I hope he's entertaining a congregation somewhere with his musical stylings.

Wake Up in the Morning: Song for Economic Stimulus

2009-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

I originally wrote "Wake Up in the Morning" as a cheer-up song to a friend. However, I think it can be recast as a song for these tough economic times. So buck up, America, because Lee Istrail is on your side.

Click on the following link and scroll to track 6:
http://amiestreet.com/music/lee-istrail/live/

Lee's First Band

2009-04-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Q from loyal reader: Lee, what's the story of your first band?
A: From eighth grade until 10th I was in solo artist mode, but in 10th grade I was invited to join a rock 'n roll outfit that needed a guitarist. The band frontman insisted on the name "Extreme Delusion." I was not thrilled at the moniker (are we conceding that we have delusions of being a band?), but in the interest of getting down to business I did not lobby for an alternative.

The frontman decided U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" would be our first song. Now, you might think we'd start off with some Chuck Berry or "Wild Thing," but no; we had to try a song with challenging drum and vocal parts, in the same key that Bono sang it. That song never came together, but we did play a good cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (I have a live performance on tape), an original I wrote about an unrequited crush (taped from the same concert), and an original about Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange," which we performed as an English class assignment (the recording was lost, but I know how the tune goes). At the end of 10th grade, I changed schools and we did not have the momentum to continue. But it was a fun time creating something with others, and we managed to rock out in public a few times.

During college, I saw a new reincarnation of this band, which went by the name, "Urine Sane." The band had gotten much better, but the name had gotten much worse. I shook my head.

Cliff's Return

2009-03-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, Istrailtunes is back, my friends! And in a new format. Every 2 weeks on a Monday morning, I will tell the tale behind a song and provide a link so you can listen and download. Each Monday in between, you'll get my views on some music-related topic, such as stories of high school and college performances. And you are encouraged to post "comments" on this blog.This week's tune is the closer in the hiking trilogy.

First we had "Wrong Way in the Rain," then "Cactus," and now, "Cliff's Return."The first thing you should know about this tune is that part of the music was written by my high school buddy Zach Ireland. Zach played the song to me in draft form, and the lyrics depicted a surreal dream Zach had. The tune stuck in my mind, and during first year of college, I found my own lyrics for it. Zach recently tracked me down on Facebook, so Z, this one's for you!

True story. During a college hiking trip, we had set up in our cabin and found that a guy named Cliff had written in the cabin log. Late that night, he and some friends paid us a visit. To hear what happened, check out Track # 11:
http://amiestreet.com/music/lee-istrail/in-the-studio

My Parents

2008-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am very into the Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Louis Armstrong, and others, but my parents are really my biggest influence, both musically and otherwise. In this season of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for my parents' influence in many ways. To give you a flavor for the music side of this, recall the song "Your Mama Don't Dance (and Your Daddy Don't Rock 'n Roll)," originally recorded in 1972 by duo Loggins and Messina, and then covered by Poison in the 1980s. Well, my parents turn that one one its head; both my parents dance, and they both rock 'n roll!! They dance really well and they got my brother and I interested in ballroom dancing and piano lessons. My dad taught me guitar when I was 13. Plus, they introduced me to the Beatles, Dylan, Joan Baez, Queen, and others. For having cool parents, I am grateful.

To resume next week

2008-11-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

This week I will take a break because I don't want to compete with the impending release of the new Guns 'n Roses album, "Chinese Democracy." Just kidding. I will be back with a new post one week from today, and then there will be a post every 2 weeks rather than every week. So, I hope you can defer your curiosity until next week.

Wrong Way in the Rain (aka Freshman Disorientation)

2008-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the second installment of my hiking trilogy from "In the Studio." As part of freshman orientation in college, I went on a hiking trip with some classmates and our trip leader. We started out in jolly spirit trudging through the New Hampshire wilderness, but soon it started to rain and we realized that we had set out in the wrong direction Despite this setback, we recuperated and the trip was a lot of fun.

Here it is:
http://amiestreet.com/artist/88281

Cactus

2008-11-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

In the summer before college, I was dating a girl I had met while working at Walmart. I was in the shoe department (cue Al Bundy jokes) and she was a cashier. This song is a stream-of-consciousness narrative based on a hike we took in the Sandia mountains.

It is part I of my "hiking trilogy" from "In the Studio":
http://amiestreet.com/music/lee-istrail/in-the-studio/.

Mellow

2008-10-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Mellow" is a song from freshman year of college. During that year it seemed that several times, I met someone cool and then did not see them for a long time. One problem was that we didn't have common activities. A secondary problem was that, despite a mutual admiration, sometimes we just didn't have many common experiences, so ultimately the vibe wasn't there. Occasionally, this would change and I'd reconnect with them, but not that often.

This was one such story, of the non-reconnecting variety. Early on freshman year, I went to a dance with a girl who I thought I got along with pretty well, but then she simply disappeared. At the time, this was "inscrutable" to me, but eventually I remembered that there was no conversational repartee at the dance to speak of.

It's from the album "In the Studio." I laid this one down at my high school's recording studio, on a break from college. Yes, and produced it myself as well:
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210401/

Nostalgia

2008-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Nostalgia" was originally written as a farewell song to friends from summer camp, at the point when we were going our separate ways off to college. I then reprised it when I changed high schools after 10th grade. Finally, when I recorded it during senior year of high school, it took on a new meaning in the four-song cycle. It represented the stage in which one looks fondly back on past unrequited love and with a shrug, chooses to emphasize the bright points. So now, the full cycle goes like so:

Song
1) A Picture of You: Love's first bloom
2) Amiss: It is not requited
3) Three Years Too Late: It may be requited, upon flimsy bases
4) Nostalgia: "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all"

Here it is, from the album "In the Studio," featuring some neat sax fills from Ian Smolkin, and some overdubbed harmonic high voices towards the end which are purely creatures of the studio:
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210399/

Three Years Too Late

2008-10-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

After my freshman year of high school, I moved from Middletown, CT to Albuquerque, NM. One of my buddies in Connecticut told me that he had been talking to a certain girl we knew and told her that I was a big rock star in New Mexico. In middle school I'd had a big crush on her, and the song "Almost Close" is loosely based on that - the chick had no interest. But my friend told me that now, hearing the fictitious story that I was a well-known musician in the Southwest, she suddenly was interested in re-connecting with me.

I wasn't having this. I thought, "Baby, this is three years too late. You had your chance. L-train has left the station."

This is the third song in the initial four-song cycle from "In the Studio." First we had the blooming romanticism of "A Picture of You," then the unrequited love of "Amiss." This song follows with some good 'ol teenage angst over the superficial motivations which animate and frustrate adolescents to no end. Great menacing bass riffs from Sanjay Chandran and cool jazz-influenced drum grooves by Jon Kouba.

And here it is:
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210397/

Amiss

2008-10-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

The second track which I recorded and sent with my college applications was "Amiss." In tenth grade, I went to a movie with a certain girl who had already told me she wanted to be "just friends." I hoped the experience of being on the date would magically change her mind. Not this time. The next day, I wasn't feeling so hot. I took a long walk around my neighborhood, listening to the Jimi Hendrix Experience album, "Axis/Bold as Love." I knew that through the transcendent power of his guitar and through his plaintive and soulful voice, Jimi felt my pain.

The first track in the series, "A Picture of You," shows the blooming sentiment of a crush. "Amiss" is the stage of realizing that this is, and probably will continue to be, unrequited.

Ian Smolkin again delivered, with a really nice improvised saxophone part. This is from the album, "In the Studio":
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210395/

A Picture of You

2008-09-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

During my junior year of high school, I became very fond of a gymnast in my Trig/Precalc class. She also shared my fondness for the Animaniacs show. It was not to be, but the song remained. The next year, my high school's counselor on college guidance suggested that I record a few songs to send with my college applications. So I picked four of my songs and rounded up some buddies, who helped me lay down the tracks in a local Albuquerque studio. This was the lead song. The flute parts were improvised by Ian Smolkin, who also played on "Keryn" and "Blue Rain" from the album "Jazz & Blues" (see earlier entries on the blog). My hat is off to Ian for his great contribution to the song's theme.

Ian and I played the song at the school talent show, and at a coffeehouse in downtown Albuquerque. As we walked offstage after the coffeehouse gig, a woman said to me, "You'll get your woman when you're 40." At first I thought this was a diss; she was predicting I wouldn't find my woman for another 25 yrs b/c women younger than that wouldn't really dig me. But you see, this woman might have been 40 herself. I was flattered.

Here it is, from the album, "In the Studio":
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210393/

PS: I "got my woman" sooner than predicted. Rebekka and I started dating in college when I was 22 and got married when I was just a few weeks shy of 27. And it's been a great 9 yrs!

Pretty Princess

2008-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

In high school, I could not pass up a chance to lampoon a certain type of ditzy girl, the "Pretty Princess." I knew some male ditzes too, but they didn't inspire me to sing.

From the album "Lee Istrail-LIVE," recorded in college:
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210447/

The Cliff Song

2008-09-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

A friend who turns foe and tries to settle his argument with a gun. "The Cliff Song" is a flight of fancy which I wrote in high school. While I have never actually been chased by a gun-toting villain, this song captures my apprehension that my innocence would sometimes be dangerous. As Bob Dylan sang, "I offered up my innocence and got repaid with scorn."

From "Lee Istrail-LIVE," recorded in college:

http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210433/

Almost Close

2008-09-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

Middle school dances. They bring back great memories of doin' the MC Hammer, Roger Rabbit, and all the other hip dances of the time. And memories of adolescent awkwardness, especially finding a dance partner. This Chuck Berry-inspired ditty is loosely based on one of these episodes. I took some creative license with the plot, but preserved the characters' attitudes intact.

"Almost Close," from the album, "Lee Istrail-LIVE", recorded in college:
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210445/

Dream World

2008-09-01T06:31:00.001-07:00

"Dream World" originates from ninth grade. All of a sudden, I had much more homework than in middle school, and I had to ajust to a new and larger school. The world of sleep and dreams was a welcome "respite from an always-uphill fight."

This one is from the album "Lee Istrail - LIVE," recorded in college.

http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210443/

Birthday Edition: My Darling Coffee

2008-08-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Energy. We all crave it. A good night's sleep, exercise, oxygen. . .all these are important. In college, I discovered that coffee is also important to me. During freshman year, to recharge, I got into the habit of drinking some coffee in the morning, and taking a nap at 3 PM. Well, the naps went away b/c unlike in certain countries, the siesta is not generally part of the commercial fabric of U.S. life. Ah, but employers in the U.S. recognize coffee's productivity benefits, and many provide free coffee so as to save time. I've found myself more productive, and more creative, under the influence of coffee, as long as I don't have too much.

Here's a live recording from college (May 1999) of me playing my ode to this wonderful drink, "My Darling Coffee." From the album "Lee Istrail - LIVE (Vol. I), and the recording engineer was Brent Morrison. Brent did a great job of capturing the music and crowd in high quality.
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210431/

Blue Rain

2008-08-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, cool cats! "Blue Rain" is an acoustic blues groove from high school. My friend Ian backed me up on flute. Ian and I played a lot of concerts my junior year of high school; he was my key collaborator at the time. He lent just the right aura of serious concentration to this pensive tune.

http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210503/

(from the album, "Jazz & Blues")

Lee's Jazz Thing

2008-08-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

"Lee's Jazz Thing" is a half-hour electric guitar piece from high school, from the album, "Jazz & Blues." I started off on a basic theme and improvised the rest. This tune says, "In a complex world, there is a place for simplicity. Lighten up." Listen to it and you'll soon be in a good mood, guaranteed.

http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210505/

Keryn

2008-08-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Now on to the jazz side. I wrote "Keryn" about a girl I'd met at camp. This was during high school, when I lived in Albuquerque, NM. One day I arranged to visit her in Santa Fe, about an hour away. Her mom was there to chaperone. But we went for an unsupervised walk in the neighborhood, then came back to the house. I then noticed she had a piano. Sitting down at the bench, I told her, "I wrote this song about you" and played. Then, no reaction. Lee thought to himself, "Woman, how canst thou listen with such indifference? Art thou made of ice?"

So I moved on, and recorded the song in a few different versions. On the version you will hear, I recruited my trumpet-playing buddy Mel.

Dig my most popular song on Amie Street so far (from the album "Jazz & Blues"):
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210501/

C Minor Blues (aka Minor Third Blues)

2008-07-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

First, a general announcement. Istrail Tunes will now being airing an episode every Monday morning.

Continuing with the piano theme, this week's Istrail tune is "C Minor Blues" from the album "Piano Grooves." It will be the coda to one of the tunes from my rock opera. I wrote this song in college as an assignment for a music theory class. We were asked to compose music based on an interval of our choice. I chose the minor third interval, used in many of my favorites blues songs (e.g. Muddy Waters' "Rollin' and Tumblin'" and Led Zeppelin's reworking of "When the Levee Breaks," originally written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie).

Here is "C Minor Blues"!
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210451/

The rest of my tunes so far:
http://amiestreet.com/leeistrail

Piano Opus

2008-07-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the inaugural blog post of "Istrail tunes"! Each week, I'll be sharing one or more of my original tunes with you. This used to be a an email-based series, but figured a blog would be more fun. You will see back issues of "Lee's Song of the Week" on here as well, soon.

This week's installment is "Piano Opus," from the album, "Piano Grooves." This song is the first one that is part of the rock opera I am working on. It was written against the background of optimism and shifting sands that freshman year of college brings. Cast your memory back to that time and dig it (you can listen and download for free):
http://amiestreet.com/listen/song/shareListen/1210449/

The song is on the site Amie Street. You can find more tunes (listen and download) at:
http://amiestreet.com/leeistrail