Notes_Norton

We're re-doing Disk #2 now (Pop/Rock Fake Book companion). We compiled that one in the early 1990s, it's one of our bestsellers. There have been so many new styles released since then that express the songs better. So we decided to redo it. We've been working on that for about a year. It will be a free update to anyone who has ever purchased it. That just seems like the right way to go. It's how I would appreciate being treated if I was the customer. We won't use micro-chords on that one, because we don't know what version any of BiaB our customers who bought that disk has. Peter Gannon tells me that if the end user doesn't have a newer version of BiaB that supports micro-chords, only the first chord will be played, and that would ruin many of the songs. So we are still going with expanded styles. I do like the micro-chords, but until they are about 10 years old, I'll probably continue to use expanded styles, for back-compatibility. Back-compatibility is also the reason I assign MIDI styles to the fake disk songs. If a MIDI style is assigned, the BiaB 'robot' will suggest a real track style. On the other hand, if a real style is assigned, BiaB will not recommend a MIDI style. So to suggest both, MIDI must be default. Of course, the user can change the style. A few years ago, I did Fake Disk #37, The Real Book Companion with all Real-Track styles, and the feedback from my customers was to stick to MIDI for that very reason. When I made my own styles back in the 1990s, I gave them to a few friends who were using BiaB. They told me they liked my styles better than PG Music's styles (aren't friends wonderful?) and one said that I should sell them. I took out a classified ad in Keyboard Magazine for 3 months. As the 3rd month was approaching, the ad rep called me and asked if I wanted to renew. I hadn't sold any, so I said, “No, Thanks.” About an hour later, I got my first order, so I called the mag and renewed. I wonder if the magazine bought a disk to get me to renew? Anyway, I'm glad I got that order. I've sold to 100 different countries now. I walked into a music store in Bermuda, and another in London, and they both wanted to know if I was the “Real Bob 'Notes' Norton”. That and a couple of bucks will buy a cup of coffee, but it felt good anyway. I don't make much money per disk. By the time I pay the web host, shopping cart, credit card authorization company, credit card merchant's account, business bank account (per deposit), and insurance, there isn't much left over, but enough to keep me from travelling to find work in the slow, Florida summers. After the Pop/Rock redo, we're doing The Real Book volume VI. The last in that series. Mrs. Notes is planning on another Rock/Pop book. Right now it's prime gigging season, and we are doing from 3 to 6 one-nighters per week, so there isn't much progress on the software. Notes ♫

Reflections of My Life — Marmalade

From Cabo Verde (I believe). I don't understand one word of the lyrics, but lyrics never mattered to me. I like it.

Best answer to date!

I started using BiaB when I had an Atari computer. PG Music comes out with a Christmas update every year. It's a good auto-accompaniment software app. I bought it, so I could practice my sax with a robot band. That way, I could try improv things that were risky without embarrassing myself (most of the risky things didn't work out). When PG wrote a stylemaker option allowing end users to make styles, I found a side business. Still doing it, and still loving BiaB. Notes ♫

Urban → City Cityscape — Michael Brecker & Claus Ogerman

It's actually as sappy, simplistic, and as unemotional as a lot of things that are popular. And like the early CGI images in movies, it'll get better. They want to put songwriters out of work now.

Livin' La Vida Loca — Ricky Martin

OK, I don't know if this should go in the Pun fred, or the music cartoon fred. But since I'm here...

Grocery stores seem to be in the comedy business...

As a musician, Monday is usually my first day off of the week, technically my weekend.

Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

Tumbling Dice — Stones

I had to do it… White Rabbit — Jefferson Airplane

Most people will charge as much as the market will bear. If it costs too much to see them, just don't go. I'm old enough to remember when kids could afford concert tickets. But that was a long time ago. And yes, I'm an old man, still gigging, to senior citizens. I actually chose that market when I was 40. Here in Florida, it's a big market, with much more job security than the bars gave us at the time. And DJs were taking the biz away from live musicians in the young folks' bars. We played Sinatra, Miller, Basie, Ellington songs, and eventually introduced Elvis and the early rockers, as the elders died off and the next generation moved in. Then Beatles, and on and on. When Rap gets to the senior market, I'll retire. I just can't talk that fast. I see no problem with Kiss, Stones, McCartney or any other entertainer still performing. It's not what we do, it's what we are. Notes ♫

Open The Door, Richard — Louis Jordan Louis was a bit of a clown, and a very good sax player. My father used to like this song.

I thought the clown makeup was a good idea. They might not have been noticed without it. Sometimes a gimmick is the difference. Elvis Presley shook his hips, The Beatles introduced long hair on men, Billy Idol wore a dog collar, Alice Cooper cross-dressed on their first album cover then did theatrics, Ozzy went to the dark side, Madonna performed in underwear, and so on. I thought they were a decent band, some good songs, some fair, some I didn't care for. Pretty typical for me, there usually isn't a band that I like everything they do. I never really followed them or bought an album, just enjoyed the songs that I heard and liked, ignored the others. Wearing out their welcome? I don't know if that's it. What are you going to do? Retire? When you gig for a living, especially when you are loved, it's very difficult to give that up. I'm past retirement age, and still gigging 3–5 days per week. Why would I want to stop? It's the most fun I can have with my clothes on. Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Branch manager?

Dream On — Aerosmith

So he wasn't the front man, but was the font man?

A fork in the road

Thanks, it's on our list to watch.