Steve Huie

Hopefully these tunes that I have recorded over the years can be listened to and enjoyed without explanation but I will provide some information that describes how my playing of these tunes is a bit different. I mostly like doing arrangements of good songs but done in a unique way. Some of these tunes are well played by many great jazz musicians. I am not interested in competing with them. I only want to put a slightly different spin on the songs. Oh, I almost forgot. The other thing about these tunes that is unique is that I play all the parts. (one at a time obviously)

Song #1 – Chan’s Song

Chan’s Song by Herbie Hancock. Used in the movie ‘Round Midnight.

I have always loved Herbie’s tune. When I was trying to decide how to play it I could only find 2 versions of it on Spotify. I thought it should be played in a way that brings out the great melody. I also wanted to stretch out the melody a bit so I decided to change the time signature to 15/8 (4-4-4-3).

Song #2 – Be My Love 

I went back to the 1950 version that tenor Mario Lanza recorded. It just sounds so good played on guitar. I just play the melody twice. It is not the type of song I want to improvise on. 

 Song #3 – Close Enough For Love 

My friend Mike Strickland mentioned this Johnny Mandel tune to me one day and I told him that I had never heard it. (Mandel also wrote The Shadow Of Your Smile, the MASH theme, and A Time for Love and many other great tunes.) I really loved it after hearing it a few times. I took quite a while finding a key and feel that worked. I finally found a good key and found that it worked well in 3/4 time. But I didn’t want it to have a jazz waltz feel so I made it a semi-Latin feel. Now that is a bit different! 

The other thing that I’d like to mention is the guitar that is used on this. In fact there are 3 guitar parts(all recorded using one guitar) – solo in the middle and 2 rhythm parts – one in each ear. (that is also something that isn’t usually done). One more interesting fact is about the guitar. It is a inexpensive ($300) nylon string guitar with a built-in pickup. It gets such a expressive sound and is so easy to record. 

Song #4 – Detour Ahead

Probably my most smooth jazz sounding tune. I love using that electric piano sound. I play most of the drum parts but I do use a drum and percussion loop on this. For those not familiar, a loop is a 4 or 8 bar recording of an instrument ( usually drums ) that just plays over and over. This loop fit well for the feel I wanted.

Song #5 – Nature Boy 

Ever since I started playing music I have had a fascination with different time signatures(something  other than 3/4 or 4/4).  I always felt comfortable playing in different signatures when most of the musicians I was around would struggle with them. Nature Boy is a really nice tune and I found that playing it in 5/4 really worked well. 

Song #6 – Soul Eyes 

There is that electric piano sound again.   

Song #7 – Tenderly 

This song is in 7/4. I think 7/4 is my favorite time signature.

Song #8 -Two for the Road 

Song #9 –  What a Way to Go 

Written by Seattle songwriter June Tonkin. I used to love playing this song at Patti Summers place at Pike Place Market

Song #10 – Original 1

I don’t really compose much but sometimes sounds or textures will inspire me. In this case it was the synthesizer and beautiful English horn patch that inspired this tune. My friend Kurt ( orchestra conductor ) did tell me that no woodwind player could hold his breath as long as I hold some of the phrases that I played on the keyboard.

 Song #11 – Original 2

This one uses an Alto Flute, an  arpeggiated synthesizer and some vocal oohs and aahs and 2 guitar parts to try to get the most lush sound I could. 

Maybe this all TMI. Oh well.