I have a different kind of cloning project underway. Piano-sax duos. I'm trying to recreate the essence of jam sessions we had as kids in our parlors. High school bandmates, my brothers and I would get together and play tunes to help us learn to play by ear. We gathered in the parlors of whomever had a piano and probably drove the rest of the family out of the house.
This project uses the tunes and styles we played then. We were influenced by the swing and dixieland jazz records of the times (the '50s), so my project tries to capture that sound. Back then I was listening to Ben Webster, Lester Young, and Bud Freeman on tenor and Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Fats Waller, and Mel Powell on piano. Mostly because those were the players on the jazz records in our house.
As I listen to the first cuts of the tunes, I can hear myself struggling to stay inside and not let later influences and idioms creep in.
Here's a couple of cuts from the first of my clone sessions. They are typical of the project.
http://www.alstevens.com/alstevens/tunes/mp3s/honeysucklerose.mp3
http://www.alstevens.com/alstevens/tunes/mp3s/memoriesofyou.mp3
I'm interested in getting comments on the performances. I hear things in there that I'd like to change, and I want to learn whether others hear the same things and get new ideas, too. Also reinforcement about parts that you might find pleasing. Not for attaboys, but to learn what is working best from the vantage of the uninvolved listener.
Ignore the mix. If I do anything with this project, I'll need someone with better ears than mine to start from dry tracks and handle that part.
This online review process worked well for me on another discussion group when I made my first commercial CD, so I thought I'd try it here.