CHUCK WILSON

My Jazz Colors is streaming on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and a lot of others. Let me know how you like it.

In the summer of 2019, I got the idea to make an album of original compositions inspired by jazz standards. Almost exactly a year later to the day, I released My Jazz Colors. This album is very close to my heart. I wrote, played and recorded all the tracks at my studio in Colorado. I also played the Wilson Wavecaster guitars I made on several tunes.

Deborah and I listened to your new album together — and was clapping and tapping her feet to some of the “swing-type” melodies…CONGRATULATIONS on an album that is FUN to listen to!

Ray Chappa, Musician

Track Notes for the Tunes on My Jazz Colors

Bossa Fiesta

I love Chick Corea’s tunes Sea Journey and La Fiesta which were written in the 1960’s and 70’s. I composed Bossa Fiesta as a nod to the harmonic Latin structure and rhythms that Chick brought with those tunes.

The tune starts with the A tonic suspended chord to a b7 sus (Gsus) and back again. The body of the tune is I Minor to a II Minor7 -V7 progression then after some time going to a II-V7 of the relative Major ( C in this case) then the IV Major and resolving with the II Minr 7 V7 back to the I Minor (A Minor).

The Bridge has some nice minor third motion along with some fun dimished harmonic interest.

What Touches You

An Homage to Jobim and his lovely How Insensitive

Going UpTown

I always loved the rhythm and groove of a good Freddie Green guitar along with the 1940s and 50s swing of moving up the diatonic harmonic scale with dimished chords passing through.

Agave

My homage to Stanley Turrentine and his great standard Sugar. Hence Agave , a sugar substitute. The V7 chord lifts into a bVI7 chord before coming back to V and resolving to the I.
Along with some fun II V action.

Ballad of a Dark Star

This Ballad was the last tune I composed for My Jazz Colors. It tips its hat to the classic ballads of the 1950s but also somehow has a spacey Grateful Dead vibe. Again, classic diatonic harmonic movement with diminished passing chords.

K Hawk

This tune uses traditional jazz blues changes in Bb, a horn players key. The name is a nod to my dad who was a real renaissance man and jazz player and aficionado. The melody was inspired by sitting down and writing a tune to him after his physical passing. In the 50’s and 60’s melodies based on the standard jazz blues progression were often written by jazz musicians to make it their own. One of my favorites is Solid by Sonny Rollins.

Waltz for Betty

I love jazz waltzes and Bill Evans Waltz for Debby is a classic. I wanted to write a reflective waltz and this came along. My friend and Mother in Law’s name was Betty and she loved good music. Betty was a fine piano player herself.

Blue Dan

This minor blues in Gminor with a quick trip to Bb Major ( the relative of G Minor) reminded me of one of my favorite Jazz/Rock crossover bands, Steely Dan, hence the title. To me, this tune feels a bit like it might be if they had been an instrumental only band.

South West Turn

Probably not hard to guess this is a tribute to Wes Montgomery. It was developed by way of creating some sounds as a background for listening. Wes got criticism for making some albums that would be likened to what we call now smooth jazz. But it was a great way for him to get exposure to listeners that otherwise would never had heard him, and allowed him to feed is family. Played on my trusty old ES175 jazz box.

Heart Dance

Though very simplistic harmonically, the Afro Cuban rhythms in this piece create a really nice vibe for tuning in and floating along the sea of consciousness.

Alley Ooop

This piano guitar dance of a tune felt like an Alley Ooop which is a surfing term for coming off the crest of a wave, doing a 360 in the air, and coming back down to surf away along the wave. On this tune, I used another Wilson Wavecaster Tele guitar that’s in my guitar gallery.

Chain Saw Samba

This is another version of a Bossa Nova that I wrote while in music school to add to the repertoire of a New England based band that played all original eclectic music. Griswald!

Tele Swing

After building 28 Telecaster style guitars that I call Wilson Wavecasters, my fascination with the Fender Telecaster style guitar led me into western jazz swing and writing this tune. In it I play one of my Wilson Wavecaster guitars that you can see in my Guitar Gallery.