Issa Music – Featured Selection: (3) “Summer Palace”

• (Each month, I will feature a detailed description of one of the thirteen selections from my CD “Issa Music” with a link to the full piece. That link will remain up for one month. After that, the link at this post will be to a one minute clip. One minute clips of all the Issa Pieces are available at my website. Detailed notes on all the pieces are also available there. The full length pieces available with these blog posts are before mastering for CD release. The complete Issa Music CD is available for sale, along with downloads of individual mastered selections.)
• (“Issa Music” is an East-meets-West mystic jazz CD released inspired by the “Legend of Issa.” Did Jesus journey to India and study Buddhism and Hinduism before his world-changing spiritual mission in Roman-occupied Judea? If so, are West and East spiritually connected in ways we have never imagined? “Issa Music” celebrates this idea with a blend of eastern and western modes and timbres.)

Play this month’s selection: “Summer Palace”

Background on “Summer Palace”: The fourth Issa piece of Set Three, 20th overall, is “Summer Palace.” After the intensity of “Temptation,” with its edgy scales and unsettling harmonies, I decided to lighten the mood. I envisioned a “Summer Palace,” with privileged families cavorting carefree in the sun, basking in luxury. The idea was to convey a sense of frolic and fun, but also the power of the privileged at the palace. I introduced the main fanfare-like theme, then simply wound out improvisational sections using the chord progressions of the theme introduced at the beginning. I do scramble chord sequences to give the sections some variety, almost like a classical development section. I did that more with his third set, and it will be a feature of the new Issa pieces I intend to produce.

The story behind Issa Music.

Probable liner notes for the Issa Music CD.

Richard Warren Field music page.