Welcome to my Piano

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I am happy to welcome you to my site. I have been “serious” about this work since mid 2010. In my Bio off to the left, I explain a bit more about how my Life affected this artistic enterprise but in the welcoming of guests, that would be a bit extraneous.

My albums/CDs/media files are arranged below in the order they were produced. All the music is either original, or original takes from traditional numbers. I intend to get better. I hope I get better. The pages on the albums give some written merit to the effort.

Each CD image is linked to my site where these CDs and the songs are available for purchase.

Part of the reason for this new page (as of 2/14/13), is to announce my entry into songwriting. The last CD, “Sign of the Times” will house original tunes where I have buckled into the HUGE task of penning to the melodies my own fatal poetry…thus, a song and, I hope, a story. My goal in the coming weeks & months is to complete 10-12 numbers, working on established melodies (mostly) and finding a bit of myself, a lot of you and some of what we all share.

I look forward to performing these songs this summer. Dates, times and places to be discovered. Thanks for listening.

All songs, lyrics and art work exist under copyright protection© by Joseph Olschner

Sign of the Times

Sign of the TimesThis is where the rubber (soul) meets the lone highway…I have centered myself onto this Piano stuff and now have actually a few songs…lyrics with the melodies and melodies with lyrics, finally everybody working together.

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August Opera

August Opera

This is one of my deepest and most creative albums but one that remains a mystery. It’s like a picture of a painting I see in the future and cannot get to in time before it dissolves.

Clicking on the songs below will take you to my Bandcamp link where there is a purchase option OR just the ability to hear the tune free…my other music is there as well.

1. Slow Departure Riff
2. Blood and Honey
3. Sweet and Sour Blues (no vocals)
4. High Sun Adventure
5. Getting Past The Future
6. The Darkest Art
7. Fun Play
8. Surprises
9. What We Do Instead of TV
10.The Start of Something
11. A Very Weird Blues
12. The Dark Art Suite

Nine Lives & Counting

Nine Lives & Counting

This is a work that signaled a physical journey for me, moving from my home county to a neighboring town in order to maintain a living as a cabinet maker. Most of these tunes were constructed in the new apartment and new forgetables.

Hopefully, these are less so.

1. Flavor #153
2. Goodbye To Those Not Here
3. Spunky Blues
4. For The Times With You
5. Sprinkles
6. For the Friendship
7. Nine Lives and Counting
8. Another One
9. Another Two
10.The Hand Held
11.My Blues For You
12.Time’s Music Box
13.Late night Boogie Stomp
14.It Was Only Something Else

Private Stock

Private StockThis is a splash of what I do without thinking about what you might think or do with it. This is some of my inner structure without having any inkling or desire to shape it into something “acceptable.”

I don’t expect anything from this and I will not go back and take any seeds, grow them in my private incubator and flesh out a “tune or two.” They remain private. Un-named. Un-glorified. Content.

1. Private Blues #1
2. Private Blues #2
3. Private Blues #3
4. Private Blues #4
5. Private Blues #5
6. Private Blues #6
7. Private Ballad #1A
8. Private Ballad #1B
9. Private Ballad #2
10.Private Ballad #3
11. Private Ballad #4
12. Private Ballad #5
15. Private Ballad #6
16. Private Ballad #7
17. Private Ballad #8
18. Private Etude #1
19. Private Etude #2
20. Private Etude #3
21. Private Etude #4
22. Private Etude #5

Spontaneous Hesitation

Spontaneous HesitationReckless wisdom. The stuff of dreams that turn ugly in the pale light of day, useful for the way it’s played to exist. Nothing takes us there except our own spontaneous hesitation and the reckless of wisdom of Belief.

1. Mr.Irving’s Blues
2. Ode to Spare Change
3. Somebody’s Something
4. Take Me Back Blues
5. More of an Answer
6. Mr.Irving’s Blues #2
7. Shaking Bacon
8. Not Meant 2B Blues
9. Simple Flux
10. Soft Stepping Blues
11. Tip to the Spider
12. Street Friendly Blues
13. Job Well Done
14. Empty Blues
16. Mr.Irving’s Blues #3
17. Spontaneous Hesitation

New Soul

New SoulLike my other two albums, this is a collection of new material based solely on my compositions on the piano. I do not do vocals. I write poetry but have not set lyrics to most of this just because I am coming at it from another place. Lyrics have meaning but so do melodies. I am my own boss in my own little creative world here so this is how I do it. I do hope you like it, can feel from it, all of that. Most of the material here is “re-producible,” some is not. Some of these are the original, one-shot-from-the-heart recordings. I have written down the changes and have recorded them again but the originals force a conclusion and an empathy the others don’t. I am working on that to be better at it.

The human Soul is a garden with a gate that acts like a window. Beyond either, lies neither. Knowing who you are will allow you to use both. Thanks to my mom for that.

1. New Soul
2. Big ol’ Blues
3. Christmas Shopping
4. Lament For My Stars
5. Closing The Door On Silence
6. Soft Knowledge
7. World Blues
8. Going East For Kitty West
9. Tip to Jess
10. My Size Jazz
11. Departure Blues
12. Blues 002
13. Like Water & Light
14. Never Ever Say Never
15. Lullaby for Joy
16. From Balloons to the Noose
17. Not To Be Blues
18. Sweet Sewer of Life

The Irresponsible Hymn

The Irresponsible Hymn

This CD was released at the same time as Frozen Time, Liquid Space, on July 1, 2010. Both albums represent two different approaches to music and are early attempts to create these approaches in a thoughtful, artistic manner. The Irresponsible Hymn is a body of work that speaks to the communication I have through a set of white and black keys and the 440 tonal relationship of Modern Music. I accept the fact that it may seem trite and self-serving. It may even BE trite and self-serving to the ears of a contemporary listener or musician, but I have been directed to attempt to establish a “pure” link between the pressing of the keys and the pressing of my emotions. Except for Ballerina, which is scored and really should not be here (she’s like the kid who snuck in under the tent and is so enjoying the show that the MC hasn’t the heart to kick her out), none of these pieces have a memory from me nor can they be reproduced. I suggest this is neither good or bad but it is my first serious attempt to be a credible artist. A musical Jason Pollock from the Jimmy Rogers ilk. Sorta, I guess…but this is where grammar (and THIS form of communication) becomes tiresome. Hope you enjoy the music. CLICK ON THE COVER FOR MY BANDCAMP LINK.

1. No Christmas Angels
2. Ballerina
3. 2 Free 4 U 2
4. The Good Samaritan
5. For Marie
6. Naomi’s Lament
7. Time Borrowed Tomorrow Blues
8. Another Face of Amazing Grace
9. How Does Wonderful
10. Rustic
11. Why I Am Not Who I Am
12. Workshop
13. Upwards Round
14. Soft Landing If You Please

Frozen Time

Frozen Time I remember a saying from the writer John Barth, “the key to the treasure is the treasure itself.” I have never overlooked how important Music was to me but I think I overlooked the importance of my contribution to Music.

In the summer of 2010, I began to record and save my sessions at the piano. This album, and The Irresponsible Hymn were both drawn from the same batch of recordings and released at the same time. They represent two different approaches to my Music. They are from two different worlds. Three of the songs on this album have become the focus of my lyrical efforts and have earned a place on the Sign of the Times CD.

1. Love Needs Love
2. Sign of the Times (no vocals)
3. Jessica’s Breakfast
4. Jam to Late Night Boogie
5. Breath of Fresh Blues
6. Climbing to the Top
7. Little Country Song
8. Goodnight Moon
9. Dance Song
10. All Minors are Major
11. For the Songs that Grow to Silence
12. D/E jam into Rider
13. Sweet and Sour Blues (no vocals)
14. Rainbows and Halos
15. Frozen Time a la mode (no vocals)
16. Carousel of the Heart
17. Love at the Speed of Light