"Sleepless Nights"
Written and produced by Chris Lemon
Performed by POSSUM CREEK RAMBLERS
Jeffrey Martin (bass), Katelyn Tesla (fiddle), Tim Bergeron (guitar), Matt Lemon (mandolin) Chris Lemon (vocals, banjo, dobro)

Chris and his wife recently welcomed their new adopted baby, Carissa, into their family. While their cups ran over with love and joy, they found themselves quite exhausted with their new routines and some of the messes that would accompany. While no stranger to the banjo, Chris hones his dobro skills and his recording chops on this one. He enjoys dabbling in chromaticism and uses slightly less traditional chord substitutions. For example you may see a ii chord where a IV may normally be or a iii chord in lieu of I or V. This adds a bit more depth and emotion to an otherwise rollicking bluegrass breakdown. Chris hopes that anyone who has experienced this stage of parenthood can relate to these bittersweet emotions!

“Floating in Separate Worlds”
Steve- lyrics, arrangement, MIDI sequencing

Steve recently wrote this song about unrequited love. You will see the lyrics below, in the notation, but in this recording a staccato synth sound represents what would be the vocal melody. He began notating and arranging this song within notation software. Then he moved to Logic (recording/editing software) to flesh it out. He conveys the highs, lows, expectation, despair and resignation that go along with unrequited love. One device he used to accomplish this was to substitute a major chord where the diatonic would have been a minor chord. While harmonic choices like this offer a mood of restraint and resignation, the intensity of this piece is built by adding textures such as drums and other melodies. The climax of this intensity occurs during the brigde, where the guitars ramp up from quarter notes the sixteenth notes and the mode shifts to Phrygian dominant (Phrygian with a raised 3rd). Finally, he closes out with a chorus, in proper fashion. Follow along on his wonderfully made sheets below, along with some of my own notes added to point out the parts we mentioned.
Note that the piece begins on measure 2 of the score. The "Buffer" is inaudible.
Also, you will hear a guitar synth part in the BRIDGE that is not included in the notation, but it is mentioned in the score notes.

"Spike The Rails"
Written and produced by Joshua Ansley
Performed by Least of Thieves
Joshua Ansley (bass, guitar, vocals), Megan Bailey (background vocals), Brian Prokop (drums, co writer),
Pat Higgins (saxophone), Joe Gullace (trumpet). Ian Gray (trombone).
Arranged by Jamie Egan and Cody McCorry. Engineered by Joey Papa and James McCaffrey and mastered by Angel Marcloid

Josh spent his early adulthood touring and performing with popular acts such as Catch 22, Hurt and Streetlight Manifesto. He has since taken interest in teaching and therefore some theory. Now he shares a song from his new project, Least of Thieves. "Spike The Rails" is a song about how both parties in dysfunctional relationships can set themselves up for distruction with their own manipulations. And "that's how we derailed the trail". This song moves, like a proper locomotive, at break neck speeds while spewing clouds of grit! It's in the key of Dm and mainly stays there. The sections are separated by a jarring Neapolitan chord with an added 6 and 2. With as many as 9 nine layers, the horn arrangement really stands out on this one. See lyrics and arrangements below!

Joshua was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease, which has effected his ability to play his instruments. He’s been in contact with a New Jersey based musician's for Parkinson's charity called Light of Day. He will be speaking this year at their annual winterfest and his band, Least of Thieves will be performing there. He’s excited that Parkinson's advocacy and playing music are two things that are coming together with this project.

Check out and support the Light of Day Foundation

Hear more from Least of Thieves on:
Spotify
iTunes

Check out their website at LeastofThieves.com

"Patio Talk"
Jacob Winiecki- guitar, bass (via guitar) sequencing

Jake started playing guitar at 14, inspired by the greats (Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Neil Young). He would later pick up bass and mandolin. Jake was born with Spina Bifida. The complications from this condition led to his foot being amputated at age 16. Throughout all this and the many surgeries that followed, Jake says music has helped him express emotions that words can not and has become his passion. His interest in modes (inspired by Ryo Fukui) brought him to our show. His current project, Weather For Lovers, is working on it's 7th album. The piece he is sharing, "Patio Talk" is off his 6th album. Patio Talk consists of a backing drum track beneath lead and ryhthm guitars and a bassline (played on guitar with an octave effect). Interstingly, the bass line takes the melody which begins on an unaccented beat (beat 2). The melody is based around Bm. But the chords beneath it are Em and Bm, respectively. So we were try to decide if this is in Bm (moving from iv to i) or Em (moving from i to v). Give a listen and see what you think!

Hear more from Weather For Lovers on:
Sound Cloud

"Statue of Liberty"
Keith Andrews- guitar, vocals

Keith has long been one of our hardest working song writers. He now returns to us, from Arlington, TX, with "Statue of Liberty". Keith was inspired by the Paul Simon lyrics, "I dreamed I was flying, and high up above my eyes could clearly see the Statue of Liberty sailing away to sea". He then thought of the statue ambling off into the sunset and came up with this one. An otherwies sad and distopian world is delivered to us with a light hearted, major key, ditty in the style of country swing as the Statue of Liberty looks for other job opportunities. Keith used a couple of cool chromatic chords and techniques. He converts the I chord (F#, in this case) into a V7/IV before moving to IV (which he then converts to a major minor 7th chord). At the end of the stanza, he lands on V. He then raises the 5th on the V chord, making it an augmented (+) V chord, giving it a "shruggy" feel, before returning to I.



Hear more from Keith Andrews on:
Spotify
iTunes

"The Lost Sonata"
Edward Thomas Bender- piano

Edward is a medical physicist from Upstate New York and a returning composer. After listening to our Sonata episode, he decided to try his hand in writing one. Of his inspiration, he had this to say, "When I was writing the song I had an ailing family member that wasn't going to make it.  There were many months of uncertainty / changes / surprises etc. They were the type that preferred to keep to themselves so I didn't see them during this difficult process for the family. It was during that time that I was feeling a bit helpless and lost with the situation, yet wanting to also remember the best of my now dearly departed family member. So this was the main trigger for the piece, but I also wanted to express a feeling of being lost more generally, as it is something I have always struggled with. As I go on the journey through this sonata, I see it as a winding path to some sort of home. There are many twists and turns on the way, and a spectrum of emotions, that eventually leads me to some level of peace". After a good few listens, we decided that he nailed it! This is a proper a sonata as ever. The primary theme is in Am with suspensions and augmented chords that suggest a dreaminess. The theme moves to an HC (half cadence), repeats and moves to an AC (authentic cadence) This repeats twice. This is followed by a transition (in true sonata form) in Em (to the v). Then come the secondary and closing theme in C major (relative major). For the development, we visit the distantly related key of G#m while the left hand plays an alteration of the secondary theme in B major. So there is some suggestion of polytonality here. Finally, we transition (via the circle of 5ths) to the recapitulation and the closing theme in A major (parallel major). All these things are what makes a sonata a sonata! Edward has been kind enough to share his score with some of his own notes that are quite helpful. So read along if you like!

Hear / see "The Lost Sonata" on:
YouTube

Hear / see more from Edward Bender on:
YouTube

"Calling But It Won't Get Through"

Written by Matt Lemon
Performed by Lemongrass
Recorded live Clifton Opera House music series (Clifton, OH 5/3/2025)
Matt Lemon (mandolin, vocals), Maura Lemon (bodhran), Chris Lemon (dobro), Jeff Martin (guitar), Chip Pritchard (bass)

Matt Lemon shared with us a fun bluegrass tune that we wanna share with you! Matt and his brother, Chris, we going to meet his wife, Maura, at a folk festival. But because they had no cell reception, they couldn't find each other and finally gave up and met up later on. A frustrating incident that Matt turned into a fun song. This song follow most of the conventions of some good ol fashioned bluegrass. In the key of G, we move from I - IV - I - V - I and move to IV for the chorus. Often in bluegrass music, each musician will take a break (small solo) in between the verses and chorus. You will hear that alot too. Enjoy!

Hear more from Lemongrass on social media:

Facebook
Instagram