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Hey Vibesworkshop,
Wanted to share a recording (unfortunately unmixed) of a tune I wrote called "Think as a Mortal". I recorded this with my jazz fusion group "MELA", who will be releasing their first album on July 1st.

The name of the tune comes from a saying from the Delphic Maxims, a collection of aphorisms written by ancient greek orcales, and was written to features MELA's Bass player Shea Glasheen.

Think as a Mortal - MELA
Frank Valente - Vibraphone
Paul Sottnik - Piano
Shea Glasheen - Bass
Allen - Guitar
Jake Payne - Drums

Improvising on the B Minor Double (Sonata II) from Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo. One of my favorite books of music from Bach which is perfect for vibists. Fun and great practice improvising over the changes to classical pieces like this. Sometimes I'll do this with my students at Berklee. We'll select a piece of music, analyze the progression, write in the chord progression and begin to improvise.

Here's an excerpt from a clinic where I talked about voicings and harmony. All the great players have a solid grasp of voicings and harmony. I remember Gary telling me in lessons way back that every voicing should have something interesting about it whether it be an unusual tension, shape, interval,...In a lot of solo vibe performances I hear the changes but the harmony is too bland. It's especially important to sound a tension on a Dom 7 chord. You wouldn't hear a solo pianist or guitarist sound the changes without any color.

Here is another tune from Ms. Magnolia's first outing being recorded. Jeannie Brooks, vocals and Barry Sames piano.