Paige Powell Music Blog

Paige Powell's Blog

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Yes! I have a Mission Statement: My mission in writing and recording songs is

"To cheer you up and help you feel better."

October 29, 2021: The Story Behind the Song, "A Slice of Summer"

With these days of colder temps, rain and wind, do you feel as if you need to hang onto a little part of summer? I sure do — and I'm extra grateful for the occasional "Indian Summer"* days of sunshine and temps in the 70s. My song, "A Slice Of Summer" reminds some listeners of the '60s, when Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass was an album on their grandparents' hi-fi stereo turntable (or "record player"). But being old fashioned is not necessarily a bad thing if it is a good song. The original title was "Persephone" about the Greek goddess of Spring, which is why the lyrics have the flavor of fantasy. I got the idea for the first line and title from an old Broomhilda comic strip, where she "saved a sackful of summer," so I tip my hat to Broomhilda's creator, Russell Myers. However, the word, "sackful" didn't seem poetic enough for Persephone.

My first CD project in a recording studio was "Cappuccino Music," an instrumental Smooth Jazz CD. I selected "A Slice Of Summer" as one of the songs since it had a strong melody. You can hear that instrumental version HERE on Spotify. Since saxophonist Steve Wolfe played the melody on all of the songs, I gave him first place in the artist title, "Wolfe & Powell" (If the artist title was "Powell & Wolfe," people would think I was playing the saxophone). I wrote all of the songs on the CD and it has been appreciated and well-reviewed by many listeners.

Later, when I decided to record "A Slice Of Summer" with its lyrics, I used the saxophone tracks from "Cappuccino Music" to enhance it. For the cover art, the background and "pie slice" are from my own paintings, and the photo is a self-portrait, which I used on the cover of my CD, "Time's Up—Your Move". Using Photoshop, I removed the color from the back half of my body to show how I am "entering" the colors of summer. I also chose a font for the text that looks as if it is cut into slices. Hmmm... this could be an interesting music video, don't you think?

November 9, 2021: The Story Behind the Song, "The New Cool Wind"

Oh, how I love Autumn! The best part of the season is the leaves that are so brilliant after they have turned orange, yellow, or red. To me, they are just as spectacular as the flowering trees in the Spring. Some individual trees have caused me to exclaim, "Wow!!" and they are the shining stars of this season. When I was employed as a graphic artist in Silver Spring, Maryland, I would collect them on my way to work. My coworkers thought I was crazy, but some of the fall leaves were too compelling to leave on the sidewalk. I remember one maple leaf in particular: It had ALL the colors: red, orange, yellow and green, all in one leaf. In the cover, I'm wearing a leaf as an earring (through the magic of Photoshop)!

One of my fantasies is to make a dress from autumn leaves, perhaps in Heaven, since there would be no way to do that here on earth. God would give me special glue and make the leaves stay pliable and retain their golden colors. Then, I would help other women make dresses from leaves. Hey, it all started with Eve and the fig leaves, right?

"The New Cool Wind" (click on the title) is just as light as a leaf carried away by an Autumn breeze. The song's lightness is attributed to the absence of any bass, and the addition of flute, performed beautifully by Yvonne LaParl. The guitar takes a back seat this time to piano, played wonderfully by Karen Loffler McLaren. It was recorded way back in 1987, during my first experiences recording in a professional recording studio. So I know "The New Cool Wind" was written before then, and I think I wrote it when I was in college. Even then, I loved the changing, mysterious season that is sometimes warm, sometimes cold, and always inspiring.

One day, I was walking through a collection of dry, brown leaves and right after hearing their crisp swishes and crunches, I thought of the line, "crunching like cornflakes until it's snowing". Next, I thought of foods and beverages we attribute to hot or cold weather, and the clothes we bring out of storage: "Coffee and pancakes replace lemonade. It’s time for the woolens and brown suede". In the third verse, I thought of our perceptions of the seasons, including the scientific, "the earth tilting up." Or if we think of the seasons as a circle, "Around and around, or just back and forth". In the end, we "bundle up" but "face the new cool wind on our faces." Although we experienced it last year, it seems new because it is such a change from the summer weather.

Thank you, dear reader, for listening to "The New Cool Wind" on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or just ask Alexa. If you love Autumn as much as I do, be sure to hear "Indian Summer Love," a song I co-wrote with fellow songwriter, Robbin Ahrold (click here, and then song #5). Next, Thanksgiving is coming soon, my all-time favorite holiday, so I'll be featuring my songs about it next time.

October 29, 2021: The Story Behind the Song, "A Slice of Summer":

With these days of colder temps, rain and wind, do you feel as if you need to hang onto a little part of summer? I sure do — and I'm extra grateful for the occasional
"Indian Summer"* days of sunshine and temps in the 70s. My song, "A Slice Of Summer" reminds some listeners of the '60s, when Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass was an album on their grandparents' hi-fi stereo turntable (or "record player"). But being old fashioned is not necessarily a bad thing if it is a good song. The original title was "Persephone" about the Greek goddess of Spring, which is why the lyrics have the flavor of fantasy. I got the idea for the first line and title from an old Broomhilda comic strip, where she "saved a sackful of summer," so I tip my hat to Broomhilda's creator, Russell Myers. However, the word, "sackful" didn't seem poetic enough for Persephone.

My first CD project in a recording studio was "Cappuccino Music," an instrumental Smooth Jazz CD. I selected "A Slice Of Summer" as one of the songs since it had a strong melody. You can hear that instrumental version HERE on Spotify. Since saxophonist Steve Wolfe played the melody on all of the songs, I gave him first place in the artist title, "Wolfe & Powell" (If the artist title was "Powell & Wolfe," people would think I was playing the saxophone). I wrote all of the songs on the CD and it has been appreciated and well-reviewed by many listeners.

Later, when I decided to record "A Slice Of Summer" with its lyrics, I used the saxophone tracks from "Cappuccino Music" to enhance it. For the cover art, the background and "pie slice" are from my own paintings, and the photo is a self-portrait, which I used on the cover of my CD, "Time's Up—Your Move". Using Photoshop, I removed the color from the back half of my body to show how I am "entering" the colors of summer. I also chose a font for the text that looks as if it is cut into slices. Hmmm... this could be an interesting music video, don't you think?

*To hear the song, "Indian Summer Love" I co-wrote with Robbin Ahrold — click HERE.

October 19, 2021: The Story Behind the Song, "Shakespeare's Sonnet XCI":

During a meeting of the Songwriter's Toolbox in 2017, the president of the Songwriters' Association of Washington (SAW), Jay Keating, presented us with a songwriting challenge. He visited the Folger Shakespeare Library downtown in Washington, D.C. and they seemed open to a concert* of songwriters who could present songs they wrote to the sonnets of William Shakespeare. Jay said that they thought it would be a great way to generate interest in Shakespeare's works, especially among young people.

While visiting my mother in Orlando, I asked if she had a copy of Shakespeare's sonnets. She was an English major and had earned her Masters degree from the University of Maryland, with an annotated bibliography of Emily Bronté which was published and purchased by many public libraries. She handed me her black leather-bound "Complete Works of Shakespeare" which she had kept from her early undergraduate days of college. There were light marks of comments in pencil in some of the margins, and it was marvelous to hold something of my mother's that existed before I was born.

Shakespeare's sonnets were at the back of the book, and I was disappointed to find how depressing they were. When I came to Sonnet XCI (number 91), I was glad to find some positive love poetry — although the end was pretty gut-wrenching with, "Wretched in this alone, that thou mayst take all this away, and me most wretched make" Poor William! He deeply knew when writing about love, that love can be really painful when it is not returned.

I wrote the music to Sonnet XCI in a style appropriate for the 16th century, with a madrigal 3/4 tempo (Waltz time signature). But I added a rap and hip-hop style by double-timing the second stanza, giving the song a "lift" and pleasant surprise. You can hear it by clicking on the little triangle next to the words "Hear the Song" at the top of its page (click on the title): "Shakespeare Sonnet XCI" It's also available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other music places (see if Alexa will play it).

*The rest of the story is that the concert never happened, at least that I know of.

For an interesting album cover for this song, I added my face to the painting, "Elizabeth I when a Princess" ca. 1546 by William Scrots, using Adobe Photoshop, just for fun.

October 22, 2019: "Tumble Dry Low" gets national coverage on NBC's Tonight Show: While checking my email, I saw multiple messages from YouTube with comments from people who saw my song played by Jimmy Fallon as part of his "Do Not Play" segment. I was in shock. No one from the show's staff contacted me for permission. I guess if they only played the first 37 seconds of the song, there was no legal need.

However, bad publicity is still good, since I'm unsigned and unknown except for all my friends who went bananas seeing my picture and hearing my song. You can hear all of "Tumble Dry Low" by going to its page HERE.