I love writing music, but I particularly enjoy writing works for trumpet and 'tape'. Some of my works are straight backing tracks, some involve improvisation and can be used with Ableton Live!  I tend to use Reason as my primary DAW, but also enjoy using Live! and Logic. 

OVID'S DREAM - Has been released by Dr. James Zingara on his album, Textures: New Works for Trumpet. You can download it here: http://www.hdtracks.co.uk/music/artist/view/id/9947/. This is an earlier recording of Jim performing.

REFLECTIONS

This is a piece for trumpet and effects, all run through Ableton. There is a moment where a bit of backing track appears. The piece is based upon the first eight notes from the chorus of Steve Perry's hit, "Oh, Sherry".   That melody appears briefly in the middle of the piece, harmonised with all of the notes of the melody. . . my apologies to Steve! 

DRESDEN ABANDONED

Inspired by the photography of Fredrik Marsh, DRESDEN ABANDONED is a musical impression of a sampling of pictures from Fred's work, TRANSITIONS: THE DRESDEN PROJECT (http://www.fredrikmarsh.com/portfolio.cfm?nK=10190&nS=0&nL=1). Fred had a fellowship to phtograph the abandoned post Soviet buildings of Dresden. The collection  is striking and worth obtaining. 

I chose five of photos from this collection, and haved represented them as they struck me. Each of the movements contains some approach to improvisation, whether it simply be phrasing as in "Waiting", or full-on motivic improvisation as in "Abandoned Factory". I have created a player app for this piece, so that you don't need any more than a computer (Mac or PC) that connects to a sound system to be able to perform it. 

RIOTS!

From 'Find Another Bath': an art book presenting images and works focusing on the other, often ignored, side of Bath.

My part in this book was to create and perform a piece for trumpet and backing track. The subject that I have chosen is that of the riots during the Luddite Rebellion, which was a rebellion led by workers in the woollen industry in protest to the advent of machines that replaced human labour.

Bath had a rather technically advanced woollen factory based on the River Avon in the Twerton area. A group of Luddites had plotted to murder the factor owner and his foreman and then burn down the mill. However, they were thwarted by the militia sent to protect Bath. At least two other woolen mill owners moved from the towns of Swindon and Frome so that they might be safe from the threatening Luddites.

This piece attempts to project the calm, yet tenuous role of Bath as well as the riotous moments from around the country.

I have taken the rhythms of the woollen mill's machinery, recorded in 1953, and used the rhythms and the recordings throughout the piece.