danieleng.com

This last month has been busy, and the coming months will continue in the same fashion – simply put: There is a lot going on right now. A couple of weeks ago my big band project, Big Engband, went into the studio and cut five tracks that now are to be mixed, mastered and subsequently published for public listening on, among others, Spotify and Apple Play. It will still take some time before everything is done and ready, and I will of course notify here when the tracks are published.

The studio session also had the good result that more products in the web shop now can get listening examples, to facilitate the description of the songs. Quirky Quantum Quarks is one that already has listening up, but more will follow.

Other than that, the eminent and ambitious Immanuel Big Band will hold a concert with my music on Sunday October 15:th. They will perform an extensive program entirely of my songs, and will be joined on stage by the great vocalist Victoria Glans and a special guest. More information about the event will be published closer to concert.

I’m also finalizing the editing of the new composition “City Bird”, which will be published here in the web shop upon completion. A part of the Japanese-themed concert program I’m working on, it’s an up tempo piece for female vocalist and big band, with lyrics about seemingly nice, but somwewhat dubious people. More info will come upon publishing.

Today is the last day of July, meaning there still is about a month left of this year’s Summer Sale. Take the opportunity to buy some great Big Band charts at nicely reduced prices: 25% off on all arrangements, and 30% off on all compositions. All to get your band a repertoire boost for the autumn re-start.

This time, I recommend some more specialised charts, that are fun to play, sound terriffic but also offer something out of the ordinary that may or may not be discernible at first listening. Funk Foray, is a 13/4 journey into odd meter funk that is fairly easy to play, and catchy to listen to, where the odd meter isn’t so prominent that everybody immediately hear it as odd meter; Black Cat Blues, is a blues for a male vocalist, seemingly regular but in a thirteen bar form, where it takes a while for both the player and the listener to hear and get accustomed to the added measure; Like Someone In Love, is a regular swing for a female vocalist, where the key of the song gets transposed a half tone up and back again; discreetely enough that it’s not certain that all listeners catch up on what just happened; Matinee Idol, is a fairly straight off arrangment of the Yellowjacket’s hit, but with an interlude snuck in that many take for being a part of original form – when it really isn’t.

I hope you all visiting here have a great summer – or winter on the southern hemisphere! – and that you can relax, rest and recuperate on a summer vacation.

The Summer Sale of 2023 is coming up; between June 1:st and August 31:st. Because of the financially shaky times, I’ve for the forseeable future decided to stick with the the reduction rates of 30% off on all compositions, and 25% off on all arrangements.

Take the opportunity to buy exciting, well sounding and fun to play charts at reduced prices; to have some invigorating additions to your band’s repertoire, when rehearsals start again after the Summer vacations.

Four really recommended charts are: “Days of Wine and Roses”, if you are looking for a sparkling and fresh set- or concert-opener; “This Masquerade”, for an expressive and interesting bossa for your female vocalist, possibly in a dance set; “A Foggy Day”, for a contrast-rich, fun to play and lively feature for the band’s male vocalist and second trombonist (also possibly in a dance set); and “Clear Sky” if you want a sweet sounding, very convenient odd meter concert chart, with some fun ensemble parts and nice solo features, that is easy enough to be within reach with some focused rehearsing.

Check them out or contact me for more information: contact”at”danieleng”dot”com!

……and then, of course, you are always welcome to the “Charts For Free” section, where you can download charts for free, promotional use!

I wish all of you visiting here a really nice ending of the Spring season, and a great start of the Summer!

On Saturday April 22 starting at 20:30, the eminent Immanuel Big Band will hold a short concert entirely with my music, as an event within “Kulturnatten” in Stockholm. In a thirty minutes concert, they will perform five of my pieces for big band, including three premiering songs – “Black Cat Blues”, “No Quick Fix For Crying” and “Laughing Pearl” – all with the great vocalist Anders Bergman.

The program will be mostly focused on funk and fusion style big band music, and is as follows:

“Every Now and Then”
“Black Cat Blues”
“No Quick Fix For Crying”
“Quirky Quantum Quarks”
“Laughing Pearl”

Very welcome to a short, energizing and grooving concert at Immanuelskyrkan, Kungstensgatan 17 Stockholm, on April 22 at 20:30. Free admission!

The December holidays and the ditto sale are since long over, and now we all are into those long toiling weeks of work, with no longer holidays – in Sweden, at least – until spring break and Easter holidays far later – when winter has turned into Spring. Also: This winter – again: at least in Sweden – being unusually warm, rainy and murky without any real change in sight, doesn’t help making this period any easier.

With those prospects, I find it encouraging and energizing to have fun things to look forward to, and one such thing is that Huddinge Big Band will hold a following-up concert of the Diane Schuur-project they performed in June last year. The concert will be held at Scandic Bredden in collaboration with the cultural association Bio Sober on Sunday February 19th. More info on that event will be published later.

Another such thing to look forward to, is a just started collaboration with the eminent (and very nice) orchestra Immanuel Big Band, which supposedly will result in the performing of my music later this spring. More information will be published here later.

The third thing to look forward to, is the composing of new Big Band music, which has begun again in earnest after a break during the Holidays. The composing for the Japanese-influenced project is proceeding both with writing lyrics – about the earlier mentioned Nué – and composing music to already completed lyrics – about persons with dubious personalities in a song titled “City Bird” for a female vocalist. Six songs for the project are already finished, and another two are on the piano composing-stand, and it’s an energizing feeling to see everything coming nicely into finished songs and arrangements. All those compositions will be published here upon completion.

I wish and hope that you all visiting here can find your own things that give you energy, strength and good prospects to endure these weeks without any real long weekends or holidays – at least for us in Sweden. Until spring really sets in to make everything a little brighter and lighter, and the more substantial holidays coming up later can give rest and recuperation.