Preface
"Lust for life meets fear of death and they tangle.
The logic admits it
doesn't consider itself accountable.
Its logic is by no stretch
constructive despite the endless constructs."
George Quasha, from Flying Spirit Pencil
Texts
Recorded
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| Dry Falls State Park, Washington |
Don't Let Me Down (with Billy Preston) - The Beatles [from Past Masters 2]
hook chorus
and verses
are not obviously connected
poetically/thematically
encouraging the listener
to invent
the motion between them
Eroica - Steve Layton [from Virtual Composition]
in solution
subdued lighting
controlled temperature
delicate
balance
does the image of musical energy
adhere to the laws of thermodynamics?
if energy within a tonal system
is imagined to increase
is
it imagined
that the energy came from somewhere?
might this be
how a motion
is said
to be earned?
that effort was
expended
and work was done?
Pussy Footing Around - Mack Rice [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
a male demand
Mendelssohns Wasserfahrt und Der Jäger Abschied, S. 548: I. Wasserfahrt (After, Op. 50 No. 4) - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
with each iteration
an increase of expanse
Papillate for Piano in C Major - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
a tender prayer
Matchbox - The Beatles [from Past Masters 1]
George taking care of business
Radiante - Steve Layton [from Trouble In Mind]
scanning beams cleanse the space
periodic episodes
a field of
vibrations among resonance locations
energy flows into the system from an
outside source
we submerge our attention bodily
as we might in a
bath
This Time Yesterday - Mack Rice [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
harmonic friction within the first two chord regions
Mendelssohns Wasserfahrt und Der Jäger Abschied, S. 548: II. Der Jäger Abschied (After, Op. 50 No. 2) - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
setting off
prepared for mighty deeds of valor
visage of quiet
confidence
no peril unmet without victory
Papillons (excerpts), Op. 2, #s 4, 6, 7, and 1 - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
some pretty muscular papillons in this batch
fragmentary rethinkings
The Ballad of John and Yoko - The Beatles [from Past Masters 1]
being John of the Beatles
went to his head
Morgenpfeifer - Steve Layton & Sound-In [from The Summer Sessions 2018]
what is it I think I'm doing?
I think
I'm thinking about
what I'm doing
listening
and observing my listening
and commenting
on both my listening and my observing
what is it you think you're doing?
this music takes place
in a
cushioned echospace
Are We Slipping Away - Mack Rice [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
these songs are conversation snippets
from within meaningful
relationships
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| Dry Falls State Park, Washington |
Grosses Septett, S. 493 (After Hummel, Op. 74) - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
1
a tonality in action
another at play
solid
by the
book formal structure
2
finger business
keeps reminding its wandering mind
to get
back to it
3
a chaste demeanor
and giggling titter
a sneak in the dark
harmless fun on a dare
4
up hill we press
downhill we coast
enjoy our ride into the
village
oh boy a fancy fugue
such dramatics
Intermezzi (excerpt), Op. 4 #4 - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
blocklike patterns of sturdy figures
Old Brown Shoe - The Beatles [from Past Masters 2]
among my favorite Beatles songs
great energy
vocals are slightly
low in the mix
(and off to one side)
Circular Thinking - Steve Layton [from The Month of Endings]
adding elements in front of each added element receding
some elements
come then go
across a field of more constant elements
are they
eating them?
does the sense of a tonic swallow its prolongations back
into itself?
Uroboros scratching its head again in thought
I'll Be Your Shelter (In Time of Storm) - Homer Banks [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
a gospel of hope
Romance "O pourquoi donc", S. 169 - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
this is a sad story
with a beautiful sad princess
in a castle
miles from anyone interesting
this is that song
Albumblätter, Op. 124: No. 3, Scherzino - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
a depiction of an album leaf
its character
I Feel Fine - The Beatles [from Past Masters 1]
massive track sequestration
The King of Nothing - Steve Layton [from Virtual Composition]
an exhibit
so lifelike too
is this music a special effect?
it was just then
What You Did To Me Last Night - Bettye Crutcher [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
a work of fiction
Glanes de Woronince, S. 249: I. Ballade ukraine. Dumka - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
a music proceeding on several planes of register
how Webernian!
the figuration conjurer
this is a remarkable piece
check it out
Rondo in B-flat Major - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
like tickles
fragment ending
Across The Universe - The Beatles [from Past Masters 2]
head hippie talking
groove on it
Shaman Sunrise - Steve Layton & Sound-In [from The Summer Sessions 2018]
the planet of clean channels
where sax can rip it up
Got to Make You Mine - Eddie Floyd [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
courtship serenade
Glanes de Woronince, S. 249: II. Mélodies polonaises - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
redefining what it means to play well
as a posture
Allegro in A-flat Major - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
the melody moves the key along
She's A Woman - The Beatles [from Past Masters 1]
another winner
Gevurah - Steve Layton [from Virtual Composition]
a kind of messy organum
as imagined by Satie
Come On Dance With Me - Rufus Thomas [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
drum beat
with some sock hop pep to it
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| Dry Falls State Park, Washington |
how could one not trust a face so sincere?
Allegro in B minor, Op. 8 (2) - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
besetting it with questions and harangues
fountain from within fountain
of imitation
spilling over
Let It Be - The Beatles [from Past Masters 2]
gospel to the rafters
Cracked Glass Landscape - Steve Layton & Sound-In [from The Summer Sessions 2018]
this music is on a stand for display from all sides
it changes in the
natural lighting
imagining how the world might sound
if we saw through our ears like bats
but passively
by acoustic feel
mi re do
intoned into a complicating chamber
I Got To Go for That - Rufus Thomas [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
roses are red type verse structure
off the shelf madlib rhyme cues
Marche héroïque, S. 510 - Franz Liszt - Michael Kaykov
o quite!
so handsome!
the very type of valor
Lancelotique
Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor (fragment) - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
a desperate search broken off just past the hinge
Bad Boy - The Beatles [from Past Masters 1]
self portrait
get that haircut off your head
Incantation (Anne-Marie Albiach) - Steve Layton [from The Month of Endings]
to incant is to pray in a lifted voice
to effect it
make it so
Spin It - Deanie Parker [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
show me all sides of it
do it
advertising the fun of dance
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| Dry Falls State Park, Washington |
Leyer und Schwerdt, S. 452 "Heroide nach Carl Maria von Weber" - Franz Liszt - Michael Kaykov
the public face of music is widely varied in the profundity department
this music is all spectacle
the closest it gets to profundity
is providing an apt depiction
of a noble aspiration
none of
which touches on the skills of those engaged
Piano Sonata in F-minor (excerpt) - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
Eusebius and Florestan have it out with the downbeat
You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) - The Beatles [from Past Masters 2]
the boys cutting up
Ekphora - Steve Layton [from Virtual Composition]
a drum like a soft timp tap
a jangle like a hefty triangle
a throb
below
and a hymn rides up top
pianistic sounds take the stage
the news is sad
and settles
through those gathered
Nobody Wants to Get Old - Deanie Parker & Mack Rice [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
poetry of private concerns
Schlummerlied mit Arabesken, S. 454 - Franz Liszt - Michael Kaykov
quite the ardent lullaby in its later periods
takes you with it
Allegro il più possibile in G minor - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
not a specific tempo
but an image of one
rife with ambiguities
a modulation of many turnings
Yes It Is - The Beatles [from Past Masters 1]
so sincere it borders on parody
Spiral Grow - Steve Layton & Sound-In [from The Summer Sessions 2018]
electric guitar in an electric space
it can shout all it wants
Such a Feeling - Eddie Floyd [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
these songs address us personally
they use that trick to pull you into
their story
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| Dry Falls State Park, Washington |
the only way to study any culture
especially ones own
is to
observe it at ground level
or as near to it as can be managed
we
discover styles of all sorts across the humanities
our manners and
mindsets
habits and hangups
report on what is observed
be aware of ones own predilections
its OK to confess them
any artifact is just that
a unique item to observe
our destiny!
onward!
Gesänge der Frühe (excerpt), Op. 133 #1 - Robert Schumann - Florian Uhlig
a hymn in open intervals
goes deep in canon
I'm Down - The Beatles [from Past Masters 1]
clowning
but having fun
Paul gets to do voices
A Bad Feeling - Steve Layton [from The Month of Endings]
a sound at the pit of one's stomach
visceral misgivings
gut
hunches
intuition in general
this is what that look sounds like
objectified
you are a sound
you are organized
therefore
you are music
seems too broad and off-topic
Never Say No To The One You Love - Eddie Floyd [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
under a presumed context
limiting its application as a rule
Wagner - Tannhauser: Overture, S. 442/R. 275 - Franz Liszt - Steven Mayer
another hymn in open intervals
the gradual opening of further realms
above a tale of heroic virtue rewarded orgiastically
which
come to think of it
is where this all started
speak of the
devil!
this is like a backward look
at what is about to come
in miniature
a prologue that mirrors the action of the drama
proper
a thrill a minute!
rest assured we'll have a noble ending
all moral and proper
like good patriots
pianistically intense
out bombasts the original
Piano Concerto in D Minor, Anh:B5 (Arr. J. Beenhouwer for Piano & Orchestra) - Robert Schumann - Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Christoph Poppen, Florian Uhlig
wild and reckless
had possibilities
rather passionate
Ripe Olive Sun - Steve Layton [from Virtual Composition]
these sounds are clean and without blemish
utopia dreamy
Looks Like Another Hot Summer - Steve Cropper & Eddie Floyd [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
street corner jive
life in an idyllic moment
3 Etudes de concert, S. 144: No. 1 in A-Flat Major "Il lamento" - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
an ornate book cover caressed lovingly
each mark of its ornately
calligraphed passion
traced wholly
Introduction & Allegro in D Minor, Op. 134 - Robert Schumann - Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Christoph Poppen, Florian Uhlig
one of those slow Schumann introductions that takes you're breath away
the allegro comes out from within it
they are parts of a
whole
a little something for Clara to play
Scumann's superior piano concerto
When The Drugs Kicked In - Steve Layton & Sound-In [from The Summer Sessions 2018]
the crowded language of consciousness
fills awareness
confounds
counting
Give You All The Love I Got - Eddie Floyd [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
love and understanding
hour by the hour
3 Etudes de concert, S. 144: No. 2 in F Minor "La leggierezza" - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
one by one the fae awaken
drama ensues
Szenen aus Goethes Faust, WoO 3: Ouvertüre - Robert Schumann - Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Daniel Harding
dire as all get out
then sweet as home made pie
mixed signals
but possibly heroic
Disturbance - Steve Layton [from Virtual Composition]
symphonic mass
alone on stage
empty hall
dark lobby
It's Up To You - Carla Thomas [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
a poetry that keeps to an image of the life being lived
permanent high
school Romantic drama
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| Dry Falls State Park, Washington |
3 Etudes de concert, S. 144: No. 3a in D-Flat Major. 2 Short Cadenzas and "Un sospiro" (With Cadenza and Revised Coda) - Franz Liszt - Leslie Howard
melody sails atop a sea of tender tumult
firm in its passage
Szenen aus Goethes Faust, WoO 3 Pt. I: Szene im Garten - Robert Schumann - Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Daniel Harding, Christian Gerhaher, Christiane Karg, Alastair Miles
image of the saintly woman
who redeems
in the face
of having
been wronged
in seduction lies salvation
Ancestors - Steve Layton & Sound-In [from The Summer Sessions 2018]
energy field map responding to stimulus
Let's Be Sure - Carla Thomas [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
the poetic conceits of these songs are uncomplicated
and instantly
relatable
the musical structures are block-like
and plain as day
Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses, S173/R14: No. 8, Miserere, d'apres Palestrina - Franz Liszt - Philip Thomson
antique syllables
and their numinous extensions
For The Coming Solstice - Steve Layton [from The Month of Endings]
vats glowing soft and blue
liquid futures wait their turn
Oo-We Baby What You Do To Me - Booker T. Jones [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
a song serviceable to an ordinary situation
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| Dry Falls State Park, Washington |
the song depicts her inner state
(troubled)
Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses, S173/R14: No. 9, Andante lagrimoso - Franz Liszt - Philip Thomson
the contemplation of spiritual matters
depicted by the contemplation of
tonal matters
Ring of Bronze - Steve Layton [from Virtual Composition]
announcement!
harken!
words in narrow confines
Coming Together - Homer Banks [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
field testing production concepts
industrial drafts
Szenen aus Goethes Faust, WoO 3 Pt. III: Szene im Dom - Robert Schumann - Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Daniel Harding, Christian Gerhaher, Christiane Karg, Alastair Miles
treating Goethe's verse drama
as a libretto for an opera
that
needs no stage to get in its way
the action
is all in the play of
the dialog
how the verse types interact with each other
Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses, S173/R14: No. 10, Cantique d'amour - Franz Liszt - Philip Thomson
all figurations lead to melody
its support and inflection
Pollinators - Steve Layton & Sound-In [from The Summer Sessions 2018]
we think of them that way
but they're just trying to make a living
pollination is a burden placed upon them
It's Over - Homer Banks [from Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos]
record labels and greeting card companies
share a cultural niche
Szenen aus Goethes Faust, WoO 3 Pt. IV - Robert Schumann - Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Daniel Harding, Christian Gerhaher, Christiane Karg, Alastair Miles
for artists of that time and place
Goethe's Faust was simply too large
an idea for a single stage to hold
they pounced on it with a boggling
creative ferocity
this music is a close reading of the poem
if it comes across as though
it might be stage-able
that is because the poem
also
might
be
but need not be
In Session at The Tintinabulary
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| doodle |
Gradus 440 - Neal Kosály-Meyer
a new pitch!
the lowest G-sharp
thrust into existence
hurled
into resonance
flung into the sea of partials
{see doodle}
October 29, 2026
Detritus 3 - Keith Eisenbrey
October 30, 2026
Detritus 4 - Keith Eisenbrey
Postscripts
Drops
Keith Eisenbrey 35
Sabbatical Improvisations 2014-2015
Another album of solo improvisations for you.
recordings of my compositions (and more!) can be found at keitheisenbrey.bandcamp.com - free to download or stream.
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