Blue Skies: Recent Episodes
Linwood Campbell
Here we are - the Monday before Christmas!Yesterday we had our Christmas Music program here at Peakland UMC. Everything went really well and we had a pretty full sanctuary. I saw some old friends and some folks I hadn’t seen in a while, including our former associate Emma! If you missed the program, or if you were here and just would like to experience it again, the program was live-streamed on Youtube and Facebook. On Youtube, just search for Peakland UMC, and on Facebook, we are @peakumchurch.A special treat for me was my flugelhorn friend Lynn Nash and his wife Katie coming to the program. Lynn and I did our album version of Silent Night and then we played What Child Is this with the choir and our guest bassist Russ Hovda. Which leads me to todays Music Monday.It’s the last cut on the album and perhaps, from an orchestration standpoint, my favorite song on the album. I don’t usually do a lot of orchestration work on our projects we do together, but this medley of White Christmas and I’ll Be Home for Christmas sorta just insisted that I go that route. Without getting into a lot of details, let me say there are 24 tracks - everything from bass, drums, piano and flugelhorn to multiple string parts, harp, English horn and French horns - just to name a few. The best way to listen to this song, and for that matter all of them, is with a good pair of headphones or some good earbuds. You can hear how the parts really work with each other - one line in an instrument leads into a continuing line in another. So, here is the final cut on our album - a medley of I’m Dreaming of A White Christmas and I’ll Be Home For Christmas.Song playsIn upcoming Music Mondays, there will be an additional MM on Christmas Eve, where I’ll feature our version of O Holy Night, and then on Christmas Day the whole album start to finish for you to enjoy while opening presents, having brunch and just spending a little quiet time remembering the real reason for the season. And if I don’t have any narrative on these upcoming MM, then let me wish you a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year, from my family to yours.
It’s Music Monday for December 11, 2023https://on.soundcloud.com/e8CPThttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4Today’s Music Monday is going to feature my son, Matt, on the bass guitar in another of my Christmas Album songs - Ding Dong Merrily On High. This song is not nearly as popular as a lot of other Christmas songs, but I picked it for a reason - playing 4 and 4. Ok, haha, what does that mean. Well, here’s the slighter longer explanation.Years ago I played piano and occasionally trombone in s Big Band in the Lynchburg, Va area. Sometimes I would sub on piano for another group that played fairly regularly at the Green Briar Resort, in West Va. And I had several smaller groups - mostly trios, quartets or quintets I would play in here locally. This was all Big Band or light Jazz music. That’s where I learned the concept of 4 and 4. We would play a song and maybe on the 2nd or third time through, we would each take turns playing a solo - for 4 measures. So we would all be playing for 4 measures, and then maybe the bass player would take a 4 measure solo, usually with the drummer keeping time, and then we would all start playing again. In 4 measures maybe the drummer would take a 4 measure solo then we would all join back in - I think you get the idea.So Ding Dong Merrily On High lends itself to that 4 and 4 concept. So on the first verse and chorus, Lynn, Matt and I play. There is a little interlude and then Matt takes a 4 measure solo on bass, I take 4 measures on piano, Lynn takes 4 measures on Flugelhorn, I take a RARE trombone solo for 4 measures and then we finish with Matt taking another 4 measure solo. We then play the whole song again with Lynn and I using mutes for the last chorus - kinda gives it a New Orleans flavor. Enough explanation - here’s Ding Dong Merrily On High
This is the Monday I’ve been waiting for!It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving Day, 2023! And the Christmas Album, “We Need A Little Christmas” is finally available! We are making this 10 song Christmas project available online via Facebook, Soundcloud, my website and Youtube. There are links in the description, but here is a quick synopsis of what to expect from the various venues. Facebook will have some of the songs from the album as Music Mondays through the holidays. Soundcloud will have all 10 songs, in a playlist, as individual songs as well as one track that contains all 10 songs. On Youtube, there will be the individual songs set against my flugelhorn friend and partner in this endeavor, Lynn Nash’s outdoor fireplace that he and his wife, Katie, decorated. And there will be one track, that will have all 10 songs, again set with the outdoor fireplace as the backdrop. Ideal for those of you that have a way to show Youtube videos on your TV at home!So here is the first song on our Christmas Album - Deck The HallsIn the description, and on my website, linwoodcampbell.com, will be a link to all of the ways you can enjoy our Christmas Album. As mentioned previously, this Album is totally free - it’s a labor of fun and love from us to all of you. Feel free to share it whenever and however you like. If you enjoy this project and would like to spread a little Christmas joy, please consider making a donation to Lynchburg Daily Bread. My late father-in-law, Neal O'Brien, volunteered there for many years. Daily Bread serves hot meals 365 days of the year to those who have fallen on hard times. The numbers continue to grow in our area and the need is great. Here’s a link to their donation page. https://www.lynchburgdailybread.com/donate Thanks for listening and supporting Music Monday’s through this year! Happy Holidays!https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
From the 2023 Christmas Album - "We Need A Little Christmas" Linwood Campbell and Lynn Nash. linwoodcampbell.comHere's the "Fireplace Edition" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEjER1AAA4_b1hZvhmS9NDFSvPND6DVU4
The was frost on the pumpkin this morning! And that has absolutely nothing to do with Music Monday. It’s the 13th of November, 2023. A lot of things are happening - the Christmas program at the church is just a little over a month away, and I still have songs to write supplemental charts for, and practicing to do. The Christmas project Lynn Nash and I have will be released 2 weeks from today! Lynn sent me some really nice videos of his outdoor fireplace that I will use as a backdrop for the video versions of our project. More on that another day.This will be the last normal (whatever that means) Music Monday through the end of the year. Next week I will be in serious prep mode for the upcoming Christmas season music. The following week, I will start the Christmas Season of Music Monday’s that will feature different songs from the Christmas Project Lynn and I are releasing. While the whole album will be available online on Monday the 27th, I will be using various songs through the month of December from that Album. More details will be available on my website, linwoodcampbell.com, in the next few days.So, for today, I once again turn to our talented, talented Deacon here at the church, Andrew LaBar-Dietz, for one of the songs he has recorded for me. Andrew sings and plays guitar on this arrangement of Great Things. Song playsI love using my drone for background footage behind the lyrics in our church services, and thought I would share that with you today.If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a friend! See you in 2 weeks!
It’s Monday, the 6th of November. Good Grief, where did this year go to?I was looking through my files yesterday, trying to decide what to offer for today’s Music Monday. I ran across this arrangement thatLyn Nash and I did a few months back and, honestly, had totally forgotten about - I bet he has too! We’ve spend so much time working on our Christmas project, that everything else kinda gets lost sometimes. Speaking of the Christmas project, it will be released in just a few short weeks - the Monday after Thanksgiving to be exact. More on that in a future Music Monday.This arrangement is a quiet - laid back if you will. The song itself is certainly not a in your face kinda song, but I like this interpretation especially. Nash provides an excellent solo line with his flugelhorn. AS a side note, we started recording together, I think, in 2016 - all of it long distance as he lives in Hickory NC, and I’m here in Lynchburg, VA. It’s truly amazing what technology allows us to do.So here’s our rendition of Lord, I Give You My Heart. Song plays.You’ve been listening to Music Monday with Linwood. A lot of the material you hear on this program can be found on my website - linwoodcampbell.com. Our music can be found on Youtube, Facebook and Soundcloud. And hopefully soon, Spotify.If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing with a friend. See you next time.
I know, I know - it’s hard to believe, but it’s Monday again!Part of my job at Peakland UMC is listening to Praise and Worship music, trying to determine what songs would work well in our Horizons service - that’s the Contemporary service we offer on Sunday mornings. Thee are sooooo many songs out there, and a lot of them are really appealing, but won’t necessarily work for us. That’s another story another time.Recently, I ran across this song and it immediately appealed to me. I didn’t even have to listen all the way through to decide that it would work for us. In the course of writing a vocals chart, and making a sound track, I also thought this might be a good song for Music Monday.So we have used this song twice in our Horizons service and it has been well received. So I turned my attention to how this might work for a Music Monday, and in the process, it took not one, not two, but three different turns I had not anticipated. It’s not unusual for me to have different thoughts on something I have created, but I can’t remember the last time a song took this many turns in different directions. After you have listened to the song I’ll expand on what I mean. But I will say that one has to do with the how much fun the song was to listen to - that being groove-wise. And the other 2 had to do with the lyrics of the song.Here’s God So LovedSo I usually never put an instrumental solo in a Praise and Worship song, particularly because it leaves the congregation with nothing to do while that’s happening - that was the first turn. The 2nd was what I perceived as a reference to the lyrics from the Doxology we use in the Methodist Church - the “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Very “liturgical”, that is very “churchy” sounding. Hence the brass and more traditional organ sounds underneath the “Praise God” section. Lastly the a cappella, 4-part harmony section. That idea just jumped out at me - as an emphasis to the lyric. So thee you have it - my thoughts on this arrangement, which was probably a whole lot more than you wanted to know haha!If you enjoyed it, please consider sharing with a friend. Thanks for listening - see you next time!
Hey, it’s Monday again!It’s the 23rd of October 2023. You ever lose something - search everywhere and just can’t find it? That’s what happened with today’s Music Monday song. I found the part of the recording that my flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, had recorded, but could not find the original file I had started with. I liked it, for the most part, but there were a few things I wanted to change, actually need to change. I couldn’t find that original file, so I started over.Just my original parts, that is. I had Lynn’s and a sample track I had sent him to record against. So, I recorded against it to follow how I had originally had recorded the song. I did make a few changes, though. Well, I made a lot changes - not to the Flugelhorn part, but to pretty much everything else! I guess that’s the advantages of starting over!And in today’s Music Monday, you will actually see the song playing from the software I used, which happens to be Apple’s Logic Pro.This is an older song, but timeless in it’s message, and perhaps with a little fresher take from this arrangement. Here’s Because He Lives, featuring my flugelhorn recording partner, Lynn Nash.Song PlaysA month from today, Nash and I will be releasing our Christmas project. Please get excited haha - we are! And if you enjoyed this song, please consider sharing with your friends. See you next time!
So yesterday, which was Sunday the 15th of October, I was sitting at the piano in the Fellowship Hall going through the songs we were going to use in our Horizons service in a few hours. I usually get to church on Sunday mornings around 6:30 AM - it gives me an opportunity to prepare, rehearse some and just collect my thoughts and spend some quiet time with God. As I was getting ready to run through the last song, the thought slipped into my mind that this would be a good song for a Music Monday. Like today!I thought I might start a little more quietly today, to give you an opportunity to tune out the distracting thoughts in your mind, and give you an opportunity to spend a quiet moment or two.You’re listening to Music Monday with Linwood. You can find this song, and some others on my website - linwoodcampbell.com. At the end of November my flugelhorn friend Lynn Nash and I will be releasing our Christmas album for you to enjoy during the Holiday Season. Songs like “Deck The Halls”, “O Holy Night”, and a fun little arrangement of “Ding Dong Merrily on High” that features my son Matt on bass. It’s arguably one of the best project I have ever been part of and I look forward to sharing it! If you enjoyed today’s Music Monday, please consider sharing it with a friend. See you next time!
Wouldn’t you know it - it’s Monday again!I took the day off yesterday - that being a Sunday. I don’t like to miss for a number of reasons, but sometimes you just have to take a break, so thanks to all who covered for me!I spent a little time yesterday getting ready for Music Monday, and in the search for something to share with you, I remember this recording my friend Mike Petrikonis and I made of the Matt Redman song, 10, 000 Reasons. Mike took ownership of this song, and I believe what follows is quite the extraordinary interpretation of this song. It’s not complicated, or overloaded with instrumentation - it’s just, well, it’s just there.You may have heard me play this arrangement before in past years, but it bears playing again. Mike plays guitar and sings, 10,000 Reasons.Song playsYou’ve been listening to Music Monday with Linwood. You can find this song and a lot more on my website, linwoodcampbell.com. And before you know Christmas time will be here and my flugelhorn friend, Lyn Nash, and I have a brand new Christmas album that will be released. More on that as we get closer to release time.If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing with a friend. See you nexqt time!
Back in the day, my Flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, and I spent a lot of time together playing in our High School Band, the Pep Band, and then afterwards we played in a rock band for a number of years. He played trumpet and I played trombone, and our friend W. B. played sax and hammond organ. We had a lot of fun, back in the day!I remember, back in the day, sitting at the piano and playing some of the really classic rock songs from Bread (If A Picture Paints . .. ), Chicago (Color My World), James Taylor (Fire and Rain, which we recorded and used as a Music Monday a few weeks back). One of Nash’s, favorites was the horn song, “Grazin In The Grass” A year or so ago we did an arrangement of that song and I wanted to play it for you today. We had way too much fun with this tune and I think you’ll see - hear why as we get into the old classic - “Grazin’ In The Grass”!Video PlaysYou’ve been listening to Music Monday by Linwood. Today, you saw the software I use to record our arrangements. I’m a Mac guy and the software is Logic, which is an Apple product. I also use Final Cut Pro, another Apple product, for video production.You can find a lot of our songs on my website - linwoodcampbell.com. If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a friend. See you next time!
Song only - no narration. Original Artist is Tommy Walker. This arrangement features some of the singers at Peakland UMC, Lynn Nash on Flugelhorn.
When I start setting up my computer and keyboard to start working on a new arrangement, a lot of times I have no idea where it’s going. In fact, there are times when I don’t really know how it’s going to start! Now I’ve been making sound tracks for a long time haha. Way back in the day I worked at a music store right at the time when the MIDI communication system and keyboards were just developing. So as it grew and developed, so did I. It’s amazing what one can do with a keyboard, a computer and the right software.So I start an arrangement. Sometimes it sort of just flows out of my fingers - sometimes I have to restart a number of times. The real message here is that I really can’t take credit for what comes out of these fingers. The inspiration all comes from above and most of the time I don’t know where I’m going until I get there.So today’s Music Monday, from one of my favorite Christian Artists - Tommy Walker, is from the COVID years here at Peakland UMC. I brought singers in one at a time to record, and then sent it to my flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, for some brass. He sent it back and I added some trombone. Mix it all up, and you get:When I Don’t Know What To DoYou can find Music Monday’s on my website - linwoodcampbell.com. There are 2 versions - one with all of the introductions included, and one with just the song itself. And you’ll also find some of the other music I have recorded in recent years - some with my flugelhorn buddy, Lynn Nash, and some with my son, Matt. Occasionally all three of us!And there is a new Christmas album in the final stages. Lots of music to listen to!And as always, thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a friend. See ya next time!
All my life I have been a church musician. I’ve played piano, organ or some kind of keyboard, and on the rare occasion trombone bak in the day. I’ve never considered myself a singer, though. I mean I have sung in various groups through the years and do sing along with the Praise Team in our Horizons service, but still, not a singer. Until Covid. Then everything changed.We went from a very low online presence as a church, to a 7 day a week presence. 6 days were devotions but day seven - that would be a Sunday - was a full blown Sunday service - well as much as we could make it full blown. Which meant music. Now providing instrumental music was my forte! Been doing that all my life, but I was getting request for vocal music. Hmmm.. Couldn’t really bring singers in at the time because Covid was just so deadly and no one wanted to come out to record. Eventually I managed to get one person at a time to record, and then I would mix all he parts together afterwards. But that was later on.So I decided to bite the bullet and start recording myself singing. Hmmm. Was not fun but I got through it.All of that prelude to say todays Music Monday is one of those songs I recorded myself singing. The soundtrack I made was so much fun for me that it made it a little easier to record myself singing.So, ready or not - here it is - Everlasting God!
I was out walking our dog, Joey, this morning and noticed that the skies were blue - not a cloud to be seen! In years past I would take advantage of a day like today and hop on my motorcycle and head for the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are several Overlooks that have absolutely amazing views - especially on blue sky days!Irving Berlin wrote a song that my flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, and I recorded a few years back. In fact it’s the title cut for an album we released. I thought of that this morning while walking Joey. The song makes me think of those days riding the Parkway, and of the peace I find communing with God in His creation.The name of the song, you say? Why of course - Blue Skies!
A few weeks back I shared with you the majestic version of the Doxologies we use in our church services. It was an arrangement I played on the organ, which is in our sanctuary at Peakland UMC. Sometimes you just want to shout out praise, and that is certainly a wonderful way to do it.At other times, though, you might just want to offer that same praise in a little more laid back fashion. I enlisted my flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, to help me with this.Here is our laid back version of the Doxology - Praise God To Whom All Blessings Flow.
It’s the 21st of August, 2023. While I was out working our dog, Joey, this morning, I was remembering that it is our daughter-in-law’s birthday today. And it occurred to me that it was a Monday, and I needed a Music Monday!So why not honor our birthday gal, and give the rest of you a birthday song to play whenever it’s your birthday, or someone else’s birthday! So happy birthday, Bri! Thank you for being you! And we all hope you have a wonderful birthday!
A rendition of "Happy birthday" that you can use to help celebrate that special birthday! (Or any birthday for that matter)
I received quite a favorable response from the song I used 2 weeks ago, from an album my son, Matt, and I did (Turn It Loose, if you forgot or missed it) that I thought I would offer another one from that same project. It’s actually the title song from the project - “Going Up”.I realized a few weeks ago, that some of you might want to listen to some of these songs again, but maybe not all my commentary, so I created a new playlist on Soundcloud, where my songs are hosted, that are just the songs. If you go to my website - linwoodcampbell.com or click on this link, it will take you right to that playlist - all the good stuff without all the babbling! And it’s only August, but my flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, and I are 9 songs into our Christmas Project. Most are done, a few having some finals touches including sending one to my Matt, to add some bass. That will be a fun song!Ok, enough babble! Here’s “Going Up.”
I almost forgot to do today’s Music Monday. It entered my mind several times over the weekend but this morning I needed a little jogging, once again from my Flugel Horn friend, Lyn Nash. I was on the phone with him talking about a mix I had just completed of a Christmas song we were working on and he was saying, “don’t put that on Music Monday!” And I’m thinking to myself, good thing he said that . . . So as I begin to think about today’s MM, I ran across a medley of 2 songs I had put together for something - who knows what, but I was not please with how it turned out. Time to start over.The songs are “Still” and “Draw Me Close.” If you know these songs, then I think the words will come to mind as the melody goes by. These songs are very intimate in their approach to God, and I tried to communicate that with this arrangement. If you don’t know the words, then here they are:Still: Hide me now, under your wings. Cover me within Your mighty hand. When the oceans rise and thunder roars, I will soar with You above the storm. Father, You are King over the flood. I will be still, know You are God.Draw Me Close: Draw me close to You. Never let me go. I lay it all down again, to hear You say that I’m your friend. You are my desire, no one else will do. ‘Cause nothing else can take Your place, to feel the warmth of Your embrace. Help me find the way, bring me back to You. You’re all I want, You’re all I ever needed.You’re all I want, help me know You are near. You’re all I want, You’re all I ever needed.You’re all I want, help me know You are near. Help me find the way, bring me back to You. Bring me back to You.
Before July totally gets away from me, I wanted to let all of you know that my flugelhorn friend Lynn Nash and I are recording a Christmas album. Now, I’m a fan of a little Christmas in July, but I was voted down on that so I will not be playing any of the songs we have recorded, although I would like to, I won’t. Shoot. I will tell you that so far it’s a pretty wide selection of songs - everything from “It’s The Holiday Season” to “O Holy Night”. The project is a pretty ambitious undertaking for us and I’ll say I’m really please with what we have done. Still some tweaks and a few more songs to record but we are having fun and making good progress!A few years back, Lynn was listening to a recording project that my son, Matt, and I had done with some of Matt’s friends in the Nashville area. I remember Lynn saying, you know I wish you guys had just turned it loose on one of those songs.Well, that thought stuck with me and on the next recording project Matt and I did, which was all original tunes, we did indeed turn it loose on one song - aptly named - “Turn It Loose”.
It’s been raining cats and dogs here! I took Joey, our 85 pound Golden Doodle, with me yesterday up to the Blue Ridge Parkway to record some “B” Roll for the church, and specifically, Music Monday. The video that have been using is not very long and I have to loop it a number of times to cover a MM segment. That’s always bugged me so I decided to do something about it.Well, it turns out from all this rain we have been experiencing, the small lake dam on the BRP that’s close to the James River / Big Island entrance to the Parkway was experiencing some serious water flow. I got some video of that as well as some other parts of the water near there and will be using some of this footage here on Music Mondays, until I tired of that haha!Today’s song, Friend Of God, was another one of those opportunities where I was able to bring in some of our singers to record. It was doing a time when we were closed due to Covid, so they came one at a time to record. The backdrop video I set it with was drone footage I shot early one morning of the front of the church, going straight up - 400 feet. The mountains were beautiful that morning.When I first used this arrangement, which takes advantage once again of my flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, as well as myself on trombone, the comments I got were good, but a lot of them said the beginning sounds like the opening music to the original Love Boat TV show haha! What do you think?Here’s Friend Of God.
The 4th of July is tomorrow. Despite all of the not so good things that happen in our county - despite the unrest, despite the down-right unbelievable things people can do to each other, and think it’s ok to do, I still believe this is a great country. Starting on July 1, and continuing until the 7th I am participating in an amateur radio event called 13 Colonies. As a ham radio operator, I am representing Va in this ham radio celebration of the original 13 Colonies. My personal call sign is K2LLC, but as a Va operator I am K2B, or Kilo 2 Bravo. The idea is for radio operators around the world to contact all 13 Colonies, plus the additional stations located in Philadelphia, Great Britain, and France. If you’re really curious, this website offers more information - 13colonies.usI mention this because in the hundreds of contacts I have made so far, you would not believe how many operators have said God Bless America as they sign off with me. Sometimes it is so heart-felt it brings tears to my eyes.So, there are still a lot of us Americans who think America is still something special - me being one of them. A few years ago I flew my drone at the McBride Sign Company parking lot just across the James River from downtown Lynchburg. They have a huge, and I do mean huge American flag that flies year ‘round. The day I flew, the winds were just right and the flag waved beautifully as I parked my drone close to it and watched it wave to Lynchburg. I came back and sat at the piano in the Sanctuary of the church and this arrangement came out. It;’s not the first time I have shared this online, but now more than ever, this is a good time to remind us that God has indeed blessed America, and I hope and trust he will continue to do so.
Well, it’s Tuesday again - good grief! We are in VBS this week and yesterday just got away from me - so, alas, it’s Tuesday and I’m just now getting around to Music Monday, even though it’s Tuesday, I still need to do Music Monday - on Tuesday - yeah.Last week I featured a hymn that we put a little pizzazz into - Come Thou Fount. I got some positive comments about it, so figured why not feature another one?? I did this arrangement with my Flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash some months ago. Ultimately I sent the arrangement to my son, Matt, and he sent back some pretty cool stuff. This arrangement, is the :before I sent it to Matt” arrangement - if that makes sense. After all it’s Tuesday and this is a Music Monday, on Tuesday, even though it’s a Music Monday . . . . .. on Tuesday . . . Here’s Jesus Saves! With a little pizzazz . . . . .. on Tuesday.
Every once in a while, I pick an older hymn and try to do some interesting with it. Such is the case with this hymn - Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing. I enlisted my flugelhorn friend, Lynn Nash, to help me with this arrangement. He played the melody on the first and third verses and I cover the melody on the 2nd verse.I struggled to figure out how to / what to do what that 2nd verse. I’m not a great soloist, as when it comes to improvising melodies on the piano. So I got frustrated trying to come up with something I liked until I decided to give the Hammond organ a shot.Well that changed everything! While I’m not the greatest Hammond player, I did come up with what I think is an interesting improv. We sang this song yesterday in our Horizons service, minus the flugelhorn and hammond solos, so I thought I would use the instrumental version for today’s Music Monday.
Some years ago I was playing at a New Year’s Eve party - you know - a gig. The late Bill Carroll was the band leader that evening and he called for the song Blue Skies. I did not know the tune but he had a fake book, which is basically the chord progressions and the melody. That melody really resonated with me that evening and it lead to the 2nd album project that my flugelhorn friend Lynn Nash and I recorded - the first being a Christmas project. Everyone once in a while I pull that recording out and listen to what we did. Yesterday, I did a remix of the recording - fixing a few things and changing some of the instrumentation I used. If you get any kind of correspondence from me, you will typically see me sign it “Blue Skies” and then my name. We’ve all had our ups and downs in life. And sometimes it’s hard to see Blue Skies when we feel the storms of life all around us. But just above those clouds, are indeed blue skies. So I try to close every correspondence with that little song title. As my friend Mike Lowry reminded me this morning, I try to remember that my cup over-runs with incredible blessings.Here’s our version of the Irvin Berlin song, Blue Skies. And by the way, I have a lot of our recordings as well some other projects I have done on my website - linwoodcampbell.com
At one point in my life, I was an organ major in college. I gave it up ‘cause Bach and I don’t see eye to eye 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. I do enjoy playing the organ, though, and I am the organist here at Peakland UMC.While our organ is not a pipe organ, it is a fine instrument. One of my favorite pieces to play is the Doxology we sing on Sunday mornings. If you watch our online Sunday service, you will recognize the Doxologies we use in our church services as part of our response to how we have been blessed by giving our offerings.The words are magnificent and the organ is the only single instrument I can think of that can adequately express the wonder and power of these two Doxologies. They are both titled “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, but set to different melodies and with some different wordings.If you’re watching the words are on the screen with a drone shot of the church. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
A lot of times, I will create practice tracks for the choir and or PT to use to help them learn anthems or praise and worship songs for upcoming weeks. Most of the time I just play a piano accompaniment and them each of their parts, and them place the individual recordings, which means soprano and piano, alto and piano, into DropBox for them to access whenever they feel inclined to listen and practice. A few weeks ago I was making a practice version of this song, I Give You My Heart, for the PT to work on. It’s an older P&W song but I did some rearranging to my original chart I had written. As I was listening along to what I had recorded, I begin to wonder what this new arrangement might sound like if I added some more instrumentation.One thing led to another, and, well, here’s my new rendition of I Give You My Heart, with some help from Lynn Nash on Flugelhorn.
Well I did it again….I was talking to my Flugelhorn friend Lynn Nash yesterday afternoon late and he said where’s Music Monday????? Ooopppsss. And then he suggested one we had recorded a few years back. After listening to it this morning, and making a few additions and subtractions, I am please to offer this arrangement to you. Some of our singers came in and recorded, and Lynn added some majesty to it.Here is Revelation Song.
James Taylor wrote this song at a time when he was going through some difficult stages in his life. I think we have all been there. While this song, lyrically, can make one feel melancholy, I find this arrangement to be uplifting! Ok, I’ll explain. I sent this arrangement to my son, Matt, who is without question the finest musician I have ever played with, to see what his thoughts might be. He sent back the second verse and last chorus that was totally unexpected. His bass guitar solo is amazing and his electric guitar background and electronic drum programming gave the song a whole new flavor that is, well, uplifting! Add my great friend Lynn Nash on Flugelhorn to the mix and here is a rendition of a great song that I am truly proud of. There is always someone we can turn to in the good times and bad - our Heavenly Father is always listening.I offer this arrangement to all of you today, in honor of my son, Matt, whose birthday is today. Fire and Rain.
From the album I recorded with my son and his friends in Nashville a few years back, here is one of my favorites - Better Is One Day
I've had a lot of requests to repeat this song I featured last Fall. Here's my friend Mike Petrokonis, and 10,000 Reasons.
Yesterday in our Horizons service we did something different. In fact we did several things differently, but one thing I have not down before. More on that in a minute.I picture myself as a life long learner - I think I may have mentioned that before. One aspect of playing the I have wanted to learn is the Black Gospel style. Every once in a while I’ll get interested in it, but lately that interest has blossomed a little and with the help of my son Matt, I learned a few progressions I wanted to use on a Sunday Morning. And that day was yesterday.So I enlisted the congregation to be the percussion section! That means they clapped on 2 and 4 while I played and we all sang.So here’s a recording I made this morning of that arrangement, and I added hand claps on 2 and 4. One of my favorite songs - I Love To Sing Your Praise, Lord.
Today's Music Monday features another song from the album I made with my son, Matt, and some of his friends in Nashville. Here's The Solid Rock.
I had an opportunity to record an album with my son and some of his friends in Nashville a few years ago. Here is the title cut, "Sing to The King."
When Covid 19 struck, normal went out the window. For us, at PUMC, we developed a pre-recorded daily devotional and Sunday program to try and stay in touch with our members. As we moved further and further into the pandemic we looked for new ways to expand or enhance our services.Since we were limiting our exposure to people, I did something I had never done before - at least in any kind of serious fashion. I started singing. I had been using a lot of instrumental music I had created, along with my flugelhorn friend Lynn Nash, and occasionally our incredibly talented Noémi Lee on piano. But people get tired of nothing but instrumental music - at least I did so I wandered into those murky waters of recording myself. You have to understand that I live with an incredible singer, so I’m always intimidated when I play myself singing for her. Tricia, hmmm, let’s see here - that would bet Dr. Campbell not only is an incredible singer but she teaches voice for a living, so you can imagine how I was feeling about recording, but none the less, I did.Last weeks song, You Are Good featured some of our singers, but that was me singing on the tenor part. This week, it’s all me on vocals, including some parts I sang that were in the original chart I wrote for our Praise Team.The Praise and Worship song is You’re Worthy of My Praise. And thanks again to Lynn Nash for the assist with his Flugelhorn, and I snuck in a few trombone parts as well. There’s a bonus this week, though. Right after the song is over, the track only version will play. If it’s something you like and you would like to perform it or at least have the vocal chart I wrote, drop me an email - linwoodcampbell@gmail.com. and I’ll get that out to ya!
Every once in a while I have the opportunity to bring some of our vocalist into the studio to do a little recording. It’s fun for them and me as well. Typically, I bring them in one at a time so we can avoid spreading germs, and it kinda takes the pressure off for them. I sent this song down to my flugelhorn buddy Lynn Nash to add some horn tracks, and I added some trombone parts as well. What a great, fun, worship song - You Are Good!
And just like that. It’s Music Monday again!Open:I have worked with some great musicians in my life. In today’s Music Monday, one of these musicians wrote a little chorus to the hymn O God Our Help In Ages Past. Along with another great musician friend of mine, Lynn Nash, I set this tune with an uptempo groove.Close:O God Our Help! The lyrics for the chorus, you ask? Oh God, You are, You are our help, You are our helper.To all generations You will be forever and ever our shield and our eternal hope, Oh Lord. You are the Ancient of Days and worthy of our praise!If you like this, consider sharing with a friend. You can find this song, along with a lot of other songs on my website: linwoodcampbell.com. Thanks for listening! See you next Monday!
Today is the 9th of January 2023! Happy New Year! Well, it’s a little late for that I suppose. Today’s Music Monday, the first of this new year is a little late.You see, today’s Music Monday’s song is We Three Kings, which seems a little late because Ephinany is over. Now, Ephinany celebrates the 3 kings seeing the baby Jesus and bringing him gifts. And the Bible tells us that the Kings were advised to leave by a different route on their way home. And that’s all it says about them leaving - go home a different way. Well, there is no mention of how they might have been feeling.I can imagine that they were awe struck initially, then as they thought about and talked about it they started getting excited. The further they went, the more excited they got. And so, here is my musical thoughts on the 3 Kings journey home. Did I mention I think they were all musicians?
It's another version of the original, just with more Hammond organ and cowbell towards the end.
L and L take a stab at this classic from Carole King. As always, it's our take on this haunting melody and timely lyrics that hopefully brings a refreshing but respectful interpretation of her biggest hit.
The Lynn and Linwood version of this song is loosely based on several artists renditions of this old classic. Ramsey Lewis and Greg Vail to name a few!
Lynn and Linwood are at it again with this rendition of Deck The Halls! Definitely not your grandmother's version!
The first in the new series, "Blue Skies, " this podcast is about some things musical, some things spiritual, some things fun and a whole lot of life.