Category Archives: Jazz

Sky Blues

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Greg Scheer

A while back, I was playing with the minor blues form. Songs like “Sugar” or “Stolen Moments” are so simple, yet seem to provide endless possibility. I actually sat down at the piano and sketched out a half dozen directions … Continue reading →

Posted in Demos, Jazz, Live | Leave a comment

Flutter

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Greg Scheer

After a long absence (from blog posting, not from composing), I am back with a series of new jazz tunes. You may be aware that my jazz group, Outside Pocket, just came out with an album titled Grace Notes. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Demos, Jazz, Live | Leave a comment

Blue Turned Green

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Greg Scheer

I had an idea for a jazz tune: it would be a minor blues in A minor, but instead of heading to the D minor chord as its next move, it would move down to a G minor. [I know, … Continue reading →

Posted in Demos, Jazz | Leave a comment

Americana

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Greg Scheer

A few months ago, I accompanied my wife to Detroit. She attended training for a new job while I stayed behind as a “hotel husband.” Since I had only a bass to work out my musical ideas, I gravitated toward … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Live | Leave a comment

A Beautiful Delusion

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Greg Scheer

I’ve been reading Faith, Hope, and Carnage by Nick Cave. I highly recommend it. In a series of interviews with Seán O’Hagan, Cave discusses his artistic process, the death of his son, and the way his faith has changed and … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Live | Leave a comment

Psalm 11: Our God Is Still on the Throne

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Greg Scheer

Update: This song is now available at gregscheer.com. There are many, many ways to set the Psalms to music. Some of the most popular choices include metrical, responsorial, and verbatim Psalm settings. Each approach has its merits and I try … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Congregational Songs, Demos, Jazz, Psalms | Leave a comment

Charlotte

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Greg Scheer

One of the keys to composing is filling a need. Break up songs? Dime a dozen. Songs about Toothpaste? There’s plenty of room there for newcomers. Settings of Psalm 23? Yours needs to be better than the hundreds of well-loved … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Live | Leave a comment

Sehnsucht

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Greg Scheer

“Sehnsucht,” is the German word for “longing.” It connotes more than a garden variety longing, though. It carries the deeper sense of longing for something that is out of reach or a longing that can’t even be put into words. … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Live | Leave a comment

Hotel Husband

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Greg Scheer

Here we are, starting the year off right with a new song! I was away in Detroit with my wife this week. She was training for a new job, so we decided it would be fun to work during the … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Live | Leave a comment

A Quiet Conversation

Posted on December 29, 2022 by Greg Scheer

I’m not a particularly legit jazz musician. Yes, yes, I gig and know more or less what I’m doing (though I don’t/can’t always do it), but I don’t have a ton of jazz street cred: I don’t have thousands of … Continue reading →

Posted in Demos, Jazz | Leave a comment