Some Music Ted Loved in his Youth

An excerpt from MY LIFE WITH THE CHORD CHEMIST Available on Amazon.com

“At the beginning of 1995, on a rainy January day, Ted noted, “Pick up Barb go to my place, I begin organizing my CDs, we listen to Brenda Lee, The Skyliner’s (Barb really likes & I cry as usual when hearing “This I Swear”), it is so beautiful, so romantic.  Then the 4 Seasons (we love the songs, the arrangements and the back up vocals, then we try BLUES:  Freddy King, great instrumentals CD (Barb love’s it so much, as do I of course). B.B. “Sweet Little Angel” solo, Eric Clapton w/John Mayall, another Wowza, Albert King too.”

This was some of the music Ted loved and he wanted to expose me to something different, pointing out nuances, harmonic structure, and rhythmic variations, as he knew I was basically unfamiliar with these genres.  Ted loved to introduce me to new music that he was quite certain I would love and/or appreciate, so there was almost a constant flow of new experiences we would share.

A YOUNG  QUINCY – CAT  AMONG THE SUNBURSTS

“….the sounds I heard as a very young guy are the sounds I came back to–those gorgeous chord changes in certain orchestral music. Those can sure keep you busy with something beautiful.”

Ted Greene

Without Which

Is it the mere

dispensation of hours

darkness and light?

No.

Bringing moments of sorrow

moments of joy

knit one, purl one?

No.

I drink a toast to Kevin’s lamp

to Andi’s Salvation Army table

both without which

I could not write.

I drink a toast to Ted’s devotion

stirring emotions

without which I could not write.

And …

I drink a toast to Ted’s essence

the spirit of his omnipresence

without which I could not write.

Barbara Franklin