All recording projects on Aragon Music Records produced by Robert C. Aragon
THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL SITE
Peace ॐ
First Snow
Sunset Bridge
Lake Tahoe
STUDIO JAPAN
After playing with many bands, some successful and some a learning experience, I decided to go solo and do
RECORDING/STUDIO WORK
The work process was a sobering, personal adventure in self-recorded studio work and a "School of Hard Knocks" education in a type of "Brill Building" method of production. These recordings contributed to my enlightenment in the business of making a record and the records continue to gauge my level in an ongoing autodidact education in the many fine details of the art of record production. The recording process itself gave me great insight into the many musical and technical skills that have to be cultivated through the timely experience of trial and error.
It certainly helps to have a formal musical education but I do believe that experience is a working key to great music production. There are paths marked by the great music producers of the past. I had a lot of respect for the prolific early Pop music works of Phil Spector (I can now see how the long work hours and stress of this business could drive one to madness.) Quincy Jones, George Martin and Steely Dan Engineer, Roger Nichols (R.I.P.) but after all my very few contrasted works, I have an even greater professional respect for each of them. I've recently discovered film score composer, Hans Zimmer and sound designer, Mel Wesson and the way they use technology with orchestration for film.
The following examples I share here are Sempiternal and MC Maya Limbo Messiah -- two simultaneous recording concepts/projects where I was both experimenting and learning digital audio and electronic music production (that would have started around 2002). The "talent" had no previous live music performing or recording studio experience to speak of. There were many lessons involved here and the transcriptions provided even more!
By today's standards my equipment was pretty low budget (it had to be due to the cost of living and raising a family) but my DAW of choice was Protools (LE version 6.1.). In addition, various digital and analog toys acquired from 15 years of live playing experience in various house bands and clubs on the west coast region of the USA, from 1975 - 1990. -- basically, my working rigs. I became very familiar with signal path and microphones (the wiring) through the experience of extensive live club work and sessions played for other studios, singer/songwriters, jingle work, local TV and a series of work produced out of California State University,Fresno by my old friend and mentor, Don Priest that I co-engineered. That "lab for a year" was hooked-up by band mate in Mad Dog, Felix Contreras. - Thanks, Fe!
I consider myself an arranger piano player. I use the piano as a tool for composition and arranging parts. I also managed to use Reason (version 1.0), a Casio CTK-601 keyboard, Roland MKS 50 synthesizer module, Korg Electribe ER-1, Alesis SR16 and a Roland XP-80 in real time on my records. In addition to doing the arranging, I also played all acoustic 6 and 12 string/electric guitars and electric basses -- none of the tracks were ever punched in and most all of the tracks are first or second takes that were played all the way through the Form from Intro to Fine'. I don't like to punch in when self-recording but I do like the human feel and swing of playing all the way through the form.
The vocals tracks were often recorded live with me playing acoustic guitar or doing the piano comping behind the first lead vocal take. I used both dynamic and condenser mics and sometimes, a tube mic pre-amp. There is no use of "Auto-tune" or quantization. Nothing on these recordings was sequenced -- some of the vocal parts were doubled and effected with equalization, compression, delay and reverb plug-ins in the mixing process.
My second son did the mastering at home and made suggestions about the mixing I.T.B./OTB with ProTools during the recording process. He was also working on his own project, Victory Jump and a heavy metal project at the time.
Clicking on the photos below will take you to safe website links with virtual MP3 or MP4 music players of uploaded recordings of the music that I produced and engineered in the now defunct, Studio Japan. Enjoy!
Here are some interviews I've recently enjoyed watching and listening to: Annie Lennox, Moby, Peter Gabriel , Eno and David Bowie .
Make sure you take time to check out my former music students, Laura and Amber's websites! You'll see how they have both grown as songwriters and recording artist in the Nu D.I.Y. music business. Enjoy!
THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL SITE
Peace ॐ
First Snow
Sunset Bridge
After playing with many bands, some successful and some a learning experience, I decided to go solo and do
RECORDING/STUDIO WORK
and
Some of my early works in "Rocktronica" and/or "Modern Rock!" The music that follows was co-created and inspired by both, a former guitar student/songwriter-singer that had an affinity for the current Pop music at the time, a budding vocalist/songwriter that was attracted to 80's Glam Metal music and wanted to be a rock star and a music workstation. The work process was a sobering, personal adventure in self-recorded studio work and a "School of Hard Knocks" education in a type of "Brill Building" method of production. These recordings contributed to my enlightenment in the business of making a record and the records continue to gauge my level in an ongoing autodidact education in the many fine details of the art of record production. The recording process itself gave me great insight into the many musical and technical skills that have to be cultivated through the timely experience of trial and error.
It certainly helps to have a formal musical education but I do believe that experience is a working key to great music production. There are paths marked by the great music producers of the past. I had a lot of respect for the prolific early Pop music works of Phil Spector (I can now see how the long work hours and stress of this business could drive one to madness.) Quincy Jones, George Martin and Steely Dan Engineer, Roger Nichols (R.I.P.) but after all my very few contrasted works, I have an even greater professional respect for each of them. I've recently discovered film score composer, Hans Zimmer and sound designer, Mel Wesson and the way they use technology with orchestration for film.
The following examples I share here are Sempiternal and MC Maya Limbo Messiah -- two simultaneous recording concepts/projects where I was both experimenting and learning digital audio and electronic music production (that would have started around 2002). The "talent" had no previous live music performing or recording studio experience to speak of. There were many lessons involved here and the transcriptions provided even more!
By today's standards my equipment was pretty low budget (it had to be due to the cost of living and raising a family) but my DAW of choice was Protools (LE version 6.1.). In addition, various digital and analog toys acquired from 15 years of live playing experience in various house bands and clubs on the west coast region of the USA, from 1975 - 1990. -- basically, my working rigs. I became very familiar with signal path and microphones (the wiring) through the experience of extensive live club work and sessions played for other studios, singer/songwriters, jingle work, local TV and a series of work produced out of California State University,Fresno by my old friend and mentor, Don Priest that I co-engineered. That "lab for a year" was hooked-up by band mate in Mad Dog, Felix Contreras. - Thanks, Fe!
I consider myself an arranger piano player. I use the piano as a tool for composition and arranging parts. I also managed to use Reason (version 1.0), a Casio CTK-601 keyboard, Roland MKS 50 synthesizer module, Korg Electribe ER-1, Alesis SR16 and a Roland XP-80 in real time on my records. In addition to doing the arranging, I also played all acoustic 6 and 12 string/electric guitars and electric basses -- none of the tracks were ever punched in and most all of the tracks are first or second takes that were played all the way through the Form from Intro to Fine'. I don't like to punch in when self-recording but I do like the human feel and swing of playing all the way through the form.
The vocals tracks were often recorded live with me playing acoustic guitar or doing the piano comping behind the first lead vocal take. I used both dynamic and condenser mics and sometimes, a tube mic pre-amp. There is no use of "Auto-tune" or quantization. Nothing on these recordings was sequenced -- some of the vocal parts were doubled and effected with equalization, compression, delay and reverb plug-ins in the mixing process.
My second son did the mastering at home and made suggestions about the mixing I.T.B./OTB with ProTools during the recording process. He was also working on his own project, Victory Jump and a heavy metal project at the time.
Clicking on the photos below will take you to safe website links with virtual MP3 or MP4 music players of uploaded recordings of the music that I produced and engineered in the now defunct, Studio Japan. Enjoy!
Here are some interviews I've recently enjoyed watching and listening to: Annie Lennox, Moby, Peter Gabriel , Eno and David Bowie .
VICTORY JUMP In Concert
Sample the Modern Rock music of Sempiternal .
biker bar) Coloma Club in Coloma, California! "What It Is" was "hooked-up" by Placerville, CA. bassist, John Savino and drummer, Phil Pacca, Jimmy Malone was on keyboards. Tim Tucker was lead vocals with Daniel Wiley on second lead vocal. Percussionist Rick Briebrick sat in with us and played bongos the second night.
Tim Tucker is into used Soul records. Here's a link to his You Tube channel
More Video Please enjoy!
Now enjoy Making Beats
The other half of the game?
SWEET TRACKS THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
You're Beautiful - The Electric
Ego Killer - Eligh & Amp Live
Ego Killer - Eligh & Amp Live (remixed by Bassnectar and Timeline)
Mind Over Matter - Grouch & Eligh
Weight Of The World - The Grouch
Raise Your Weapon - Deadmou5 (Watch him make music here)
What I enjoyed most in the song was the vocal that Greta Svabo Bech contributed. I don't agree with the critics on the verses being "half baked" -- i feel the sincerity in her vocal - just my humble opinion.
Cool Like That - Digable Planets
TRAP
Now and Zen.
I have many musical hero's but in gratitude, I would like to share a few of...
My Favorite Jazz Guitarist
Django Reinhardt
Charlie Christian
Wes Montgomery
Tal Farlow
Jimmy Raney
Doug Raney On Jazz Guitar
Warren Nunes - The Blue Book
Joe Pass
Jim Hall
George Benson
Pat Martino
Lenny Breau
Howard Roberts
Ted Greene
My Favorite Jazz Fusion Guitarist
John McLaughlin
Lee Ritenour
John Abercrombie
Steve Khan
Pat Metheny
Larry Carlton
more Larry (beautiful playing on this one)
Robben Ford
Mike Stern
Allan Holdsworth
John Scofield
Scott Henderson
Nguyen Le
Wayne Krantz
Ryo Kawasaki
Don Mock On Jazz Blues
Tommy Tedesco
My Favorite Rock Guitarist (no preferences here as they all sound unique to my ears)
Jeff Beck
Steve Howe
Jimmy Hendrix
Carlos Santana
David Gilmore
Duane Allman
Andy Summers
and in one way or another, they all comes from the Blues.
The Music I Am Listening To Now
John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension
& Played Live
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at The University of Washington
In Concert with Silver Wave Records Recording Artist Mary Youngblood
A great link on
Sheet Music
Virtuoso Guitarist, Steve Vai on Composition
Steve Vai on
Practicing
Features Amber Figueroa on voice.
Sample the Downtempo and Rocktronica music of MC Maya Limbo Messiah
MC Maya Limbo Messiah featured both, Amber Figueroa on vocals and Laura Davis on vocals and nylon string guitar.
Check out "You Save Me" from Laura Davis.
Cactus
Sample the Downtempo and Rocktronica music of MC Maya Limbo Messiah
MC Maya Limbo Messiah featured both, Amber Figueroa on vocals and Laura Davis on vocals and nylon string guitar.
View from The Delta King in Sacramento,CA.
Sound Check with WHAT IT IS
This was a very casual, "just for fun"
video produced by Tim Tucker. Tim was one of the two vocalist for What It Is -- a Funk,R&B N' Soul cover band. The photo was taken by M. Stewart at the sound check. I rehearsed with the band for three hours the day before then played a "two nighter" at (the famousbiker bar) Coloma Club in Coloma, California! "What It Is" was "hooked-up" by Placerville, CA. bassist, John Savino and drummer, Phil Pacca, Jimmy Malone was on keyboards. Tim Tucker was lead vocals with Daniel Wiley on second lead vocal. Percussionist Rick Briebrick sat in with us and played bongos the second night.
Tim Tucker is into used Soul records. Here's a link to his You Tube channel
More Video Please enjoy!
Now enjoy Making Beats
The other half of the game?
SWEET TRACKS THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Ego Killer - Eligh & Amp Live
Ego Killer - Eligh & Amp Live (remixed by Bassnectar and Timeline)
Mind Over Matter - Grouch & Eligh
Weight Of The World - The Grouch
Raise Your Weapon - Deadmou5 (Watch him make music here)
What I enjoyed most in the song was the vocal that Greta Svabo Bech contributed. I don't agree with the critics on the verses being "half baked" -- i feel the sincerity in her vocal - just my humble opinion.
Cool Like That - Digable Planets
TRAP
Now and Zen.
I have many musical hero's but in gratitude, I would like to share a few of...
My Favorite Jazz Guitarist
Django Reinhardt
Charlie Christian
Wes Montgomery
Tal Farlow
Jimmy Raney
Doug Raney On Jazz Guitar
Warren Nunes - The Blue Book
Joe Pass
Jim Hall
George Benson
Pat Martino
Lenny Breau
Howard Roberts
Ted Greene
My Favorite Jazz Fusion Guitarist
John McLaughlin
Lee Ritenour
John Abercrombie
Steve Khan
Pat Metheny
Larry Carlton
more Larry (beautiful playing on this one)
Robben Ford
Mike Stern
Allan Holdsworth
John Scofield
Scott Henderson
Nguyen Le
Wayne Krantz
Ryo Kawasaki
Don Mock On Jazz Blues
Tommy Tedesco
My Favorite Rock Guitarist (no preferences here as they all sound unique to my ears)
Jeff Beck
Steve Howe
Jimmy Hendrix
Carlos Santana
David Gilmore
Duane Allman
Andy Summers
and in one way or another, they all comes from the Blues.
The Music I Am Listening To Now
John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension
& Played Live
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at The University of Washington
Please enjoy!
Help promote peace and fight the good fight against ageism, classism, racism and sexism by supporting live music, art and provocative conversation with the living!In Concert with Silver Wave Records Recording Artist Mary Youngblood
A great link on
Sheet Music
Virtuoso Guitarist, Steve Vai on Composition
Steve Vai on
Practicing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License
A Modern Rock Project
A Modern Rock Project
Click on the Sempiternal - Omega Point image to listen to a song.
All recordings by Sempiternal,MC Maya Limbo Messiah and Victory Jump were produced by Robert C. Aragon for AMR (Aragon Music Records) and are subject to copyright law. Unauthorized use is strictly forbidden.
All recordings by Sempiternal,MC Maya Limbo Messiah and Victory Jump were produced by Robert C. Aragon for AMR (Aragon Music Records) and are subject to copyright law. Unauthorized use is strictly forbidden.
St. Peter in Heaven is checking ID's. He asks a man, "What did you do on Earth?"
The man says, "I was a doctor."
St. Peter says, "Ok, go right through those pearly gates.
Next! What did you
do on Earth?"
"I was a attorney."
"Go right through those pearly gates.
Next! And what did you do on Earth?"
"I was a jazz musician and a teacher."
"Go around the side, up the freight elevator, through the kitchen....."
Home of the First Cosmic Bank of Divine Economy
Upper room at Lovejoy House
Another place I lived at, in 70's Portland, Oregon
Portland Theosophical Society House
View from the family home in the 90's -- Photo by C. Aragon
On the road and my arm is chord strumming at the Coloma Club with "What It Is" -- Summer of 2011
On television with "Mad Dog" on "The Video Cafe" which aired nationally on PBS - circa 1990
Video of Caroll Tuttle (flute), John Savino (Double bass) and me (Electric guitar)
I'm in the "MD's" chair here at JB's Lounge in live jazz performance at The Red Lion in Sacramento, California. At the time it was one of Sacramento's few "straight-ahead" jazz clubs.
Lesson Room
A testimonial from one of Robert's students:
"I was amazed how easy it was!I was playing and singing 'Strawberry Fields Forever' in the first twenty minutes of the first lesson, then by the second lesson I was playing chords and felt I was gaining a real knowledge of this lovely instrument. I never thought I'd learn to play a stringed instrument, but yeah!!" -- Ms. Karen Kearney. Piedmont Pines, California
What Makes A Guitar A Player
Are you an intermediate to advanced player that doesn't read music? You may want to check this out!
JonnyPac's Guitar Fretboard Theory Book
Product Overview:
Chord-Scale Theory and Linear Harmony for Guitar: Creative Tools for Improvisation and Composition in Contemporary Music is a guide to modern music theory as it relates directly to the guitar fretboard. It covers basic harmony as well as the complex harmonies used in jazz in a friendly easy-to-follow format. It contains examples in standard notation, guitar TAB, fretboard diagrams, and charts. It is a great resource for intermediate and advanced guitarists with various backgrounds looking to expand their musical horizons and creativity.
Printed copies are available at Main Street Music
Are you jazz educator? You may want to check out Steve's site (click on the logo below):
Promo "B roll" photo from Larry Gittens and Media's pre production.
Below is the work of a recording artist/film composer/musical director/jazz musician and another jazz mentor, Larry Gittens. Larry is a very gifted and talented performer/multi-instrumentalist that I had the pleasure to work with for a few years. As a bonus, I recorded with him on his debut CD with some awesome world class musicians and recording artist! Here is his version of the very popular Kool and the Gang tune, Too Hot (This version was performed by T-Voice and myself at the Miss California Pageant) If you're into recording, you'll have to check out his trumpet solo on the out chorus -- it's pretty hot and tasty!
[Click on:] Dual Identity -- Larry Gittens and Media to listen to post of a couple of his regional hits in the Smooth Jazz genre!
Gittens is a veteran musician and versatile performer, whose musical story began in a small town in NJ. Self-taught on the trumpet as well on keyboards, Larry was named Best Jazz Trumpeter in the state by Down Beat magazine. He went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, spent some time teamed up with the late Grover Washington Jr., and then landed a gig with Stevie Wonder, appearing on six of Wonder’s most successful recordings. Most recently he’s performed with Kool and the Gang and has been working with bassist Jimmy Haslip and vocalist Bobby Caldwell on a couple of other projects. In the midst of this heavy schedule, Gittens also found time to record Dual Identity, his debut effort as a solo artist. A very nice CD it is, one that is packed with great melodies and the type of the energy that is often associated only with live performances too.
Music From All Over The World
VOYAGER
Say I'm Sorry by audiobodieBio:
John Ayala, reeds/musical director/engineer. First call studio player for albums, demos, radio and television commercials in the Fresno area, including Fresno Fair, A and M Carpet, KSEE 24, IRS, Selma Toyota, Matrix Publishing, YuBees Pizza. Lead alto with CSU Fresno Alumni Jazz Band.
Woodwinds with Fresno Jazz Composers Orchestra
Performed with Bob Hope, Temptations, Four Tops, Frank Gambale, Alex Acuna, Joan Rivers, Vicki Karr, Mel Torme, Kenny Rogers, Rosemary Clooney, Arturo Sandoval, Natalie Cole, Marvin Hamlish, Jack Jones and others.
Principal oboe with Fresno Community Orchestra
John teaches music at Bullard High School in Fresno, California.
Darrell Devaurs, keys/composition/arranger. Composer of the year at Wild Blue Yonder Contemporaries. Freelance arranger and Midi Sequencing Specialist. Keyboard Artist on many albums and demos in the Fresno area. Composer/arranger for Roger Rocca's GCP Productions.
Keyboard with Joe Lenigan Band
George Ramirez, drums/percussion. Extensive pop, rock, jazz, and latin experience. Private percussion instructor performed with Arturo Sandoval, Jon Faddis, Laureindo Almeida, Juan Serrano and others. Percussion specialist at Roosevelt School of the Arts.
Mike Gonzales, bass/composition. Voted bassist of the year at the Wild Blue Yonder Contemporaries. Extensive studio/performance experience.
Robert C. Aragon, guitars/composition. Extensive house band/night club,touring,studio,and private teaching experience. Former In House composer for Bryant Teleproductions. Original guitarist with recording artist Larry Gittens and Media on Human Feel Records, former touring guitarist for Silver Wave recording artist, Mary Youngblood , former Musical director for Karma Jazz and Nu Wav Jazz Quartet and currently Musical director for Darya. Robert produces/co-produces recordings for new indie recording artist, on his own label, Aragon Music Records . He has recorded at Sound and Stage Recording Studios. He also, often performs live as a solo jazz guitarist or freelances with various ensembles through out California. He teaches privately in northern California.
Have a listen to VOYAGER playing one of his musical compositions called, 'Say I'm Sorry.'
Have a listen to VOYAGER playing one of his musical compositions called, 'Say I'm Sorry.'
Voyager started as a Jazz Fusion band called, Mad Dog. Below is a clip (circa 1990) of Mad Dog performing, the great east coast composer/recording artist, Mike Stern's composition, 'Gossip' from his 1988 release called, 'Time In Place.'
Gossip
Voyager | Myspace Music Videos
Guitar Lessons
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