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Big Skies, Majestic Lands

from Friendship by Jasko' Filisko & Ortega

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Big Skies, Majestic Lands

Big Skies, Majestic Lands is about driving through Arizona and New Mexico with its open, bold beauty and its glorious skies. I wanted to write a song that was in the vein of Carlos Nakai (www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHdOSMpZ1_w) with his simple, very beautiful melodies. Musically speaking, there are intervals of fifths and double fifth chords in the guitar chords, for example, G to D to A which are rooted in the inherent harmonic series of music. These intervals portray the picture of the openness of the vistas and landscapes. I wanted people to sense the hugeness of those spaces and the rich, vibrant colorful of these southwest skies. This song was written in the mid 90s when we had more visits to Arizona.

As the song progresses it moves on into a bit more pensive or contemplative view of the surroundings. I envisioned Joe’s harp like a keyboard sequencer creating a subtle bed for my only lead acoustic guitar solo where I use my Guild D55 guitar. It then bursts into a joyful fun fretless bass solo. I love samba! For this I used my Status fretless bass made by a company called Trace Elliott. Anytime you hear the fretless bass it is this instrument. I love the lyricalness of the fretless bass which I strove to be reminiscent of Michael Hedges’ work with Michael Manring and of course the fretless master, Jaco Pastorious.

The master Larry Ortega played the entire song with brushes. To re-create the eruptive exuberance of being out west, he did a pass of cymbal swells with sticks and then he effervescently danced out one of the best samba grooves I’ve ever heard during the bass solo. Once again, the Zeidler guitar was gorgeous sounding doing the accompaniment chords and harmonics. The harmonica then re-enters again with the melody over the bed of these beautiful instruments and you’re back on the drive continuing in the glorious surroundings of the southwest ending in the calm tones inherent in nature.

May you be blessed with a road trip in the southwest.

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from Friendship, released September 20, 2021

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Jasko' Filisko & Ortega Joliet, Illinois

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