The Vince Lahorra Quartet: "Lockdown Shakedown 1918"

Song: “Lockdown Shakedown 1918“
Composed by Vince Lahorra
Copyright @ 2020. All intellectual property rights reserved.
Performed by The Vince Lahorra Quartet
Ryan Villamor - keys
Gerald Flores - bass
Given Bacani - drums
Vince Lahorra - saxophone
Produced by Vince Lahorra
Recorded Aug. 22, 2022 @ Banana Rising Recording Studio
Sound engineering and video editing by Iñigo Mortel

ABOUT THE SONG
This is how i imagine dance music was during the pandemic of 1918.

I conceptualized the idea for “Lockdown Shakedown” back in May 2020, 2 months into the Covid-19 pandemic. The idea was dance music while in lockdown during the pandemic of 1918, and of 2020. The original structure of this song was a 12-bar blues comprising the A section, a 16-bar B section, and a repeat of the A section. I couldn’t complete the B section so I discarded the song, but made a mental note to revert to it “someday when the time is right.”

Fast forward to June 2022 when I was preparing to record this album. I felt “the time is right”, so I dusted off “Lockdown Shakedown”. I rewrote the A section into a 16-bar blues so that the chord changes became exactly that of “All Blues” by Miles Davis, except that mine is in 4-4 time while “All Blues” is in 3-4 time. Then I added a 4-bar intro/outro. For the 1918 version, I imagined the song during the pandemic of 1918, so we played it in Dixieland style, with an upright bass, me on soprano sax, and a keyboard set to a honky-tonk piano patch. For the solos, each soloist solos over one whole chorus in stop time, then one whole chorus in Dixieland rhythm. The drum solo emulates tap dancing by the use of side sticks. The overall effect is that of 1920s Dixieland and Ragtime.
Many thanks to Ryan, Gerald, and Given. Your attention to detail and superb performances helped make this composition come to life!

ABOUT THE ALBUM
“Rise Above” is the title of my debut album of 9 original compositions. Of the 9, 1 was composed pre-pandemic, 7 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and 1 post-pandemic.

Why the title? The phrase “Rise Above” is defined as “to not be affected or limited by circumstances, offensive remarks, and negative situations.” I was inspired by the story of the great scientist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton. Quick story: Year 1665, at the onset of what is now known as The Great Plague. England and the rest of Europe were forced to impose lockdowns on entire cities and towns. Newton was then a 23-year-old student at Trinity College, Cambridge. Instead of engaging in leisurely activities to pass the time away, he decides to make productive use of his time by furthering his studies on his own. By the time the pandemic was over and the lockdowns were lifted, Newton had laid the foundations for Calculus, made discoveries in Optics, as well as formulated his now-famous Theory of Gravity.

Not all storms come to disrupt your life; some come to clear your path.

Fast forward to March 2020. While the rest of the world took to Zoom, Netflix, K-Pop, K-Drama, TikTok, etc., and with no gigs in sight and plenty of time on my hands, I composed. Day after day, night after night. After so many failed attempts, a few original, truly-inspired compositions emerged. I made a vow to myself to record these with my band "someday when this pandemic is over."

Well, "someday" arrived. In May of 2022, I put together the music sheets, reunited with my band members, scheduled rehearsals and recording sessions. This is the result.

The pandemic may have took 2 and a half years worth of gigs away from me, but by RISING ABOVE the circumstances, I was able to do what I’ve always wanted to do - express myself through my own original music.

I hope you enjoy the music and the videos as much as we enjoyed putting this album together.

Vince Lahorra
October 2022

Видео The Vince Lahorra Quartet: "Lockdown Shakedown 1918" канала Vince Lahorra