Music Across Distance
When the world closed its doors in 2020, musicians kept recording — just not in the same rooms. For composer John Finbury, the pandemic years became a time not of pause, but of remote collaboration. Working with artists across the U.S., Brazil, and Europe, he composed and recorded a series of songs that proved distance need not dilute intimacy.
The results included tributes, duets, and reinventions. And while the sessions happened miles apart, the music remained close: emotionally, musically, and personally.
“Ring The Bells”: A Tribute in Real Time
When jazz legend Chick Corea passed away in early 2021, John Finbury responded the way he often does — at the piano. He recorded a somber motif on his phone and sent it to singer Thalma de Freitas in Los Angeles. She woke up the next morning, listened, and immediately recorded a vocal improvisation over the track.
What began as a private exchange became the seed for “Ring The Bells,” a tribute to Corea’s spirit and artistry. Producer Emilio D. Miler heard the phone recordings and encouraged the pair to create a studio version — remotely, safely, and collaboratively.
Finbury tracked his piano in Massachusetts. Thalma recorded her vocals in California. The final piece, edited and mixed in New York, feels remarkably live — a testament to shared emotion over shared space.
Camille Bertault: Transatlantic Duets
At the same time, Finbury began working with French jazz singer Camille Bertault — a vocalist known for her wit, improvisational agility, and linguistic range. Two tracks emerged from this collaboration: “Look At What a Mess You Made of Me” and “Boulevard.”
The first is a duet for voice and bass, featuring Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride. With lyrics by Ned Claflin, Patty Brayden, and Finbury, the track has a theatrical flair — almost vaudevillian — yet retains a deep musical seriousness.
The second track, “Boulevard,” features Camille’s original French lyrics, with Larry Goldings on organ and Billy Martin on drums. All parts were recorded separately, yet the song flows as if tracked live — a testament to the sensitivity of each performer and the clarity of Finbury’s compositional structure.
Producing Remotely: The Role of Emilio D. Miler
Behind the scenes of these pandemic recordings was producer Emilio D. Miler, who helped coordinate, shape, and mix the material. His familiarity with Finbury’s aesthetic — and his ability to bring together musicians from different time zones and technical setups — made these songs possible.
Whether organizing sessions at Power Station NYC or integrating files from home studios, Miler ensured the final mixes retained the spirit of collaboration that defines Finbury’s work.
Distance as Creative Opportunity
Though remote sessions began as a necessity, they introduced unexpected freedoms. Artists could record at their own pace, in familiar environments. Compositional revisions could happen between takes — not on the fly, but with space to consider.
For Finbury, whose writing often invites emotional nuance, this slower process allowed for deeper interpretation. The absence of physical proximity didn’t remove collaboration — it refined it.
The Challenge of Feel
Remote recording also introduced challenges — most notably, how to preserve the “feel” of live jazz. Without eye contact or spontaneous energy, musicians relied more heavily on the shape of the composition and the emotional cues of the other players’ recordings.
On “Boulevard,” Camille Bertault’s phrasing dances effortlessly with Larry Goldings’ organ — despite their performances being separated by time, geography, and language. It’s a rare kind of cohesion, built not from simultaneous presence, but shared intuition.
Technology Serving Art
These pandemic-era projects also showcase how technology — often viewed as sterile — can serve emotional music. The key is intention. Rather than using remote tools to simulate live tracking, Finbury and his collaborators embraced the format as its own art form.
The songs aren’t trying to sound live. They sound human — layered, responsive, and carefully shaped.
A Composer’s Flexibility
John Finbury’s openness to remote recording reflects his broader approach to music. He composes with specific voices in mind, but allows the performers to shape the final outcome. In the case of pandemic collaborations, that trust became essential.
The process was nonlinear, occasionally delayed, and logistically complex — but musically rewarding. The resulting songs feel both intimate and expansive, as if recorded in a quiet room that spans continents.
A New Kind of Ensemble
Looking back, these works form a kind of pandemic ensemble — not defined by shared air, but by shared purpose. Finbury’s pandemic recordings show that even in isolation, music remains a conversation.
Each voice — Thalma’s, Camille’s, Christian’s, Larry’s, Billy’s — was recorded alone. But together, they speak clearly.
Listen
To hear John Finbury’s remote collaborations, explore “Ring The Bells,” “Look At What a Mess You Made of Me,” and “Boulevard” on major streaming platforms. For more on the artists and production team behind the music, visit Green Flash Music.