Scenic View
The story of how Scenic View started back to the mid-1990’s and is still one of my favorite pieces in 2023. During the ’90s, I was writing and recording every week. At the same time, my Santa Monica CA. based picture framing business was thriving, filled with interesting jobs, and an inspiring client base. One of my special clients was Paul Michael Glassier (Starsky of the original, Starsky and Hutch TV show.) One day Paul and I got into a conversation about a screenplay he was writing featuring two brothers that owned a large piece of land in Montana. He shared the story of a helicopter flying over this vast piece of land and then zooming in on the house where they lived. His vision inspired me and I asked if he would mind me writing a piece of music that would act as an introduction theme piece for the first scene to be used as a temp track and if he liked it, he would have the option of using it.
Several weeks later Tim Ponzek came to visit. Tim and I were a magical writing team in those days. I would write a dozen or more songs then Tim would come and help finish the writing process recording in digital performer and keyboards. The song Scenic View inspired Tim so much that in a couple of hours, we had a recording of the song. After listening to the finished demo track Paul Glassier liked the song but said he had a composer he was working with for his movie, which by the way as far as I know was never produced.
The song Scenic view ended up being one of Lucia’s favorites showing up on the Confused/ Peaceful CD and the Last song on the Sound of Feelings sampler.
After several years of working on orchestral pieces, I decided to create a full-string arrangement and add a soprano saxophone to the piece. In January of 2023, Scenic View was released with an orchestral version by Jack Majdecki and a solo piano version both played by Tim Ponzek.
In November 2022 Lucia passed on at 85 after having a full and amazing life. Leaving the world void of her physical presence. However, her spirit lives on in all of us, teachers, students, and everyday people who were touched by her words, books, art, videos, friendship, and mentorship.
In Memory of the late Dr. Lucia Capacchione
— Jessie Allen Cooper
Credits
Written by Jessie Allen Cooper
Grand Piano: Tim Ponzek
String Orchestration: Jack Majdecki
Soprano Saxophone: Jessie Allen Cooper
Mixed at: Cooper Sound Waves North by JAC and TSean Killeen
Mastered by Ira Ingber at Muscletone Village Studio in WLA California
Cover Photo: Duane D. Davis, Central Oregon Coast
Cover Layout: Cooper Anderson
Photo at Joshua Tree National Park by Jessie
Photo by Jessie at Rustic Canyon (Santa Monica, CA)
