Valhalla
Valhalla is a study in fingerpicking in odd meters. The main riff of the song is in 7/4 with a measure of 9/4 that connects to a section in 4/4. That section transitions back through the 9/4 back to 7/4. I wrote this song back in 1977 and I performed it in the 1990s with tabla drummer Patrick Mundy. Pat was a student of Zakir Hussain. We recorded this version in 1995 at Surreal Studios in Anchorage. This song got quite a bit of airplay and it was featured on the syndicated program “Music From the Hearts of Space.”
I wanted to do a video of the song, but I really wanted to include Pat's drums, so I did a re-mix and play-along for the video. The Alaska graphics were generated by AI. The song is about a place in Ketchikan I used to like to go for a scenic view of town.
You can stream this on most streaming platforms and you can also download the album on my web site, www.gregorydwest.com.