This is who we hear at the top of our soundwalk: The Black-headed Grosbeak.

They say it sounds like an operatic American Robin. I can’t say I disagree. Its phrases rise and fall with ebullient fluidity.

This week we are back in Forest Park, in my hometown, Portland, Oregon. It’s the subject of a multifaceted series that is spooling out across all my music pseudonyms throughout the year, and probably into the next here on Substack and on music streaming services. So far we’ve been introduced to Forest Park Rain Suite I & II, The Wildwood Trail in Sound and Vision, and last week’s Ancient Forest Suite. This week it’s Forest Melody Suite.

The first thing I notice is that this breaks the rule I set for Listening Spot releases: no pianos leading the way. Forest Melody Suite has a Wurlitzer electric piano front and center through the whole 17 minute runtime. I love the deep tone of this particular electric piano, and I love the punctuated, syllabic structure of a phrase played on a piano. Maybe hearing all the melodic birdsong made it irresistible to reach for it. Or maybe it was just easier to start with. Honestly, I don’t remember. It was the path of least resistance, one way or another.

The environmental audio we hear was recorded in the Miller Creek watershed on the quiet northern side of Forest Park; definitely a top spot for migratory birds in the vast park. Here you’ll find a healthy fish-bearing creek (the only one in the park to host salmonids) and complex structure in the forest canopy. I kinda took Forest Park for granted, growing up in Portland. But it really is something special!

We hear plenty of Pacific Wren, Wilson’s Warbler, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrow and some tricky-to-ID baby birds too. The scene was positively alive.

Thanks for being here; for listening and reading. Ancient Forest Suite is available under the artist name Listening Spot on all streaming platforms Friday, May 30th.