Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at my isolated piano track for This Game of Make Believe—a moody post-bop jazz ballad I recorded for Chris Missen’s 2025 album, Saudade Stories.

If you’ve heard A Shade of Blue, another jazz ballad from this series, you’ll notice a very different feel here. While A Shade of Blue leaned into sparse voicings and classic blues phrasing, This Game of Make Believe is more harmonically adventurous and emotionally opaque—drawing on the modal palette of Bill Evans and the atmospheric restraint of Kind of Blue-era Miles Davis.

The chord voicings are intentionally ambiguous, built on quartal harmony and rich upper extensions that blur traditional tonal boundaries. This approach creates an open, spacious texture that leaves room for silence and subtle tension—capturing a mood that’s reflective, introspective, and quietly unsettled, just like the title suggests.

I always find it fascinating to hear piano parts on their own—there’s something so raw and revealing about it. Once the full track is released, you’ll be able to compare this version to the final mix and hear how it all came together. (I'll include a link when it becomes available.)

Listening to isolated piano parts from other players was invaluable in my own musical development, so I hope this offers something educational as well as interesting.

🎹 Interested in learning how to play or create piano parts like this? I offer customised lessons that focus on real-world musicianship—from playing in different popular styles and improvisation to songwriting and arranging. Contact me to find out more or book a free consultation.

Music & lyrics by Chris Missen

Piano part composed and performed by Lisha Kayrooz

🎧 More isolated keyboard performances from this album are coming soon, each one exploring a different stylistic world.