Lost Along the Way - backing track - Jazz Fusion?

[hardlock]

Some may have heard the original piano/guitar jam I posted by the same name. Popular comments encouraged me to continue with the theme and make a "real" song from the original idea:

https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?topic=30931.0

Here it is in it's unfinished form lacking vocals, leads, and I left out the breaks shown here that can be added if they work out. (going from swing to a straight beat seems weird but good contrast maybe?):

Break (chorus):

https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?topic=31099.msg369823#msg369823

I'm open to any ideas, vocals, leads, or other additions.  I can supply a fuller version with "my" vocals and breaks for reference on request. 

(my "throw away") Lyrics:

LOST ALONG THE WAY (c)2021 K J Hill
(Hard Knocks)
==========================================
You go through life - finding good and bad
some things make you happy - others make you sad

It seems that all that you want to do
will hurt your body and your mind too

Why must we settle for a life full of pain
when only with misery can we just maintain

I've lived my life wanting what wasn't mine
Now I'm being judged and not feeling so fine

==========================================

Either my head's too heavy or the pillow's too hard
I might just as well have slept in the yard

There's ants in my whiskey and stickers in my socks
Just another day at the school of hard knocks

I don't want to sleep as I'll then have to dream
And if I do I'll surely wake with a scream

Even lost my shoes, hurts to walk on the rocks
Just another day at the school of hard knocks

--------------------------------------------------
(chorus):
      
(Still) lost along the way
Hoping for a better day
When it will be found, I can not say

[TPB]

Sounds good on my crappy work computer speakers I will fire this up tonight on monitors in the studio and hum along sounds good so far
Tim

[StephenM]

I commented on this when it posted elsewhere with vocals...but this is excellent as an instrumental IMO....

in some ways I like it just as is because without the "distraction" of the dominant vocals all the instrument nuances stand out...kudos especially on the bass...I friggin love the walking bass...

back in the day listening as a kid on these little transistor radios or crappy car radios I never realized how much better the music could be with bass...it was like a whole new world...and then in my 20's I learned to play bass and it has been an ongoing love affair ever since....I suppose since I play alot of instruments I notice all of them...
and all of this sound s really excellent...nice work Ken

[hardlock]

Thanks Stephen!

I never realized how much better the music could be with bass...

Speaking of bass, I had a bass guitar for awhile but could never get it right. Might of helped with flat-wounds but couldn't justify the cost on a $100 bass. 

Ever since I either use a bass patch on my boss or use the keyboard. Here's a link to some of the best bass playing of all time:

https://youtu.be/S-EmI1AuOdg 

The narrator for this "top 10 bass players" is a goof-ball but is a really good player in his own right!