I really dig the covers on this riverside jazz master composers series
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Fred Hersch!
Fred Hersch: Just Hear What Happens Next from NewMusicBox on Vimeo.
Absolutely LOVE this interview with Fred Hersch. His music philosophy is great, as is his playing. More of the transcript over here including this quotation, which is basically how my one time lesson with him went:
I hear a pianist for the first time in a lesson situation, and I immediately go for the physical. They might not be aware that they’re tapping their foot, or that they’re off balance, or that they’re leaning back, or that they’re pushing so hard that they’re slamming down on the bottom of the key bed and making a crappy sound. So what I try to do is create for them a piano embouchure, if you will, that allows the pianist and the piano to be friendly with each other and connected.
Wes Montgomery- Three Jobs!
From an interview with Jimmy Cobb:
DeRiso: Later, you, Chambers and Kelly backed Wes Montgomery. Perhaps the high point was the live albumSmokin’ at the Half Note. Were you surprised when Wes later took a turn into more pop-influenced styles?
Cobb: He did that because he was talked into it, probably by (producer) Creed Taylor, who told him: ‘You could make some bigger money. You could be more public, playing all of those tunes.’ He didn’t like it. He was doing it because he needed the money. He had about 9 kids, so he figured he had to go for it. While he was still home, he had three gigs! He worked all day and all night — never got any sleep. It made his heart bad. One was construction; I think he worked on a jack hammer. The second one was as a guard for a milk company. And then the third was playing music! That took its toll on his energy and his life.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Played 10 times
Here’s a new song “Look Both Ways” that we performed at the house concert last weekend. It went really well, thanks to all who came. Chris Enghauser is on bass and Carlton Owens is playing drums. Check out the rest of the concert on Bandcamp. You can download it all for free!
Here’s a short video I found from when I saw the opera Pagliacci in Verona in 2006. In the summer, the city hosts operas in the Roman Arena built in AD 30. The acoustics are amazing in the arena and it’s really a unique experience to see something like this. I have another video from the intermezzo of La Cavalleria Rusticana that I’ll post at some point.
Anonymous asked: Hey Rand, When are you playing in Athens next? --Michelle
I play every friday at Highwire from 8-11, so we’ll be there tomorrow. See you there! http://www.highwirelounge.com/
Two ads I came across while browsing the old papers. There were tons of ads for pianos in the 20s, different times.
