My favorite things

Mar 15, 2010

This is nice tutorial to support a singing.

It is not that easy to go along with singing. My first experience was total disaster. I was playing solo at a bar located near a train station. There were some beauties who might sit next to you to have a little chat with customers. No, that was not a bar where you would find hookers but rather a decent place.

That was third or fourth year since I started playing jazz piano. To tell you the truth, that was my first experience to play background of professional singer.



My first mistake was to try going along with her, the singer. I send chord as she sings. Which means that I listen to her phrasing and try to go along with it. So, if she stretch a bar, I follow it. Y'know something? If I do that, she'd lose the bar completely.

It took me three tunes to learn the lesson. During those three tunes, I did not feel I was playing at all. I got sweat so badly and had felt irritating eyeball due to the sweat into my eye.

Now you are lucky. Because you can learn the lesson through internet. And I find this tune pretty cute. The voice of this singer is great and the piano player has nice timing sense to back her up. Enjoy.

Check with my jazz piano lesson for the late starters. If you are over 40, there's nothing to worry. You sing along with piano and that is you improvisation.

Feb 24, 2010

Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, the Giants

While I was in NY during late 60es, I have missed to listen two Giants, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. John died in 1967. I was too late to be any of the jazz spots at the time, like Village Vanguard, Village Gate, Five Spot and else where I didn't know the existence.

I was shocked listening to My favorite Things. That goes on and on for close to 30 minutes, if I remember correctly. If it doesn't last that long, I felt that way at the time. I listened it a few times and wasn't able to listen again. That was too heavy for me.



If you follow the narration of this video, you'd confirm that there was only one tune that had been played together, "Tenor Madness" But you will find that both admires mutually listening through this video.

It is said in the video that both revised the role of the instrument. Here's the story Sonny tells about meeting John first time, "He played one job in Autoburn Ball room in NY. And he had another saxophone player there, named John Coltrane. That was the first time I played with Coltrane. And I've met him, y'know, And I think it must have been 1948 or 9. "

Sonny: Trane was like a saint, serious an sincere.
Jimmy Jeffery: When we visited Trane's house Central West on 3rd st, he said;
Sonny can take any tune and play it like he wrote it.

I have to take tune that I feel little good to me play
Sonny he can take most of the skilled tune and play it like he wrote it.

They sure had been close, right?
Enjoy.

Looking for the shortest route to learn jazz piano?
Check here and enjoy!

Feb 18, 2010

Yo Yo Ma, a Tango

I heard this tune at a rest area of prestigious golf course at the turn of century. I made come back at the very end of the 20th century, well it was year of 2000 I mean.

We, I and my friend bought 80 years old company listed at Tokyo Stock exchange. This company had two memberships with this golf course. The course was one of the championship course. "Was", yes, they closed in 2001 and the area has been restructured to be residential area.

That means the tune connected to the best year of my life. That could be the reason why I get tears. Yes, I was with 21 years old college student majored in piano. Right, That was a good year. Not the best but one of, I dear say.



Tango itself has nostalgic feeling. The band-neon sounds that way, right? But the way Ma plays his instrument, that was a surprise. I and the girl had the chance to go to a concert featuring Mr. Ma.

Well, now I remember that that was the time when I re-start smoking. Vice induces another vice ,right?