Video – Keith Jarrett Piano Solo – Danny Boy – Tokyo 2002

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Here is a video of Keith Jarrett playing a piano solo of Danny Boy, originally known as Londonderry Air. This performance is from a live concert in Tokyo, Japan in 2002. Londonderry Air is an old English song that has been modernized in recent decades. It is a simple song, but Jarrett creates a deeper and more emotional performance by using many chord substitutions.

Keith Jarrett is known for his mastery of the piano keyboard. His expressive and beautiful piano playing is also deepened by his remarkable improvisations skills and superb melodic and chord variations. Keith Jarrett began playing piano before he was three years old. By the age of five, he was already taking piano lessons. Jarrett is known for his classical recordings and many jazz and blues performances as both solo and trio player. Jarrett’s remarkable music talent is unmatched today by any other pianist in the jazz and blues idiom.

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Video – Amazing Piano Solo Sweet Georgia Brown in Oscar Peterson Style

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Here is an amazing piano solo of “Sweet Georgia Brown” played by Gyuri Villas. This piano style is very much like Oscar Peterson, and includes some nice Art Tatum elements.

This is a high level example of piano mastery by a very good player. Learning to play Jazz can be challenging. At my piano studio, here in Portland, students taking piano lessons or keyboard lessons who are interested in learning improvisation can get a good start by learning Blues Improvisation. Blues is a much simpler and easier style to learn than Jazz and includes many of the same basic concepts of jazz. I’ve taught Blues Piano to many students who are just starting out. It’s great fun, very exciting, and fairly easy to learn.

Video – Randy Newman Sings and Plays Piano Louisiana 1927

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Randy Newman sings and plays piano in this live video of a performance in Stuttgart, Germany 2006. “Louisiana 1927” was written and recorded by Newman in 1974 and tells the story of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. The flood devastated Louisiana and left 700,000 people homeless. In this recording, Randy’s keyboard playing and voice combine to make a beautiful and powerful performance.

Randy Newman is an American, singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, and arranger. He has written countless songs and scored the soundtrack to over two dozen films. His style of writing satirical and sarcastic lyrics is unique and has gained him many loyal followers during his long career.

Newman was born in Los Angeles, California in 1943. When he was a youngster, his family moved to New Orleans where he stayed until he was 11. Newman took piano lessons as a child at the age of 6, and again at the age of 16. He became a professional songwriter at the age of 17. His music was greatly influenced by Ray Charles. After Hurricane Katrina, Newman’s recording of “Louisiana 1927” became extremely popular, and was played repeatedly on American radio and television.

Randy Newman has received 20 Academy Awards and has won twice. Newman also garnered 15 Oscar nominations with one win. He has also received 3 Emmys, 5 Grammys and many other acknowledgements from the industry. Randy Newman has made a long and lasting contribution to American music and film.

Some of Randy Newman’s Albums
Randy Newman (1968)
12 Songs (1970)
Randy Newman Live (1971)
Sail Away (1972)
Good Old Boys (1974)
Little Criminals (1977)
Born Again (1979)

Some of Randy Newman’s Film Scores
Performance (1970)
Cold Turkey (1971)
Ragtime (1981)
The Natural (1984)
¡Three Amigos! (1986)
Parenthood (1989)
Major League (1989)
Awakenings (1990)
Avalon (1990)
The Paper (1994)
Maverick (1994)
Toy Story (1995)
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Michael (1996)
Bean (1997)

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Video – Arlo Guthrie Plays Piano and Sings – City of New Orleans

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A great video of Arlo Guthrie playing piano on his famous track “City of New Orleans”, showcasing Arlo’s voice and piano playing. “City of New Orleans” was written by Steve Goodman. It’s about a train trip from Chicago to New Orleans. Arlo recorded the song in 1972 and it has become one of his biggest hits. Arlo took that train ride for the first time in December of 2005, traveling with other musicians to New Orleans to raise money for local musicians needing help after the devastating Hurricane Katrina.

Arlo Davy Guthrie was born in 1947, in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of the famous singer Woodie Guthrie. Like his father, Arlo is known for singing songs about social injustice. One of his best known songs is “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, a 18 minute satirical blues song. Arlo Guthrie is best known as a singer, songwriter, and musician. He also has done some acting in films and television. His most noted role was in “Alice’s Restaurant”, an adaptation of his song in which he play’s himself. He has recorded numerous albums and made a huge contribution to American Folk music.

While taking piano lessons and keyboard lessons, some of my students express interest in being able to accompany themselves on piano. There are some basic technique that we work on to make the switch from solo piano to accompaniment. This video is a great example of how to play piano while singing.

Some Songs by Arlo Guthrie
Alice’s Restaurant (1967)
Arlo (1968)
Running Down the Road (1969)
Washington County (1970)
Hobo’s Lullaby (1972)
Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys (1973)

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Video – Beginner Classical Piano – Minuet in G – Johann Sebastian Bach

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This video is of the Minuet in G by Johann Sebastian Bach. It comes from a songbook called the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, that Bach had written for his wife.

Beginner piano lessons start off with learning to read music. Once students have achieved some basic skill, we begin looking at the wide variety of styles and pieces that they might like to try. Classical music is a great introduction and Bach is a good choice in learning to play piano and keyboards. The Minuet in G is often the first true classical piece that my students play. It’s a great place to begin.

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer of the Baroque period, and played organ, harpsichord, violin, and viola. He wrote sacred and secular pieces for orchestra, choirs, and solo instruments. He is well known for his unparalleled mastery of contrapuntal technique and his complex use of rhythms and textures in his music. His music was heavily influenced by composers from France and Italy. Some of his well known works include; Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, St John Passion, the Cello Suites, and Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Bach was highly regarded as an organist all throughout Europe. Bach was a prodigious composer. He wrote and arranged hundreds of pieces. His notoriety as a composer was later acknowledged in the beginning of the 19th century and he is now considered one of the most accomplished composers of all time.

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