Tag Archives: pop

Video – Boogie Woogie Blues Piano by Silvan Zingg

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Here’s a video of Silvan Zingg and his band playing his composition “Silvan’s Night Train Trip”. Enzo Muci is on Bass and Michel Denis on drums. This is a very typical Boogie Woogie style. Silvan Zingg is a Swiss pianist, specializing in Boogie Woogie, Blues and Jazz. In 2002 he created the International Boogie Woogie festival located in Lugano, Switzerland. Zingg was born in a musical family and was already playing piano before he started school. He has performed all over the world, having given his first concert at the age of 18. He has performed with Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, B.B.King, Michel Petrucciani, and many other artists.

Blues Piano is very popular today. At my piano lessons studio, here in Portland, many of my students love learning to play Blues Piano. Students who have basic reading and playing skills can learn to play Blues on piano or keyboard. We start with the basics of a 12 bar blues, the chord progression and the blues scale. Although there is sheet music of blues songs, our focus is to learn to play blues completely by ear. We do this by listening to blues, working on developing good melodies and rhythmic elements, and trying out different improvisational techniques. I provide all the direction. Students only need to play and have fun. Blues can be played on either an acoustic piano or keyboard. Compared to the time it takes to master classical music, players can start sounding very good playing blues in much less time.

There are many styles of Blues Piano, including Boogie Woogie, Swing, Jazz, R&B, Rock and Roll, New Orleans, Barrelhouse, and Chicago. Most blues is played in a 12 bar pattern, although there are variations using 16 bars and even styles of blues waltz in 3/4 time.

Here are some well known traditional blues artists:

Albert Ammons
Leroy Carr
Ray Charles
James Crutchfield
Charles “Cow Cow” Davenport
Blind John Davis
Fats Domino
Champion Jack Dupree
Cecil Gant
Dr John
Henry Gray

more about Silvan Zingg

Video – All The Things You Are – Jazz Piano Solo Composed by Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein

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“All The Things You Are” is one of the most performed piano standards in the jazz repertoire. The music was composed by Jerome Kern and the lyrics were written by Oscar Hammerstein. The song was a hit, and ranked in the top five in the Record Buying Guide of Billboard. Here is a contemporary piano recording.

“All The Things You Are” was composed for the musical Very Warm for May (1939) In 1944, it was a feature in the film “Broadway Rhythm”. In 1945 it was used as a recurring theme in the romantic comedy “A Letter for Evie”. Then in 2005 it was used in the film “Mrs. Henderson Presents”

Recordings made by Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw, helped make the song popular.

Other notable artists who recorded it are:

Ella Fitzgerald

Glenn Miller

Frank Sinatra

Hampton Hawes

Stan Kenton

Bill Evans Trio

Barbra Streisand

Keith Jarrett

Michael Jackson

Mario Lanza

Video Damaso Perez Prado Piano Solo – The King Of Mambo With His Band 1950’s

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A rare video from the early 50’s. The King of Mambo, Dámaso Pérez Prado, playing with his band, and showing his flair in a piano solo.

Dámaso Pérez Prado was born december 11, 1916. He was a cuban bandleader, pianist, singer, organist and composer. He was born in Matanzas, Cuba and is known as the ‘King of the Mambo’. His mother was a school teacher and his father worked at a newspaper. He took classical piano lessons as a child, and later played organ in local clubs. He his career progressed, he played music all over Cuba, Mexico, and the U.S. He made a number of very popular recordings. His playing was known for its fire and expression and was backed up by his brass band. He is most known for his recording of “Mambo Jambo”, a very big hit in the U.S.

video oscar peterson I can't get started amazing jazz piano solo

Video Oscar Peterson ‘I Can’t Get Started’ – Amazing Jazz Piano Solo

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Here is a great example of the extraordinary piano playing of Oscar Peterson. The song is ‘I Can’t Get Started’ (With You); music written in 1935 by Vernon Duke, lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Peterson was one of the most accomplished jazz pianists in history. His playing was stunning, technical superior, and totally absorbing. His astounding left hand was one of the best ever witnessed since Art Tatum. He played powerfully, with lightning speed. The articulation of every note was remarkable. His complex piano playing sounded like an entire band of musicians. Peterson was an enormously talented piano player and band leader.

 

He was born Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) in Montreal, Canada. As a child, he was immersed in the black culture of jazz so popular in the early 20th century. Oscar Peterson began piano lessons at the age of 5. He also played trumpet, but tuberculosis prevented him from continuing. He placed all his attention on playing piano. His father was also a pianist and was one of his first piano teachers. His sister taught him classical piano. Peterson was totally dedicated to the piano and committed to an arduous practice schedule of up to six hours a day. It was this complete focus on piano that helped him attain his exemplary piano virtuosity.

While studying classical piano, he became enthralled with jazz, ragtime music, and boogie woogie. At the age of nine, his mastery of the piano had already impressed many adult professional musicians. At the age of fourteen, after winning a national music competition, Peterson dropped out of school and began playing professionally. He played on a weekly radio show, at hotels, and music halls. His style was completely his own, with strong piano blues influences. His career took on legendary proportions as he began his prolific recording career, releasing over 200 recordings. Peterson’s remarkable piano playing earned him seven Grammy awards. In his lengthy 65 year career, he played thousands of concerts around the world, was enthusiastically received, and awarded many honors. Oscar Peterson was one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time.

Video Cole Porter Song Night and Day – Jazz Piano Solo

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Here is a really nice version of the very popular song, ‘Night and Day’ by Cole Porter, performed by Alfonso Gugliucci. Porter was inspired to write the song during a trip to Morocco in 1932. It’s one of his most famous compositions. Porter performed the song in several Hollywood movies, and it has been recorded by countless artists.

 

Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) wrote many popular songs during his career. He was born in Peru, Indiana. Porter began his music training early. He began piano lessons when he was eight. He wrote his first piece at the age of ten.

Porter wrote 300 songs while he was at school at Yale. Upon graduating, Porter began his law studies at Harvard Law School. Realizing that he did not wish to be an attorney, he switched to studies to music. In 1915, his first Broadway song was an immediate success.

In 1917, At the start of World War I, Porter moved to Paris. He worked to distribute relief supplies for several months. There is some documentation that he may have served in the French Foreign Legion in North Africa. While there, he had a special portable piano constructed so he could carry it with him and entertain troops while on bivouac.

On October 24, 1937, the horse that Porter was riding, fell down on top of him, crushing his legs. He was left crippled and in agonizing pain. His doctors insisted on amputating at least one and possibly both his legs, but Porter refused the procedure. He later underwent more than 30 surgeries, and during the remainder of his life, was beset by pain and depression.

Cole Porter performed exclusively on a Steinway piano and owned one. His piano currently resides in the lobby of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City