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I have put up another tune on youtube
This one is written by a guitarist friend of mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyy07MO2kZY&feature=youtu.be

Nice BB!

They love music, and seem to want to explore it with me.


Well yes, we're moving in that direction, I feel that we need to spend some quality time working on our sound (that means more original material from me) Which is why I'm bringing in a coach. We've also agreed to spend 6 months gigging with no Or little pay just to test the material (well, if we do get paid I won't argue) and to get our feet wet. I view it as an investment, part of learning the craft. Next step is then doing a recording, as it's really hard getting in on the really-good-gig-circuit if one doesn't have a CD.

But yes, it's really nice having musicians backing me in my wacky scheme.

And even if one does have a cd. I wish you good luck. Having like minded musician friends to play with is so important so you are definitely going the right way about it.

Nice touch, BB. I was a bit thrown off by the eraser though. Could you redo the tune with the pencil again please?

It sounded great Beeboss. Yes, I too was looking for the pencil Heck all these objects are in the foreground so can't help but focus on it...

Thanks Dave. I agree that our bass player is a little less adventurous with interpreting time, but he's cool so it works out.

And my keyboard is an old Yamaha p120 that I've had for about 7 years. Something nicer may be in the cards once I'm back teaching full time again.

Well, I don't plan on putting Bemsha Swing as the first tune on the demo, just happened to upload it first on box. I can see how coming out of the gate with that might be a little shocking.

I might consider trimming the track down a little and starting it later so the time is more solid. But as jazzwee mentioned, to which I agree, in general people will enjoy it and won't notice all the little things that we all scrutinize ourselves over. But I do appreciate your honest comments Scep.

I just watched Keith Jarrett performing on an episode of Saturday Night Live. It's available streaming on Netflix... season 3, episode 17, from 1977. Keith plays solo at about 18 minutes in and 48 minutes in. Pretty cool!

Just a couple of Sunday night readings that might be of interest:
"Tone Production by the Pianist" from Piano Technicians Journal: http://www.helenamta.com/ptj-granholm.shtml

Get thee to a book-store and get Q's (Quincy Jones) autobiography. It's for anybody interested in Jazz, business, what goes on behind the curtain, how-to make a tour throughout Europe with a big band in the 60's work, . . .

Yes, that's true enough. I suppose it also depends to whom you're tailoring the demo. If entry to a local jazz fest I'm sure they'd want to have things like the Bemsha Swing on there. If to a restaurant I question how many owners would like it. Maybe the venues where you live are far cooler than the ones around here. We have one 'true' jazz club, and a number of places that will let bands play for the door, of which most really only want a certain type of sound.

Again, all being said and done, everything else on the demos was really good stuff, and I'm sure if you can remix it with some reverb or presence or whatever it would be an acceptable demo disc.

I got in to my regular venue by first playing solo piano at dinner. I doubt they would have listened to a CD because it's not a jazz club. But that led to discussions because I said, I can do a better job with a band. Then on our first band gig, we attracted a crowd. Then we broke the bar record and we became a regular. But lot of shmoozing on my part to do it. It also means tailoring the tunes to the audience and having a singer. It also meant that some other competing musicians had to go. In this case, a jazz combo won over Beatles covers.

There's a jazz audience though. I was just creative in finding them.

Found this Keith Jarrett gem, one of his rare compositions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw2n4YUenu8

He plays it on the Cargenie Hall solo album as well.

I'm surprised he doesn't compose more.

So they were discussing this at Pianist Corner. Where do you stand on this? Me? Velocity = Tone. KJ makes his sound because he has absolutely fine control over the evenness of velocity at ALL moments, including placement of the note on the beat.

I don't believe in any other mumbo jumbo about altering tone production on a single note. It's all about Multiple notes to me.

I have noticed that some really great players use the una corda quite a lot, although I am not sure that KJ does that much.

My teacher is obsessed with una corda. In fact he practically rides it the whole time (which over time would harden that area of the hammer). I don't think KJ uses it at all. He just rely's on his own touch control.

My piano doesn't have a sostenuto btw so I don't even know what this does. Any application in jazz? Should I even care?

A lot depends on the piano and the room. If the tone is a bit harsh then a bit of una corda can really help. If you have a perfectly regulated 12 ft Steinway concert grand and are playing to a concert hall then maybe it is not so useful.
My C5 has a sostenuto which I use a fair bit. Not really so useful in straight ahead jazz playing but for solo piano I use it quite a lot. It makes many things possible which would be impossible otherwise.

You can pluck the inside of the piano as chords with the sostenuto. That's pretty hip

I really do like that effect

Another new youtube tune from me today, i am on a roll
something a bit different though

http://youtu.be/Bf56EiAT7Ao