Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum March Piano Bar

I've been completely AWOL this month, including the end of the recital. Life intruding on art. Rats. But I've just been able to listen to this months entries now. WOW. really good stuff, and a wide variety of genres.

Before the month closes, here is a take on 'Round Midnight
'Round Midnight

The blog post for this one is 'Round Midnight

kenjazz, there is a CBC radio show airs Sunday mornings. It rebroadcasts Sunday night (Monday morning) at midnight. It uses this piece, which I love, as the theme for the midnight rebroadcast. Your rendition is great.

Hi,

This is my last contribution this month. Will refine and take a video.

Romance
Peter Tchaikowsky
https://www.box.com/s/eqt95411vn2mnwbiuxdj

Kenjazz: Before month end closing, enjoying your Round Mid Night. Your playing is professional.

Thank you! I have 4 tarantulas, one in each tank. They were downstairs but the cats kept getting curious!

Fabulous playing there! See thats what I like about this place, it caters to all tastes and all abilities! Beginners mixing with the likes of you.
I wasnt keen on the ryhthm track mind but the playing , can't fault that!

Ken I had Autumn Leaves playing on my tablet from your blog, went out of the room, came back and found my 6 year old son listening in!

Same here -- hopefully I'll do better with next month's Bar, which I just initiated.



I didn't mean to pre-empt you or this month's players by beginning the April Bar prematurely. I have listened to several of the terrific contributions this month and wouldn't have missed them or yours, as its one of my favorite jazz songs and I love your laid back free flowing style on it.

For some reason, I just now discovered your Blog on learning Jazz piano and boy can I relate to the theme of learning it late. I started a jazz theory and improv class less than three months ago, but unlike you we're supposed to play a lot of scales, although so far I've mainly only done it in class and study group. You're lucky to have found someone like Ed who can work around your hatred of them.

Weiyan - Romance. You are very prolific this month. Good work on this piece.

Larry, I hate to do this to ya but . . .put yer headphones on, man. And watch out for a cool drummer doin` the business! She squawkes bit. But who cares? . . . .This is the best version of this song. I think. .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPbPlLEhFq4

ty.beginner that was a good job playing a great piece of music. Excellent choice of music. PBS TV used this music to open up an astronomy update short every week. Add the fact that it isn't short makes it tough to get it all down. It's a piece you can probably work on for a lifetime constantly improving it. My only comment was the sustain seems heavy, but it could be just the recording setup.

Daily Piano Pieces Enjoyed your improv, very well played and very clear recording. You must tell us about your back round and music setup.

LarryShone nice job on the song for Guy. I'm a huge Elton fan.

Inlanding On You Tube I called it "Sweet"...which sum it up pretty good. I'd also like to hear it on the acoustic to compare the sounds. Keep it up Glen...love this stuff.

kenjazz nice jazzy sound with nice drum accompaniment. So professional sounding. I'm jealous!

Weiyan Brought back memories of me playing this piece. Sounds like you just need to clean it up a little and its done. Heard some interesting background stuff too...Piano sounds good too. Keep working!

And a note to Bill, on my Fantasy Bossa the music said to play the last chord "dry"...lol...it took me a long time to not just hold onto it. Good pick up!

I hope I didn't miss anyone...I real enjoyed the March Bar.

My partner has the DVD! As pop acts go she's not bad I suppose. Puts on a good show at Ieast! But I find her voice objectionably sqeeky!

Kenjazz Good stuff for the kids, Ken! Is this what you could call "elevator music"? Good drinking music . . . I`m not clued up on jazz sufficiently to appreciate it fully. . . .but I enjoy what you do, and other similar stuff ya hear from time to time.

Thank you everyone for the kind comments!
This is a really good question. You should look at the Wikipedia page for Smooth Jazz. It is full of conflicts and acrimony. I think it stems from a desire to find a way to bring instrumental music to the masses by using more of a pop/R&B beat and simplified improvisation. This is why purists truly hate it.

I only tend to like it if there is something interesting harmonically going on over the top of the pop beat. You can't get any more harmonically challenging than round midnight, so I thought it worked when I heard it done by Marlena Shaw.

It is wonderful to find a teacher that you can relate to. We will talk about what scales might work over a particular change, But he won't ask me to sit down and do drills for hours. Some day my lack of dexterity may make me want to do drills - but not today :-)

I hope you have great fun and learn a lot with your new improv class!

The purists have nothing to be upset about. Beethoven, Mozart et al years ago improvised in street café society in Vienna, I believe. Competition was the name of the game, everybody loved it.

Imagine doing that today in classical circles . . . nothing`s really changes, has it?

Ken, what you play is far above elevator music!