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All separate. Different mistakes in each one. Couldn`t use the drums even though I played to a metronome; the drums are rigid whilst my playing is not!

Starr Keys: Thanks so much for your kind words.. I'm glad it brought back fond memories for you. I had fun playing the "cross-hands technique" (a la Eddy Duchin) with it.

Eddy Duchin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_Duchin

"By no means was Duchin a perfect pianist, but he was easy to listen to without being rote or entirely predictable. He was a pleasing stage presence whose favourite technique was to play his piano cross-handed, using only one finger on the lower hand, and he was respectful to his audiences and to his classical influences."

I play/teach my cross-hands style in the exact same way.

Peter, thank you for your kind words. Didn't mean to ignore this. Just waiting for more people to post songs and responses and forgot. The Bar used to be a lot busier (checked and last month's pickings were also pretty slim.) Where is everybody?

Seems to me there was always lots going on at the piano bar. It`s fun, and there were also themed recitals. There`s still the quarterly recitals though. . . maybe we`re all burnt out!

Oops! I better clarify. I didn't mean the quality of the recordings posted was slim, just the quantity. I remember when I could open 7 pages in this thread by this late in the month, and now we're only just starting a third page, and last month there were only 2 pages of posts for the entire month.

Ladypayne: Terrific playing. So This is Love reminds me of a movie scene of the heroine playing the piano in her parlor, late 19th century. I loved it.

Gaffster: I really enjoyed Endless. You're very talented.

piano primo 1:Nice job on Swiss Air. You seem comfortable at the piano.

Riddler: You're a very good arranger. That was a terrific version of Chick Corea's tune. Excellent playing.

Amaruk: Another excellent arranger. Wonderful playing and your video was really cool.

mstachowsky: I never get tired of hearing this. Thanks for playing it. Nice job. You're a good sight reader

wuxia: Simply gorgeous. That's the first time I've heard that particular Nocturne. Thank you for sharing it with us.

8 Octaves: Wonderful! Such beautiful phrasing and articulation.

beechcraft409: Very nice tribute to your cousin. Thank you for sharing that.

kenjazz: I read in this morning's paper that Mr. Silver died yesterday. And you give us this wonderful arrangement of Lonely Woman. Very nice kenjazz. (That's a good looking jazz box on the wall).

Starr Keys: Wow. Playing and singing at the same time, and doing both so well. I don't know how you do it. That's a great arrangement also. And nice video!

Elssa: Your arrangments and playing are so nice. Always great to hear you. And later: there probably aren't too many members who saw the Eddy Duchin Story with Kim Novak, Tyrone Power and Carmen Cavallaro's piano work, but I remember it like it was yesterday. No I take that back. I have no idea what happened yesterday.

peterws: I second everything Starr Keys said. That was great peterws. And very creative.

Here's my first contribution to the Piano Bar. This piece was written by forum member Tim Treford. It's easy to play, and I like it a lot. Thanks for composing it Tim!

Mayflower

Thanks; you're overly generous.

Very nice recording, SunnyFriday.

Yes, Carmen Cavallaro really captured Eddy Duchin's style so well in the movie.

Here's my own arrangement:

Thanks for the replies everyone! I figure that replying to individuals is going to clog the thread, so I'll just stick this out to everyone who has (and will) reply, thanks!

For next month I'm working on two pieces and I'm not sure which one to go with. One is a left-hand only study (I really enjoy left-hand only playing for some reason), and the other is "Jane's Song" by Christopher Norton (just generally a nice piece of music). What are peoples' thoughts? Go for the technically more challenging one or the nicer sounding? I'm only going to have time to work on one or the other to a reasonable standard...

Ask and you shall receive

SunnyFriday Heard this this morning and you certainly live up to your name! Love the combination of strong rhythm and New-Age-relaxed in this piece. Very nice arrangement. You play very well.

Elssa You will never starve. Even when the economy is bad for musicians, any restaurant would be happy to have you play for your supper. The one mistake I made in my video tribute to you is not including a picture of Carmen Calvalero at the piano, but chosing to use a picture of the handsome Tyrone Power pretending to play like him instead.

Peter, geez, yer a whole band! Very listenable, very well put together, you are a really good orchestrator! Not a song I've heard before but I enjoyed it. BTW, I have a similar problem - the metronome and the score are rigid whilst my playing is flexible and free!

SunnyFriday, very tuneful and easy to listen to, well done.

Elssa, loved that version of Manhattan, it's always been a fav of mine. Like those runs and ending, as always. But I'm just wondering - how did you ever get your cat to chime in on cue like that?

Ed

Well, I've been offered free drinks for playing a tune at places but never a full dinner.. Hanging out in the wrong places, I guess. hah

Thanks, Riddler. I loved your recording, 500 Miles High, great smooth jazz sound and improv.

Gwen usually played a few ending keyboard notes to my songs but guess she just decided to "sing out" this time, with the usual purrfect timing, of course. =^o^=

Carmen Cavallaro

MANHATTAN (Rodgers and Hart)

Peter - ouch! You recorded each voice separately. I go nuts trying to get two instruments to line up when I'm doing the actual playing. It's no wonder that you are resolving to go back to piano-only mode. It sounded so good though, that after a while you will look back at your accomplishment and decide to go for it again!

SunnyFriday - Thank you. It was a sad occasion that Horace Silver died this week. I heard several other arrangements of Lonely Woman that I had never heard on the radio, as stations were emphasizing their Horace Silver catalogs. Sadly, mine was not the best of the ones I heard this week :-). That jazz box on the wall is a D'Angelico New Yorker, that I use when recording the combination piano/guitar tunes.

Elssa - I was humming your song "I'll Take Manhattan" in my head this week. I was in NYC, staying right by the 911 memorial. My room had a view of the Esplanade and the Statue of Liberty was down there to the south. I could hear your smooth arpeggios forming the melody, and then your cat providing the finishing touches. Nice job.

Thanks/meow, KenJazz "Lonely Woman" was dreamy/mesmerizing, interesting harmony as well.

I just listened to all the recordings.
Very good job everyone, thanks for sharing

Elssa You swung wi that one, lass; I was also trying to watch that little tennis match on your screen to the left there . . . rather hypnotic!

PeterWs: Thanks so much I really enjoyed your recording and playing. You're a real wiz with your multitracking and creative arrangements.

Yes, fun to add in the rhythm unit now and then.. the bouncing light helps keep me on track. lol

Here's a little something with a Latin/Bossa Nova rhythm:

SO NICE/SUMMER SAMBA