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Nice work on Killing Me Softly, guys. I have always liked that song, and I associate it with a good time in my life.

My piece this month is Someday My Prince Will Come, written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey in 1937 for a Disney movie. Over the years, it has become a jazz standard and has been played by many of the greats. I am playing from a lead sheet. I stole the idea for the intro from pianist Doug McKenzie. (Not the first time I've plagiarized from him!)

Someday My Prince Will Come

Ed

Well, I am not spreading the chords over both hands, I am playing them with the right hand and having only bass notes in the left hand. Yes, I am playing octaves with some notes in the middle the second time through. The more often I listen to it the more I think it should be played more slowly.

Ed, that is a fine rendition of this Disney classic. A fun piece to play. You are certainly aware that Jazztpt played this piece in the April piano bar, and I just listened to his version again. I now know what his style of playing jazz reminds me: it is the musical score of the Peanuts series. You are playing a bit more in my style this time, without an impro. Both approaches are wonderful. The intro you stole seems to be in 4/4 time while the piece itself is in 3/4 time.

That's interesting - I have been playing the chords in the L hand w lead sheets - no wonder yours sounds more full. It just seems a little tough to have the R serve two masters - lead and accompaniment. Maybe I'll give it a shot. I do hope to work on spreading the chords out eventually btw the hands.

Yes, thanks for reminding me. Jazztpt inspired me to learn this song - thanks, Russ.

Indeed my intro was 4/4, though a bit on the rubato side, or at least that was my intent. I often say that I like to invent intros, but unfortunately they rarely match the songs I am playing.

Ed

Well stolen or not that intro works really well, nice to hear a different interpretation. Nice one Ed.
( I thought that was the rule, steal as much as you can from others and put your own twist on it 😀)

A public piano in hospital. This is best method to spend redundant time.
If reasonable tuned, this is not a bad instrument.

Public pianos are nice as long as they are in acceptable condition. The piano you are playing in the hospital is okay. Sadly, nobody seems to listen to your ragtime performance or even notice that somebody is playing the piano.

Hi All.

I haven't posted to the ABF Piano Bar in a long time. However, I went down the list of posts for the June Piano Bar and listened to the presentations, and they were all great!

Anyway, I recently purchased a pre-owned Zoom H4N digital stereo recorder that I've been playing around with. I've been using an older, inexpensive camcorder to record my music videos. This is my first recording with the Zoom H4n. I edited the recording using a recently downloaded video editing software program, Shotcut. I do believe the quality of the audio is better with the Zoom H4n than just using the audio on the camcorder.

The song/tune is an oldies Gospel/Church hymn "Will the circle be unbroken". It's a sad song but a lively tune.

Oh well, here goes...

Bluesy version of "Will the circle be unbroken"

I hope ya'll enjoy listening...

Rick

Hi, Rickster! Nice to see you in the Piano Bar -- great voice; great groove - thanks for sharing this!

Thanks a lot, Tim!

I'm one of those self-taught guys (although we learn from others continuously and no one is ever completely self-taught) who can't play all that well, but enjoys trying!

If figure if I can help put a smile on my own face, and maybe the face of others too, I've accomplished something positive and worthwhile.

I admire any and all who can play the piano at any level and enjoy hearing others play.

As a bit of history, what prompted me to start learning to play the piano, after years of playing stringed instrument, was a serious finger injury. I come close to severing my index finger on my left hand and it messed up my finger tip. I was hospitalized and had to have surgery on my finger because the injury was so serious. The injury does affect my playing of the my stringed instruments, but not the piano, to any extent. But I have really enjoyed learning to play the piano.

I've been playing my 5-stringed banjo a little lately, though I'm very rusty and unpolished on it. I know this doesn't belong here, but here a recent tune I recorded on the banjo, which is an original composition. So, I can still play the stringed instruments a little.

"Southern Crescent Breakdown"

I know this is the piano bar, but since June is almost over, maybe this is allowed...

Rick

Hallo there in Georgia! Please carry on contributing to the Piano Bar. Unfortunately, I have run out of high speed data volume this month, so I cannot watch big Youtube videos before July, but I am sure your renditions are wonderful if they are as good as your version of "Georgia on my mind".

Thanks, Pianist685! I appreciate the kind words.

Of course, one thing I've learned about posting music videos on YouTube, and that is that everyone is not going to like you or your music. I have about 80 music videos on YT, posted over the last several years, since I've been learning to play the piano (about 12 or 13 years?). Some are better than others, and none of them are all that good. Some are original songs/arrangements/compositions. But it has been fun sharing my music with others.

Kind of reminds me of the lyrics to one of my original blues tunes, "everybody ain't your friend, and everything that glitters ain't gold".

The thing about watching and listening to others play the piano is that I always learn something by watching and listening to others. I've also learned over the years that musical perfection is not as important as the delivery, presentation and spirit of the performance.

Sorry for all the verbiage... I seem to have a bad habit of talking too much. A sign of old age, maybe?

Thanks again,

Rick

Rick, I just spent that last half hour listening to your Youtube channel. Good stuff! I particularly like your Allman Brother's Ramblin Man.

hi all! It's been along time since I played the piano. I decided at the request of a friend; to work on a new piece this summer. She gave me the music yesterday. I have a long ways to go before I'm really happy with this piece, but here is A River flows in your by Yiruma after about 4-5 hours of practice.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RU1FRPVRaacPdX-v3QdK11LFHkt-_wO2

Nice piano playing! A very easy listening and relaxing tune. And, a nice, soothing tempo.

I seem to have two tempos... fast and faster.

Enjoyed listening!

Rick

I guess this will get everyone thrown out of the piano bar before it closes for the month huh.

Piece #11 from Bartok's 'For Children No. 1'

Nice! I liked it. Kind of new-age and funky, or contemporary, maybe? Anyway, you play well; fast fingers!

The accompaniment on the digital piano makes playing a bit easier, for me at least. If nothing else, it helps keep the timing consistent. I have a tendency to speed up as I go...

Nice job!

Rick

Very impressed with your playing, especially after just getting the piece yesterday!!

Weiyan, nice playing. Sometimes we have to grab a minute here, a minute there, to get in some piano time.

Rickster - great pickin'! Sounds like a piano to me! Music is music. I envy you being so versatile.

Augustina - very soothing, comforting. It's been a while since we've seen you here, welcome back.

Goldman, WOW! What a performance! Fascinating! Personallyl, I wouldn't know 19/16 if I tripped over it. But I have always had an unhealthy obsession with Bartok's music. Your RH-LH coordination is awesome.

Ed