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What do you guys think of this guy Bobby Enriquez? There are not a great deal of his CDs around....but I have most. Check out his solo on youtube here 0.25-2.35 ... it is jazz ... but he has amazing chops! I love his flair. The DVD this is taken from I have and he does 4 or 5 solos just like this one!!!
Ah yes, Bobby Enriquez was indeed the Wildman. I once saw him in the Boston area (1980's) pummeling a Steinway into submission with well aimed left jabs, right crosses and uppercuts. I half expected to see blood on the keys. By the time he was through with his solo the crowd was on its feet, screaming. It was a night to remember.
"Playing the piano is my greatest joy...period."......JP
What do you guys think of this guy Bobby Enriquez? There are not a great deal of his CDs around....but I have most. Check out his solo on youtube here 0.25-2.35 ... it is jazz ... but he has amazing chops! I love his flair. The DVD this is taken from I have and he does 4 or 5 solos just like this one!!!
I saw him in 1984, I believe it was. He was one of the most natural pianists I have ever heard. He did a set of variations with Flip Nuñez that showed incredible musicality.
Quite the showman. I don't much care for his somewhat stiff and jittery swing feel. For cluster jabs and swipes I would much rather listen to Don Pullen. Pullen is more modern and more of an original:
Bjones....i have just pm'ed you.....i was wondering where did you get those bobby enriquezx transcriptions from? and could i get in on the action lol
yeah Pullen is good....i have many of his cds bootlegs and released stuff....but have not seen him play on video before......does anyone else know of other pianists who do this kind of jabbing, swiping, using fist, using back of the hands at the piano?? i love seeing that kind of thing!:)
Pullen is the only who could do it the way he did it, he had a certain control and familiarity with his pathways shapes. He showed me how to do it but also warned me how painful it was.
While it's amazing to see and hear either Bobby Enriquez or Don Pullen play, sometimes I can't help but think if such keyboard jabs/punching/hand-rolls etc., while being able to serve a good purpose when interspersed with their respective solos/improvisations, are more likely included for "showmanship".
Too bad Bobby Enriquez died relatively early (age: 53), I would have enjoyed listening to more of his recordings.
I also recall hearing his own jazz version of a commercial jingle for a coffee manufacturer (was it "Nescafe"...I can't exactly remember if this was the brand) and I enjoyed listening to it as well.
Slightly OT:
Is there any truth that Bobby Enriquez played along with a band during president Bill Clinton's inauguration back then (if there's any truth to that)?
I found other You Tube versions of the "Wild Man" playing, but its not the best in terms of clarity/quality. I think the poster of the video mentioned he got it from one of his later performances...here's the You Tube version:
MISTY (Bobby Enriquez version):
SPANISH MEDLEY (Bobby Enriquez)
Too bad there were no DVDs yet when these performances were done.
