Hi, Al. Very nice job, thanks for posting.

Other than the clam in the melody at 0:27, I guarantee that your "mistakes" are not noticeable to the listeners. And even with that one, you did exactly the right thing and carried on, which makes it forgotten as quickly as it came.

If you're looking for comments, the thing I notice most is how elastic your tempo is... of course, you're playing exactly the kind of tune and exactly the kind of style where you can get away with that the most. IMO, though, it would benefit from a slightly stricter pulse.

I really like what I'm hearing at the beginning of the excerpt, which I presume is the end of your solo. I'd like to hear the whole thing. Extremely nice stylistically, and very melodic, mature-sounding ideas... I like it better than the head, to tell you the truth.

Otherwise, not a lot to say but good job. I'd like to hear a lot more tensions harmonically to make this more intriguing... but that's just a style choice, and your chosen style seems completely appropriate to the venue.

Thanks, Legal, I agree completely.

I often play much of these slower tunes somewhat rubato, and try to tell myself that it's for stylistic reasons. Deep down, however, I know that I'm often adjusting the tempo so that I can remember the notes or get my fingers in position. For example, the pause 35 seconds in is caused by my not being able to remember how to start the drop-2 chords that I usually play (at 1:38 you can hear how it's supposed to sound), and having to punt. I'm going to work on eliminating those pauses.

On Misty your melodic phrasing is very straight, sounds like a classical player, I would suggest working on feeling both triplet and sixteenth note subdivisions of the beats and varying between them. Like Doug in this clip, also lots of "laid back" phrasing : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAoQjoJl8mI

Looking at the picture - there's no need to put on the full penguin suit for this sort of gig, but I find I'm taken more seriously if I make at least the effort to wear dress trousers and a tie.

I considered that, and would have even worn my tuxedo, but, trust me, what I wore is considered really dressed up for this rural area.

Hi Al,

No suggestions - I just really loved your "Misty" recording, and your song list is terrific!

P.S. How did you get your tune list together? Just curious.. such a nice variety.

Which is your favorite key? I mostly play in C/Am and Eb.

Sometimes I think that my best skill as a jazz player is choosing good tunes. There's a pianist around here that is a much better player than I am, but he chooses esoteric, cerebral stuff that's good, but boring.

I try to choose tunes that people will recognize. Somewhere, I got the list below of the top 100 favorite songs, and have chosen jazz tunes from that.

As for keys, I am most comfortable in C, Bb, and Eb, and I like Ab.

Top 100 Favorite Songs
Title Top Request?
O Sole Mio (It's Now or Never)
Alexander's Ragtime Band yes
Always yes
Amazing Grace yes
As Time Goes By yes
Autumn Leaves yes
Bye Bye Blackbird yes
Danny Boy yes
Dark Town Strutters' Ball yes
Deep Purple yes
Edelweiss yes
Five Foot Two yes
Georgia On My Mind yes
Goodnight Irene yes
Hawaiian Wedding Song yes
Hello Dolly yes
It Had To Be You yes
Lara's Theme yes
Let Me Call You Sweetheart yes
Me and My Shadow yes
Memories (from "Cats") yes
My Blue Heaven yes
My Melancholy Baby yes
New York, New York yes
Over The Rainbow yes
Peg O' My Heart yes
Que Sera Sera yes
Red River Valley yes
Sentimental Journey yes
Spanish Eyes yes
St. Louis Woman yes
Stardust yes
Summertime yes
Sweet Georgia Brown yes
The Tennessee Waltz yes
When the Saints Go Marchin' In yes
You Are My Sunshine yes
Ain't Misbehavin'
Ain't She Sweet
All Of Me
Am I Blue
An Irish Lullaby (Toora-loora-loora)
Anniversary Waltz
Blue Skies
Blueberry Hill
Cabaret
Cheek to Cheek
Crazy
Did You Ever See A Dream Walking
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
Don't Fence Me In
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Dream A Little Dream For Me
East Side West Side
Embraceable You
Fascination
For Me and My Gal
For The Good Times
Goody Goody
Heart Of My Heart
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
I Could Have Danced All Night
I Don't Know Why
I Got Rhythm
I'll Be Seeing You
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself A Letter
I've Got a Crush On You
It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
It's Only a Paper Moon
Ma, He's Makin Eyes At Me
Margie
Moon River
Music, Music, Music
Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
Oklahoma
On the Street Where You Live
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Ramona
Shine on Harvest Moon
Show Me The Way To Go Home
Side By Side
Skaters' Waltz
Sunrise Sunset
Swanee
Sweet Sue
Unforgettable
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
When The Red, Red, Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin Along
When You're Smiling
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
You'll Never Know
Your Cheatin' Heart

I have to work up "Last Date" and "Cast Your Fate to the Winds."

Good list Al, I like it.

I know Robin (Piano Girl) recommends memorizing everything, but my brain
can't hold that much informatin at once. Every time I add something to it, something else gets pushed out :-)

Kathy and I took a short cruise last week, I noticed both piano players had looseleaf books of music. They didn't always need the book, but the young lady playing the easy listening music seemed to use hers quite a bit.

I was happy to find a piano on the 13th deck that they allow guests to play, a nice little Yamaha grand. And it was actully in tune!
It kept me from going into complete withdrawal, and I even got some compliments from a few passengers in the lounge.

I'd like to do more playing out (and get Kathy to sing), but I need to expand my play list. I'm making a copy of yours now Al :-)

That's a great list, lots of oldies, though it doesn't seem to include Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I'm always asked to play that one, so I have it down pat and memorized.

I think Over the Rainbow (in Al's list) is the same as Somewhere Over the Rainbow Elssa, or am I mistaken (wouldn't be the first time).

Of course Al just chose 100 he felt were good to have under your fingers.
There's no end to the pieces you could add.

A few that come to mind when I play (depending on the crowd)

Satin Doll
When Sunny Gets Blue
Girl From Ipanema
On Old Cape Cod
Moonlight in Vermont

You'll find this video useful:



Here's me playing it at Tuesday's gig:

http://www.box.com/s/5c41e72906bf3b26a47a

The most requested tune I get is Linus and Lucy. Here's our sloppy version from last week's trio gig.

http://www.box.com/s/d2f0408d04a3c40fe80e


It's funny because the "Last tune" that the requester refers to was Bluesette, which is nothing like Linus and Lucy. Also, I apparently forgot I was playing with the trio, and I was playing the bassline in the middle part even though I had the bass player. What we do is just play an Eb blues in that section.