I mentioned Dick Hyman in another thread and YouTubed him and came across a performance I hadn't heard before.

He really is a piano player's piano player and he is incapable of making a mistake it would seem. Enjoy!

Yes, you bet, Dave ~~ he can play anything and everything and he does it very, very well. He is a student of jazz stylings and can play near perfect stylings of the best of the best in blues, ragtime, jazz. He is quite an accomplished classical player, too. He is a true gentleman in every sense of the word. Every time I listen to Dick Hyman, then pick my jaw up from the floor, I head over to the piano to practice.

Glen

Nice one Dave. Enjoyed listening to that.. twice.

Gotta bump up Dave Horne's sadly ignored topic.

Dick Hyman is incredible. I have two of his CDs- a Fats Waller compilation (Fats Waller is my favourite jazz pianist), and a general recital of standards, both on Reference Recordings. The playing is amazing.

I was searching YT for a good example, but then landed on this:



Wow, this young gentleman is quite a bundle of talent. If this is the type of music he wishes to play, I wonder what any teacher could teach him?

So we come back to one of the most tired and flagellated issues on this board: talent vs hard work.

I just wonder: did this guy spend hours and hours working this out? I don't think so, it just came naturally, now THAT is talent.

In classical music there is obviously a need for more 'refinement', but here you have the same demonstration of raw talent as a Rachmaninov, Horowitz or Argerich. Of course those pianists worked hard, but without that incredible gift (i.e. talent), they would have never made it to Parnassus.

Talent or hard work? Both I'd say.

What sets Dick Hyman apart from many who can also play the same music, Dick can improvise fluidly in this style and many others.

While this may not be politically correct to say (when IQ is discussed), but I'd say that Dick has a very high musical IQ - it's not just a matter of technique (that's easily enough acquired) and being able to read well (also a easily acquired talent), he also is a master chameleon and can improvise in many styles. He also composes and orchestrates.

I said earlier that he's a piano player's piano player, he's more like a total musician's total musician. There's only a handful of guys who can do it all.