MaryAnne ~ very nice work on your first contribution to the February Piano Bar.

Augustina ~ that was a very pretty piece of music - this one is much more refined than the first one you submitted - very excellent!

Supertorpe ~ Welcome to the Piano Bar! Very fine renditions of Bach and Telemann. I think it's the first time I've heard a Telemann. Yann Tiersen was quite pretty. You play in a very relaxed manner - very nice.

CK ~ I liked the Neil Finn piece - your voice was perfect!

Elssa ~ Way to go on Duke Ellington - I like the the drums that help you keep tempo.

Lady Chen ~ Petites litanies was quite pretty. You should submit that piece to the upcoming e-cital and share it with the world. So nicely played - thank you and welcome to the February Piano Bar.
Glen

Here are a couple of standards and a free-play to add to the mix (still working on "time"):

The Midnight Sun Will Never Set - Quincy Jones
http://www.box.com/s/8a2ufvkm2cy3199z4283

Stormy Weather - Harold Arlen (Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne versions are my favorites)
http://www.box.com/s/jl3xv3uezmboingdspml

UnsquareBlues
http://www.box.com/s/vgbi26ucuyspyg39l7ge
Glen

Impressive, Glen. My playing is just thumping the keyboard in comparison.

PS Stormy Weather link doesn't work

Thank you, CK. I fixed the link.

After the week I've had, I am glad to be able to play a little bit.

Glen

Very nice Glen, thanks for sharing!

Glen, absolutely beautiful rendition of "Stormy Weather".

One of my piano goals for 2012 was to participate in the Piano Bar at least 5 times.

I just switched my recital piece and decided that the "reject" could be my first submission here.
It is a poetic little piece, called Romanza, by Daniel Steibelt.It is from Joy of First Classics Book 2

Romanza

Thank you, Joe and Steve for the kind, encouraging comments - very much appreciated!

Well, well - Romanza! Absolutely beautiful. You play it with such sensitivity. Welcome to the Piano Bar. Bravo, Cheryl!! Look forward to hearing much more from Italy.

Glen

Well, I should be more hesitant considering some of the players here, but after working on this all day today I thought well, why not? So I recorded it, with a few warts. I've always wanted to be able to play it and now I almost can!

Inlanding - your three piano recordings were a perfect way to start my Sunday morning. Terrific articulation - I like the playful/jazzy treatment of the bridge and last verse of Stormy Weather.

Dittos Trap. Really nice playing.

Studio Joe, you were a church pianist? I am very envious. My Dad used to always tell me that if I really wanted to learn to read music well I should just pick up a hymnal and get to work. I should have listened to him...

Yep. I was drafted when I was about 13 at a small country Baptist church and was still playing in church 25 years later.

Still working on improving this... it has some glitches and needs overall structure... but I wanted to put something up for the bar if I could. Only get to work on "jazzy stuff" in the evening, after all "real" practice is finished. This is Dan Coates arrangement from his "Top 50" book.

Shadow of Your Smile

Very nice, JimF! I enjoyed listening! Smooth and pleasant.

All the presentations on the ABF piano bar have been great this month!

Rick

I have never heard either of these before (I'm getting quite the music education!) They are very soft and reflective.

Very pretty song. I'm not familar with this one also. I'd like to hear your polished version!

I have to say I like your Minuet better than mine! LOL The Sonatina has a neat little bounce to it. I can see why the Wild Horseman is tricky! That is rather quick. I hope you find that your making progress? I liked them.

I like this. I've listened to it twice now. I think it's one of those grow on you songs. Nicely done.

I like how you played this, a bit yours and a bit orginal. Very nice.

JimF - That was lovely. Dan Coates has some great arrangements from what I hear on the ABF, but in addition yo played it very well - very sensitive, a little wistful.

Cathy

I liked this. I can almost see ladies in big poofy dresses and men in powered-wigs dancing!

This is one of those curl up on your couch while it rains and listen to while reading type of songs. I found it very relaxing. Thanks for posting this.

Welcome to the Piano Bar! Very nice first postings. If you hadn't of said there were mistakes I would have never known! Well done.

What is the name of this supertorpe? I really enjoyed it. Think I might like to add to my "someday learn it" list.

Thanks for all the compliments on my 3 pieces folks. They made my day!!

BeccaBb - yes they are coming along pretty well. My homework this week was to slow down the Wild Horseman and work on LH only! (cause I was messing it all up in my lesson!) So that's what I've been doing. She says if it was really solid I should be able to play it slow or fast. I slowed it down and it gave me some confidence back and uncovered some weak spots. But its hard not to speed it up! The melody switches to the LH and it has to be as solid as your right. She's right of course! It's hard realizing you don't know what you don't know!! Haha!

What good atmosphere permeates this bar I thank you all for the warm welcome.

I have a good time listening contributions from the last pages. Just to comment a few:

Billm - some day I would like to be able to make arrangements with the ease and style that you demonstrate in this interpretation of Candle in the Wind.

Elsa - Impeccable, though ... I've been hypnotized with the... ping-pong light metronome: D

Glen and JimF - I have benn listening "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Stormy Weather" and "Shadow of Your Smile" and suddenly, I have placed in a restaurant, dimly lit, listening to that beautiful music. "UnsquareBlues": what technique and sense of rhythm. Impressive.

Becca - The title is "Le Matin" by Yann Tiersen, from his album "Les Retrouvailles".

I'm getting addicted to the bar:

The Entertainer (Scott Joplin), simplified version

*turns a funny shade of green from envy* That was exellent! I'm hoping to learn that one within the next year!

The PB is rather addictive isn't it?

BillM - Wow! thanks so much for the encouragement and I am so glad listening to those tunes helped to start your day

CK - The Long and Winding Road was excellent. It is interesting to note this was the Beatles last single and their 20th #1 US hit. You do a great job of keeping time while you sing. Incredible how you, Bill, and Rick do that with such ease. Thanks for bringing this to the fore - brings back some very fond memories.

JimF ~ Shadow was really good. Lots of dynamic nuance. The hesitations fit the melody/lyrics very nicely. It sounds like you are listening to the music as you play it - very excellent work!

Supertorpe ~ Fabulous work on The Entertainer! You played with such precision. One of my favorite Scott Joplin pieces. Keep it up!

Lot of good music!!

One more before going to bed ...

The Top Of the Morning (Mike Oldfield):

I learned it almost a year ago. First, a bit tricky the syncopations, but not too dificult. The most dificult part was from 1:17 to 1:34, stretching the right hand. Much work there to avoid tension.