Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum October Piano Bar

Ladypayne - Really nice! This one deserves a good title. I had a guitar teacher once who made us give everything a good title even if it was only four bars. He said it was a sign of respect for the composition. I think there was some wisdom in that. Your composition deserves a lot of respect.

Amaruk - Wonderful sound and production quality. How did you do that? I'm just starting to fool with some video and doing some elemental stuff with Windows Movie Maker, but you've got a master class going on there.

Mark... Very nice, and leaves us wanting more from the short snippet.

Edwardianpaino, Inlanding, Jeff - Thank you for the comments. Glen, I never feel that I have the mix just right. You are probably right that the sax should be dialed down a notch. Jeff, I don't know if you were kidding, but those are not really vibes. That is an old Yamaha EP on the vibes setting played through a tube guitar amp.

Inlanding - Those were absolutely exquisite voicings on Early October. Really pro sounding. Was there bass on that track (other than the piano)? I didn't hear it.

Jeff - Autumn in NY is one of my favorites. This was a really sweet treatment. I like the switch-up in the rhythm motif on the second part. I have a duet version of this with Tommy Flanagan and guitarist Mark Whitfield that I just love, where Mark does a minute-long solo intro and Tommy just comes up from underneath , out of nowhere, and plays the most beautiful comping on these changes. And then an understated solo that would make you cry. It makes me miss him more than any other song. Very nice job!

Wow, things are moving along quickly here. Glen, I hadn't seen your posting until just now. Very cool sound. I thought it was live drums until I went back and read your write up. Great job.

Bill, love the Thunder Road. This is a great tune and your rendition of it is very a pleasing contrast to that of the the BOSS. Great sound

Bill,
Amazing! This is almost better than the original!! I love how you added so much warmth to this piece. Is this your own arrangement? It is not too long at all. In fact, I think it is too short as it is so good!! Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks Ken!
I record the sound directly to a USB stick on the piano (.wav). In order to hear what I play I use a $5 computer speaker connected to the audio-out on my piano. That also makes it real easy to sync the two camera feeds with the master audio file as my video editor (FCPX) can automatically sync clips by sound. And when everything is synced up I just mute the audio feeds from the two cameras. Done!

kenjazz...you really play well, and like how you add the additional instruments. I must figure out how to do that.

Inlanding- heavy jazz sound that I like so much. You must do a youtube video. I always enjoy your videos too...

Greener wow,,,that was sweet. I;m jealous of you guys who play so well.

Bill...great job on the Bruce Thunder. My piano tech worked on Bruces stage piano, a C3 Yamaha that they painted grey to reduce reflections and full of midi stuff. I take lessons in the store where bruce visits from time to time. When he was young, the owner had to throw him out...lol You must share how you learn pop pieces, (my true love). Is it lead sheets?

Ladypayne - a very enjoyable composition - I like the way it picked up intensity around the 1:45 mark.

Amaruk - a creative video presentation to go along with your excellent performance. I love being able to see the artist behind the music - very well done.

Mark.... Nice job on this short but fun piece. Your video looks and sounds very crisp. I also had to give up on my Flip for audio - the Zoom has a much cleaner sound.

Kenjazz - I enjoyed October's Lament - a very well produced piece.

Greener - what a cool arrangement and performance. I like the understated elegance of the first half of the song and the way you popped into your jazzy gear for the second half. Outstanding!

Inlanding - I'm with Kenjazz - I couldn't hear any bass either but loved this bouncy, hip and jazzy riff. Way too short.

Thanks, Bill and Glenn. I'll work it up ASAP.

Bill - Super job with Thunder Road. I've come to believe that pop tunes (especially the complex ones) are much harder to play than jazz tunes because they just have to be just right. You can't fudge it and pretend that you meant to do it that way. You really nailed all of the self-comp, so that it really was- Thunder Road.

Amaruk - Rats. FCPX is a Mac-only program right? You are on a real multi-media platform, and I'm still a troglodyte on Windows. I also have a blackberry. And an abacus.

Bill and Mark - Thank you for the comments!

Inlanding - It eluded me that Early October is an original. Maybe I was thinking Early Autumn? I don't know. Anyway, the treatment is even more impressive being that it is an original. Well done.

Ladypayne, improv, huh? Lovely. Wish I could improv like that.

Thanks also Amaruk, Ken, Mark and Bill for listening and your kind reviews.

I look forward to when you are ready to take the stage, Mike.



I rarely kid around, Ken . Actually, at first I really thought it was the real thing. The percussion sound was very good. The higher notes though and the solid chords were a dead give away. BTW, haven't lost site of your Vibes track, but Bach is still priority at the moment.

Bill - Absolutely beautiful arrangement. My favourite Springsteen too. Such imagery. I learn from you every time to slow things down. A great showcase of your skill. I wish I could play like that.
Amaruk – very moody piece, well executed.
Mark - good work - what is that recording device on top of the piano?
Kenjazz – I know this is the piano bar – but that was some nice sax work.
In Landing – I had to go back and check that was an improvisation. It seemed a very structured swing as I was listening to it.
Greener – that’s so atmospheric I could almost taste the cocktails

Well, I'm running way behind participating in the ABF piano bar; I've been busy with work and all the other things I have to do.

Here is something a little different... my youngest son, Steven, got married (for the first time )this past weekend. My oldest son, Mark, is a fantastic musician and has his own blues band. Mark and his band played at the wedding reception and invited both Steven (who also plays the bass at his church) and myself to play a few tunes with them on my digital piano.

Mark Henson Band with dad and brother

Hope ya'll enjoy it as much as we did!

Rick

That is the Zoom H2

Rickster, that has to be one of the funnest things you've ever posted I loved it!

Cathy

What a joy to be able to share this love of music with your family! When I start playing, the family runs for the hills. I have a work colleague whose entire family are fiddle players. They travel the country together playing. I'm so jealous. Enjoy it, it is a special gift! And it sounds great too....