Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner - Non Classical Is there any ballad better than "Skylark"?

I have been re-memorizing "Skylark" and I am struck by how superb it is. Do you play a ballad that you think is the greatest?

Its a difficult song for the vocalist, same goes for "Have you met Miss Jones"

Lush Life

Yes we have no bananas as a ballad

Body And Soul is the most recorded ballad from the American songbook...

I love ballads and probably could not pick a favorite but I've always heard that the songs that pull on the heart-strings are the most memorable.

rada

I love ballads as well. Unfortunately I can't play them with any sort of improv or style... just reading sheet music. My vote for one of my top favorites is "Stardust"

I could never pick a favorite ballad, but one I've just recently learned of that is terrific is Two for the Road by Henry Mancini.

Stardust, Skylark, and Georgia, are all by Hoagy Carmichael.

Skylark is a great ballad: my favorite recorded version is Mulgrew Miller on "Live at Kennedy Center"
Lush Life is a great ballad. My favorite recording is Natalie Cole's (from "Unforgettable")
Lazy Afternoon is another great tune with the same melancholy vibe. My two favorite versions are Hank Jones' (piano) from his album of the same name, and Barbara Streisand's version from her famous live album from about 10 years ago.
Misty. Of course. Still and always.
Stranger in Paradise. Originally a tune by a Russian classical composer, my favorite jazz recordings are: (a) JVC World Class Music sampler CD (I can't remember the group) and (b) Seamus Blake from "Live at Smalls"

Cassiesmom: want to learn to improvise? It's really pretty easy if you have the right instruction. Get yourself any of the following books:

* Play Piano by Ear. Simon Schott
* Exploring Jazz Piano. Tim Richards
* Understanding and Implementing Harmony on the Piano. (yours truly)

One more I should have included in the above list:

The song Voce e Linda, written by Caetano Veloso and performed by Simone on her album "Vicio." Beautifully done as a duet between Simone and Nascimiento, beautifully arranged by Jeremy Lubbock (of Michael Jackson fame) and well worth the purchase whether you understand Portuguese or not.

One more and then I will force myself to quit:

The Look of Love as recorded by Dusty Springfield

Most well known ?

"Over The Rainbow", "Georgia", "Blue Moon", "Body And Soul", "Misty" , "My Funny Valentine", "As Time Goes By"

While he may not be a piano balladeer, I always liked Harry Chapin. I particularly like "Taxi", "Cats in the Cradle", "WOLD", and of course "30,000 Pounds of Bananas".

Then there is also Greg Lake, who does a real nice job on "Pirates" with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer.

JMO, for whatever it is worth.

Also, I cannot play any of these, but would like to be able to. someday.

Michael, I just listened to the Hank Jones version of Lazy Afternoon.

Thats fantastic!!! For anyone else who would like to listen, here is the YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hseq4c8raM8

Skylark is max smooth. How about Stella by Starlight?

On Skylark: Just had the privilege of hearing The Tierney Sutton Band. She introduced Skylark by saying a poet friend said Mercer's words were very like like certain eastern religious imagery in which a bird is a metaphor of the diety. The song, therefore, is not about a person, but about searching for a diety. Her version was, therefore, very contemplative.

The piano player in her band, Christian Jacob, is very much work getting to know.

The ballad I find most fun to play, and maybe the most harmonically complex standard ever written, is "All The Things You Are". Kern wrote it to be done in a lilting, flowing two-beat (which is what passed for show ballad in the 1930's). It's been done at many tempos but IMO most effectively as a ballad -- check out Sinatra on YouTube.

Cool.

The rest of that album is highly recommended, as well.