Tag Archives: video

Video – Nice Traditional Boogie Woogie Blues Piano – Silvan’s Night Train Trip

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Here is a nice video of the Silvan Zingg band playing “Silvan’s Night Train Trip”. Enzo Muci plays the Bass and Michel Denis plays drums. This is a great example of a classic Boogie Woogie style piece. Silvan Zingg is from Switzerland, and is well known for his this style of playing. He’s even been called the Boogie Woogie Ambassador. Zingg’s family was very musical and encouraged him early on. He started playing piano at a young age, even before starting school. He gave his first professional performance at the age of eighteen, has played all over the globe, and has performed with numerous legendary blues players.

Piano lessons are more fun if students are given a variety of things to learn. Here, at my studio in Portland, in addition to reading music, many of my students love studying Blues Piano. Students are given all the tools necessary to learn this very popular style of music. Anyone who plays piano can learn to play blues on a keyboard or the piano. The basics of a 12 bar blues is a simple left hand chord progression and melodies in the right hand improvised from the blues scale. The more students listen and study the recordings of other players, the faster they will grasp the concept.

Good blues draws the listener in with unique melodies and interesting rhythms. Most students find that they can become quite proficient in playing Blues Piano is a fraction of the time it takes to learn other styles of music. Blues is also a great introduction to Jazz Piano. There are a number of different styles of piano blues, such as Boogie Woogie, Swing, and New Orleans. It’s all great fun and a delight to learn.

Some popular blues pianists:
Booker T. Laury
Meade “Lux” Lewis
Professor Longhair
Willie Love
Jay McShann
Big Maceo Merriweather
Amos Milburn
Little Brother Montgomery
Pinetop Perkins
Henning Pertiet
Buster Pickens

read about Silvan Zingg

 

norah jones playing piano

Video – Norah Jones Playing Piano on Sunrise (Live in Amsterdam)

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Here is a wonderful video of Norah Jones and her band playing “Sunrise” live in Amsterdam in 2007

Norah Jones is one of the best selling artists of today. Possessing an unusually beautiful voice, her fabulous recordings have made her the top Jazz artist of the 2000-2009 decade, as named by Billboard magazine. Norah began her professional career in 2002, and immediately became a very popular artist.

Norah Jones began singing as a child, in church choirs and took piano lessons. In High School, Jones sang in the school choir and played in a band. At the University of North Texas (UNT), Jones majored in jazz piano and sang with the UNT Jazz Singers. She met Jesse Harris whom she began collaborating with. Shorty afterwards, she returned to New York City and started a band with Harris.

Some of the people that have influenced her music are Billie Holiday and Bill Evans. Jones, in addition to being singer, is also a songwriter, guitarist, and actress.

Some of most popular songs include:

“The Nearness of You”

“I Think It’s Going to Rain Today”

“Don’t Miss You at All”

“Seven Years”

“Sinkin’ Soon”

“Humble Me”

 

more on Norah Jones

 

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Video – Great Piano Jazz Solo on Keyboard – Terrific Improvisation Style

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This is a wonderful jazz piano solo played on a keyboard. It’s a complicated and advanced example of what hard work can accomplish. The piano player shows us how the jazz art form combines exemplary playing skill with the ability to create music on the spot.

Here in Portland, at my studio, my piano lessons and keyboard lessons students learn a number of different piano skills. For some, one of those is jazz piano. Playing to play jazz piano can begin with a basic introduction to the genre. We often begin with a round of blues improvisation to get students started with the technique of developing improvisational skills. Developing a students ear to be able to play jazz is very important, and there are a number of ways to accomplish this. Whether students play at home on a piano or a keyboard, the music and teaching method is the same.

Jazz is probably the most American style of music of all. It’s a method of playing any song by developing new voicings for the chords, and variations of the melodies. Jazz can make any kind of music exciting and fresh to listen to.

Video – Keith Jarrett – Somewhere Over the Rainbow Piano Solo Tokyo 1984

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Here is a wonderful piano solo of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow “ by Keith Jarrett. Known for his blisteringly fast and beautifully emotional harmonies, Jarrett is considered by many as the best jazz pianist in the world.

Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett began piano lessons before his third birthday. At the age of five he appeared on a TV talent program, and continued to display prodigious talent as a young child. Jarrett gave his first formal piano recital at age seven, playing Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and two of his own piano compositions.

Jarrett has performed and recorded with numerous famous artists worldwide. His enormously successful career, performing jazz and classical music, spans decades. He is best known for his jazz standards, original jazz solo performances, jazz trio work, and classical renditions. His legendary and stunning virtuoso live piano solos are known for their complexity and originality. Jarrett’s improvisations draw from traditional jazz, blues, gospel, and folk music. His modern and artistic way of engaging the keyboard is unique. There is simply no other pianist that possesses the remarkable skills he has. Keith Jarrett has received countless awards and recognition for his piano playing and compositions, and is an icon of American jazz.

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Video, Chick Corea Akoustic Band Piano Solo “Spain”, Montreal Jazz Festival 2004

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This is a fabulous live piano solo of Chick Corea playing “Spain”, his classic tune, at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2004. Chick Corea’s music has a very distinctive percussive style, and is often accented by unison playing. His legendary playing is also noted for his fresh melodies and ethnic influences.

Chick Corea is an American jazz pianist, and composer. Corea began piano lessons at the age of eight and also began composing early in his career. His influences include bebop artists Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Horace Silver. He has recorded both on acoustic piano, electric piano, and electronic keyboards. Many of his songs are now considered jazz standard and have been performed by numerous musicians. Chick Corea is considered a jazz luminary, along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett. His is one of the most influential jazz composers of the last 40 years. During his career he has been nominated for 51 Grammy Awards and has won 15.

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