12 Piano Recordings You Should Listen to and Why Whether you are just beginning to play the piano or have been at it for a while, it’s important to listen to piano recordings of professional pianists in a variety of … Continue reading →
A piano is an instrument, a piece of equipment that makes sounds when you press the keys. Anyone can take piano lessons, and with some practice and a patient piano tutor, can manage to make the piano play a tune. But there’s more to playing a piano that being able to bang on the keys in the right sequence as dictated by the piece of music.
Continue reading →Vince Guaraldi’s music will forever stand as the sound of Charlie Brown. While other composers wrote quality music for Charlie Brown TV specials after his death, he is the true original. His jazz riffs that are part of the Peanuts musical oeuvre are instantly recognizable. His musical talent was a gift to the American public.
Continue reading →The charming crooner known best by the name Harry Connick, Jr. was born Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. on September 11, 1967 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father was the district attorney of New Orleans. His mother was also a lawyer, judge and former Louisiana Supreme Court justice. In addition to their legal background, Harry Connick, Jr.’s parents also owned a record shop.
Continue reading →William Martin Joel, better known as pianist and pop tunesmith Billy Joel, was born on May 9, 1949 in the Bronx. From ballads like “Just The Way You Are” to rocking tunes like “Uptown Girl,” Joel’s music made him a household name.
Continue reading →Ragtime is a style that developed from the roughest of neighborhoods and was originally performed in brothels. A precursor to jazz, it is enjoying a resurgence in popularity today. There are quite a few famous ragtime pianists, though many of the originators of the genre died before audio recording was widely available.
Continue reading →Is there a way to definitively say someone is the “greatest pianist ever,” especially when the person in question lived long before recorded music? One of the contenders for the title is a gentleman by the name of Franz Liszt. His peers were awed at his skill and proclaimed his playing to be the pinnacle of instrumental prowess. European audiences bowed before him; women fawned over him; and fellow musicians aspired to be like him. Liszt was a master of the piano.
Continue reading →Better known as just Liberace, Wladziu Valentino Liberace was born on the 16th of May, 1919. Born of Polish-Irish parents, he was born with a caul – a membrane covering him when he was born. In some cultures, including the cultural background that Liberace came from, being born with a caul was a sign that the new born was going to be genius in life. True or not, he was a great entertainer otherwise he would have not earned the names – Mr. Showmanship and The Glitter Man.
Continue reading →The first cocktail pianists showed the music world that experimenting with music can yield incredible results. From the charm of Eddy Duchin to the musical poetry of Carmen Cavallero to the flamboyant brilliance of Liberace, cocktail pianists shook piano music up in a big way.
Continue reading →Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 15, 1921, Erroll Louis Garner was destined to be an amazing jazz pianist and composer. By the age of three, Erroll was playing the piano successfully. Like many successful composers and musicians, he did not choose to follow traditional teaching methods to learn the piano. He was a self-taught musician who never learned to read music. He simply played by ear, not by the page.
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