| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Lounging around | |
| Brotherdavies -- 08/03/2005, 05:30:10 -- #17221 | |
| Hi It may sound strange, but I want to sound more like a lounge pianist - a JAZZ lounge pianist(a fabulous Baker boy!!) I would like to listen to some solo jazz piano that would not sound out of place in a restaraunt/lounge. Early Bill Evans perhaps but who else? ANY SUGGESTIONS ? I have listened to some clips of Cocktail pianists on the internet and they all have classical backgrounds. They play Gershwin and similar but it all sounds so staid!! My playing, thanks to this site, has some swing and soul to it and sounds more enjoyable to my ears!! I am on the verge of getting out there and playing. Now where can I can me a can of that spray-on hair? (; Bro' | |
| groyann -- 08/03/2005, 07:16:29 -- #17222 | |
| Hi, it doesn't sound strange at all, I have the same goal. I'm currently getting ideas from Oscar Peterson's solo recordings. And I heard about a solo pianist named Walter Norris, I'm currently looking for recordings... Suggestions are welcome. | |
| Brotherdavies -- 08/03/2005, 09:09:40 -- #17227 | |
| Actually, I have just remembered that Dave McKenna's solo style seems suitable because he, from what I have heard, does not stray too far from the melody. I have his Hoagy Carmichael set and his versions of Stardust and Nearness of You would be appreciated by anyone who enjoys those songs. I am sure there are many people who aspire to have a 'lounge sound', Bill Evans was not one of them apparently! Bro' | |
| sdm -- 08/03/2005, 11:29:13 -- #17231 | |
| All of the Maybeck sets of solo piano work are wonderful. These might require more listening that your typical lounge but there are great ideas for sure. | |
| Mike -- 08/04/2005, 01:34:09 -- #17258 | |
| To me Dave Mckenna does not have lounge sound at all, But a lot of people think he did. To me he is the swingingist hardest hitting most improvisational two handed piano player who has ever lived. So aparently there is a pretty thin line between that and lounge pianist. Dave himself refers to himself rather stubornly as a Saloon player. To me after making a living playing lounges for most of 15 years some of the things that give you that sound is not neccesarily how you play but the way you approach the gig. We sit down at the piano and without addressing the audience we begin to play, when we finish a tune we never stop we always just segue right into another one playing from memory never stoping to open a book or turn pages to music. After an hour or so, We stand up and if people clap we say thank you. If they do not it makes no difference, we go walk around and stretch for 15 minutes or so, then we come back to the piano sit down and play non stop for another hour or so. This is how Dave Mckenna does it and how many other great lounge players before and after him have done it. It is a format that can make the greatest pianist alive seem to sound like a "lounge pianist" regardless of how he plays. To me it is also noble. It is to say "Look no big deal... I sit and I play... If you like great.. if not... oh well Im gonna take a break and then try again. Either way Im just the piano player and if you think Im great... thanks but Im just the piano player" | |
| groyann -- 08/04/2005, 03:58:18 -- #17259 | |
| So, Mike, if I understand, you think that the lounge sound we want to acquire is more a way of playing piano than a "sound". Maybe you're right, I noticed that I'm closer to this sound when I sit on my piano and play just for me, just for pleasure than when I try to show to friends or when I play for an audience. | |
| groyann -- 08/04/2005, 04:06:42 -- #17260 | |
| By "way of playing", I wanna say a state of mind, an attitude. | |
| Brotherdavies -- 08/04/2005, 07:36:08 -- #17264 | |
| I am thinking Mikes advice could be the most useful piece of advice that we will receive on this subject. If I take that attitude, I may relax, rather than endlessly worrying about a lounge sound. From my limited listening to Dave McKenna it seems that when he plays a song, the piano sings the melody. Making his music enjoyable for fans of the song, regardless of whether they like Jazz or not. When I do get round to playing in public I will play Stardust like Dave and applause should follow! Bro' | |
| Adam1226 -- 08/04/2005, 07:40:24 -- #17265 | |
| Walter Norris has a Maybeck Hall recording. It's great, but I wouldn't call it cocktail piano by any stretch. If you want to listen to so very pleasant, and reproducible "lounge" piano. Look up Jim Haskins. -Adam | |
| jaledin -- 08/04/2005, 09:36:09 -- #17268 | |
| There's also another aspect of playing this style which isn't quite as swing/bop oriented, but still seems to belong to everyone's bag of tricks. That's playing blues / New Orleans / barrelhouse type tunes -- which were really styles worked out in order to get the most of a solo piano. These can be incredibly rewarding places to work on RH voicings and fills while keeping the LH playing full-sounding, relaxed accompaniments, like walking tenths or figures drawn from common vamps. Everyone *can* play the blues, but not that many people are very good at it on piano, so you'll have plenty to practice while still sounding decent and keeping it going (ideally). | |
| groyann -- 08/04/2005, 11:00:19 -- #17271 | |
| You mean written blues parts ? | |
| Brotherdavies -- 08/04/2005, 14:27:23 -- #17281 | |
| Adam Thank you for suggesting Jim Haskins!! Anyone who is interested in cocktail piano and Jim Haskins go to: http://www.cocktailpiano.com I am so happy! Bro' | |
| Mike -- 08/06/2005, 14:09:48 -- #17364 | |
| Well one piece of advice about applause relating to lounge playing. Personally I think Dave Mckenna is one of the Top solo Pianist alive of any genre. Up until very recently when he took ill he could still be found in Boston playing Lounge gigs. I have heard him and been there at a countless number of these gigs. A countless number of times He would finish a tune or set and there would be no applause at all. In defence of the Audience often the audience would be made up of weary world travelers having a nightcap in the five star Boston hotel before crashing after traveling since six am. They have no idea who Dave Mckenna is Nairobi, Iran, and in most parts of the Congo, and know little of Solo Jazz Piano for that matter and probally had no clue they should clap for the living legend before their eyes even if they had any energy left to do so. The most helpful lesson for me and my carreer was ... do not ever expect applause for often the greatest pianists who have ever lived do not even get it. When you dont get applause you start the next tune and you play. In fact it is why we lounge piano players rarely stop at the end of a tune. | |
| pphilip -- 08/06/2005, 19:25:05 -- #17367 | |
| Solo lounge gigs are not like playing trio or band gigs. Don't expect to be the star all of the time. If you are playing for business people try to keep the volumn just under the roar of the conversation. By doing this, the occasional person who is really listening to you will come up and say something nice and you won't run off the rest of the paying customers. And if you're good enough the fans will find you. | |
| SolArt -- 08/07/2005, 14:52:00 -- #17387 | |
| jaledin, I just luv dem blues and gospel man, make me feel black. Actually I knows how to do dat dialect VEWY well! 'Memba, slip off dem black keys...Amen. Anyway seriously, no kidding. | |
| charlp88 -- 08/08/2005, 19:12:39 -- #17411 | |
| seems to me the prototypical Cocktail pianist was Bobby Short who recently passed away.He didnt improvise per se. many show tunes and of course he sang ,which might be a good idea. Have you thought of singing ? charlie | |
| Dr. Whack -- 08/08/2005, 19:31:03 -- #17414 | |
| Yeah, I got a better response with my crappy singing then I ever did with my best piano playing. People love to hear singing. But if you want to remain in the background, stick to solo piano - you don't bother them and they don't bother you:) | |
| Brotherdavies -- 08/09/2005, 03:49:47 -- #17423 | |
| I have thought of singing and I plan to take a lesson or two. (Singing and playing that is). That raises another question - which of the standards are relatively easy to sing? Love Walked In? How Deep is the Ocean? These seem OK. Any others ? Thanks Bro' | |
| 7 -- 08/09/2005, 11:55:17 -- #17430 | |
| "One Note Samba" is easy to sing (if that one note is in your key). | |
| Dr. Whack -- 08/09/2005, 13:43:27 -- #17437 | |
| Well, watch out for the B section of "One Note Samba" - quite a few more than one note:) Try songs you like. After you feel comfortable singing those, try songs other people like:) You'll get to know your voice better that way. Make sure you have enough air. Avoid singing from your neck or your throat. Think of your spine and the back of your head as being a resonator. | |
| SolArt -- 08/10/2005, 14:32:39 -- #17484 | |
| "Think of your spine and the back of your head as being a resonator." I like it. It's our soundboard! | |
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