Dig the Piano Player

[Mark Stryker]

(via a comment on Doug Ramsey's Blog: http://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/2011/01/a_rare_bernies_tune.html)

[Chuck Nessa]

Thanks for the link. Unusual group.

[Larry Kart]

Thanks. Good stuff and lots of fun, too. Art Blake-y.

[Larry Kart]

Sorry -- I was reacting to "Bernie's Tune." Will listen to the other now.

[Larry Kart]

Mmm -- yes.

[Mark Stryker]

Watching Bags play piano brings to mind a number of musicians who are either surprisingly proficient on another instrument or perhaps just dabblers but in particularly revealing ways.

Last spring after hearing Sonny Rollins play a concert here in Detroit, I was waiting outside his dressing room to a get a few words with him before he was scheduled to go to a particular spot to greet fans and sign CDs, etc. Sonny has a long post-performance wind-down; he actually continues to practice for a bit and then he just cools out and the whole thing can take 45 minutes or so. I'm standing outside the door and suddenly I hear a pianist start to work through the standard "Where Are You?" The playing was very Monk-like: spare and percussive, two or three note voicings, half-steps in the right hand, descending whole tone runs between phrases. He was studying the melody and changes with a sort of "composer's piano" vibe, but there were stretches that were in time as a ballad. It took me a minute to realize that it was actually Sonny. Then he started working on another tune whose name I've unfortunately forgotten. When he finally came out, the first thing I said to him was: "Is Monk in there?" He smiled and responded: "Well, his spirit is."

A lot of guys play drums. Dave Liebman can really burn a la Elvin Jones (naturally). In lessons and workshops, he always plays drums to accompany a student in a duet to hear what the student can do. I knew that he played drums seriously, but I also just learned that he has some real facility on piano. I went to watch him give a master class in Ann Arbor last year and when I walked in early, he was at the piano soloing on "Giant Steps" at a bright clip -- in time and really creating, not just playing simple patterns.

Chick Corea plays drums, though I've never seen it live, and my understanding is that the Michael Brecker played drums and I think Lovano does too.

Pianist and Organissmo board member Michael Weiss plays saxophone. I don't know if he's told the story elsewhere on the board, but, if I remember the details correctly, he was working with Johnny Griffin, maybe at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, and returned after a break to find Griffin at the piano playing his own Monk-tribute "A Monk's Dream." The bassist and pianist had joined in (I think), so Michael picked up Griff's tenor and joined them, soloing and playing the melody.

Anybody else heard somebody play another instrument with surprising proficiency other than their regular horn?

Edited January 8, 2011 by Mark Stryker

[mikeweil]

Eddie Harris played some mean piano.

[Joe]

Philly Joe Jones places some nice piano on his SHOWCASE LP.