At the Belfry's Kawai - Photo: Gene Bourque
Media - Solo Piano
Welcome to the solo piano page, where you'll find samples of my solo piano playing, mostly in live settings. Some of the most intimate and touching performances are solo performances, whether they're just piano, or dual-keyboard piano and bass interpretations.
Once upon a time, we pianists just had to show up. The piano was always there, and was usually kept in reasonable tune. I could come in, sit down, and start playing.
Today, more like drummers, we often need to bring our own piano and appropriate amplification equipment. So in today's world, piano players provide what I call "pre-game" and "post-game shows" (setup and teardown), in addition to the real show! Not many people think about it, but it usually adds another 60-90 minutes to the time spent on any performance. I'm not complaining. The 'BYO' approach lets me predict and control how I'll sound. As welcome as it is to find a well-maintained piano to play, they're few and far between, so I usually bring my instruments, just in case.
Like a carpenter, I need the right tool for the job. My choices are driven by the audience, the event and the venue. Sometimes I'll just use my full keyboard, and other times I'll add a second keyboard to fill in some bass lines, or provide some additional color to the sound. The better the tools, the better the sound, and when it comes to portables, my pianos are second to none.
I've included a number of solo piano recordings for your enjoyment. Most were recorded in live settings. See the notes on each section for more details.
Enjoy!
Welcome to the solo piano page, where you'll find samples of my solo piano playing, mostly in live settings. Some of the most intimate and touching performances are solo performances, whether they're just piano, or dual-keyboard piano and bass interpretations.
Once upon a time, we pianists just had to show up. The piano was always there, and was usually kept in reasonable tune. I could come in, sit down, and start playing.
Today, more like drummers, we often need to bring our own piano and appropriate amplification equipment. So in today's world, piano players provide what I call "pre-game" and "post-game shows" (setup and teardown), in addition to the real show! Not many people think about it, but it usually adds another 60-90 minutes to the time spent on any performance. I'm not complaining. The 'BYO' approach lets me predict and control how I'll sound. As welcome as it is to find a well-maintained piano to play, they're few and far between, so I usually bring my instruments, just in case.
Like a carpenter, I need the right tool for the job. My choices are driven by the audience, the event and the venue. Sometimes I'll just use my full keyboard, and other times I'll add a second keyboard to fill in some bass lines, or provide some additional color to the sound. The better the tools, the better the sound, and when it comes to portables, my pianos are second to none.
I've included a number of solo piano recordings for your enjoyment. Most were recorded in live settings. See the notes on each section for more details.
Enjoy!
At Alberto's - Photo: Robert Surette
Solo Piano - Live Performances
As you might imagine, live perfomance settings are often subdued, with a room full of people who primarily have come for a nice meal and a chat with friends and family. To fit into this environment without driving guests out the door, I use a reserved approach, with on-the-fly selections designed to fit the mood, the age group of the patrons, and the desires of the venue owner.
For example, here's a list of what I played at a Sunday Jazz Brunch not too long ago.
Agua de Berber / Where Does It Start / Speak Low / It Might Be You / All Blues / Sentimental Journey /
Another You / In My Life / Broadway Bossa Nova / Moon River / Danny Boy (St. Patrick's Day Week) /
Moanin' / Tell Me A Bedtime Story / On The Street Where You Live / Tangerine / The Way We Were /
Pennies From Heaven / Night And Day / She's Always A Woman To Me /
Don't Get Around Much Any More / Angel Eyes / Autumn In New York / Autumn Leaves /
It's A Wonderful World / Nancy With The Laughing Face / Have I Told You Lately / Blue Moon /
The Circle Game / Come Saturday Morning / Gentle Rain / Georgia / Theme For The Eulipions /
Solo Piano - Live Performance Samples
Most of the following songs were played on the Belfry's wonderful Kawai grand, except (where noted), when they're played on my Kurzweil Forte.
Standards
Whether you think of them as the "Great American Songbook" or use the term "Standards", they're ever-popular, and constantly requested. These clips run about 3 minutes each to give you a sense of my live performance / restaurant interpretations.
As you might imagine, live perfomance settings are often subdued, with a room full of people who primarily have come for a nice meal and a chat with friends and family. To fit into this environment without driving guests out the door, I use a reserved approach, with on-the-fly selections designed to fit the mood, the age group of the patrons, and the desires of the venue owner.
For example, here's a list of what I played at a Sunday Jazz Brunch not too long ago.
Agua de Berber / Where Does It Start / Speak Low / It Might Be You / All Blues / Sentimental Journey /
Another You / In My Life / Broadway Bossa Nova / Moon River / Danny Boy (St. Patrick's Day Week) /
Moanin' / Tell Me A Bedtime Story / On The Street Where You Live / Tangerine / The Way We Were /
Pennies From Heaven / Night And Day / She's Always A Woman To Me /
Don't Get Around Much Any More / Angel Eyes / Autumn In New York / Autumn Leaves /
It's A Wonderful World / Nancy With The Laughing Face / Have I Told You Lately / Blue Moon /
The Circle Game / Come Saturday Morning / Gentle Rain / Georgia / Theme For The Eulipions /
Solo Piano - Live Performance Samples
Most of the following songs were played on the Belfry's wonderful Kawai grand, except (where noted), when they're played on my Kurzweil Forte.
Standards
Whether you think of them as the "Great American Songbook" or use the term "Standards", they're ever-popular, and constantly requested. These clips run about 3 minutes each to give you a sense of my live performance / restaurant interpretations.
My wonderful Kurzweil Forte
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The Belfry's wonderful Kawai piano
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Other Requests
There are many requests that are popular and perhaps even on their way to becoming "standards". Here are a few that you might enjoy.
Snow Moods - 2015
During one of our recent blizzards, I set up my new piano in front of the picture window, and took the afternoon to explore its capabilities, with the recorder on. While these are not intended to be examples of standard repertoire, I thought you might enjoy a few clips.
During one of our recent blizzards, I set up my new piano in front of the picture window, and took the afternoon to explore its capabilities, with the recorder on. While these are not intended to be examples of standard repertoire, I thought you might enjoy a few clips.