Heaven -- angels
floating around playing lyres? Not for me. My idea of heaven includes a neighborhood known
as the "Musician's Quarter." Here, musicians across the ages hang out together
trading licks, jamming, telling music jokes, and co-creating. Suppose the great American
jazz composer Duke Ellington sits down with classical music giant Beethoven. The two find
they have a lot in common. Both epitomize their musical time, place, and culture. Both are
powerful pianists widely admired for their improvisational abilities. They decide to
collaborate. Beethoven insists on creating the introduction and a cadenza (the point near
the end of concertos where the featured musician tries to squeeze in as many notes as
possible into a small amount of time). Ellington agrees to handle the main theme allowing
room for improvisation along the way. Together, they hammer out a piece sadly destined
only for celestial ears unless some mortal can be found to perform it for earthlings. I'm
the lucky one they choose. This is the result.
Produced and recorded by Mills James Productions for "The
Piano Guy" on public television. Used with permission.
The best part about this old spiritual is that
the lyrics say, "I ain't gonna study war no more.'' Peace, empathy, compassion,
awareness... they all take practice to master... like music!
Produced and recorded by Mills James Productions for "The
Piano Guy" on public television. Used with permission.
Do you sometimes feel so happily moved that you are sad at the same
time? My mother always said, "You will never know how much your parents loved you
until you have children of your own." She was right of course, and as a parent of two
lovely girls, I find the joy of this attachment so sweet that its temporality is bitter
indeed. This is the sort of emotion that inspired me to write "Bittersweet."
Produced and recorded by Mills James Productions for "The
Piano Guy" on public television. Used with permission.
How Play Christmas Medleys
Produced and recorded by Mills James Productions for "The
Piano Guy" on public television. Used with permission.
How
to play Willie Nelson's "Crazy"
Produced and recorded by Mills James Productions for
"The Piano Guy" on public television. Used with permission.
