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AROIOS

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Posts posted by AROIOS

    Austrian Channeling Keith Jarrett

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Very nice interpretation, thanks for sharing.

     

    I'm glad it touches you, and reminds you of KJ.

     

    For me, I can hear some of the elements that remind you of Jarrett in this version. It is clear this player owes a debt and is influenced by Jarrett's body or work - but then so are we all, any player in the genre who has spent any time marveling at Keith's mind and playing.

     

    And that is where the rub is for me - I listen to this very fine version of this song (which reminds me of Nat King Cole), and cannot help but also be reminded how much more Jarrett is than so many fine players. So many more ideas, and approaches, and when he chose this lyrical route, how much more deeply and amazingly he played such deeply moving and emotive things with such passion and verve, and finally with a voice that remains uniquely his.

     

    I'm not familiar with this present player's work before, and I appreciate what he's done here. And what it brings to mind for me, at least, is in that New York Times interview recently posted, KJ noted, "I feel like I'm the John Coltrane of the piano" - I smiled because, well, Jarrett was never one to sell himself and his contribution short. And someday, with the perspective of time (I think it's too early) we may all look back and agree with that appraisal. And there has never been another Coltrane. At present, I feel the same way about Keith.

     

    I'm glad you enjoyed it, brother timwat.

     

    I couldn't have put it better than you on how Keith is in a league of his own in terms of harmony tastefulness and emotional connectiveness. The magical sounds of Bill Evans and Keith always manage to take my soul to wonderful places.

    Austrian Channeling Keith Jarrett

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Such an under-recognized player with only 300 Youtube views on this exquisite piece, (and 3 morons who gave thumbs-down)

     

    Played at 80% of its original speed, Michael's recording is indistinguishable from Keith's classic live performances and touches me in every way Keith does.

     

    [video:youtube]

    Swedes with Taste

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    And then there's ...

     

    Haha, if we shall go down that rabbit hole, here's one to help me feel better about my own talents (or the lack thereof):

     

    For better or worse, that "Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga" line has "Pop" written all over it, just like the intro of "Walk The Dinosaur", or "Who Let The Dogs Out" and hundreds of similar, musically anemic, but popular songs.

     

    Here's an anecdote: in the 80's, a Taiwanese singer sampled the "Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga" line in a song, and it soon went viral. There were so many kids chanting ""Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga" on campus and streets that the Taiwanese Ministry of Culture freaked out and banned the song from circulation.

    Swedes with Taste

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Re: the second link. It's the first time I've see F-B-d fingered as 1-4-5. I think he's doing that so that finger 3 can flick the Bb grace note. But everyone else I've seen slides 3 from Bb to B.

     

    Still loved it though. Nice choice of synth patch for the solo in the Still Crazy cover - very Arc of a Diver-era Steve Winwood.

     

    Cheers, Mike

     

    Yes, most players would slide down from Bb to B with one finger. I do find his two-finger approach sounding tighter though.

     

    The synth solo patch you mentioned is very Minimoog-ish, Henrik programmed it in Logic's internal ES2 synth.

    Swedes with Taste

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    He's one heck of a singer too. His voice reminds me of Christopher Cross:

     

    Thanks for sharing, as well as the vocal he's totally got the Richard Tee thing down nailed.

     

    Glad you enjoyed it niacin. And yes, there's definitely some tasty Richard Tee in Henrik's playing.

    Swedes with Taste

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I'm a sucker for well-balanced blend of Blues, Soul (Funk, Gospel) and Jazz, and have been looking for "that sound" in another post (https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3066480)

     

    So far I've found one Swedish brother who "gets" exactly what I'm after:

     

    He's one heck of a singer too. His voice reminds me of Christopher Cross:

     

    It's interesting how often I come across "tasteful" Swedish players nowadays. Besides Henrik in the links above, here are a few professional ones I enjoyed:

     

    Joel Lyssarides:

    Jonas Gröning:

    Stefan Jernståhl:

     

    And that oberservation brings up a bigger but directly related topic, one that's been cringing me for over 20 years: What these European (and a lot of Japanese) players are playing is 100% "American" music. Yet, our airwaves here in the states have been filled with garbage and childish drivel.

     

    We already have two generations (GenZ and Millennials) of tone-deaf listeners as a consequence of cutting music education and labels chasing the bottom due to greed. If I have 10 billion dollars of stupid money, I'll acquire and burn all the major record labels to the ground, and recreate a distribution model for the hundreds of thousands of talented American musicians to be heard and appreciated again. For most casual listeners, musical taste is a result of nurture more than nature, and there's definitely good business for good music, as the 70s~90's have proven to us.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    It sounds synthetic because it is. The whole tune came out of a 90's Yamaha entry-level XG sound module. the XG modules (DB50, MU10~MU2000) are Yamaha's answer to Roland's Sound Canvas series that were popular among PC gamers and DTM (DeskTopMusic) enthusiasts in Japan.

     

    I was going to say that it reminded me of the kind of canned demo that would come with the Sound Canvas, and you nailed it.

    Like everyone else, to my ears it's trying to achieve the smooth jazz vibe that you'd hear on FM radio or Muzak in the 90s.

     

    The strange thing is I've listened to a ton of Smooth Jazz from 70's to 90's and have yet to hear something similar to the first tune harmony-wise. On the other hand, modern Black Gospel sometimes offer refreshing harmony patterns that remind me of this song.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Here's another example with a heavier Blues flavor. It reminds me of Bonnie Raitt's "Love Sneakin' Up On You". But I haven't heard many other tunes with similar harmony. Again, any suggestions would be appreciated.

     

     

    With the combination of a heavier sound and the swing, it puts me in mind of Aerosmith's Rag Doll.

     

    Yup, I had the exact same thought. Too bad Aerosmith only did two songs in swing rhythm (the other one being "Love in the Elevator") as far as I remember, I loved both songs and wish they had collaborated with some Jazz players on a hybrid project.

     

    Well, I guess that where Steve Lukather and projects like Los Lobotomys come in.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    There is a slight LA studio feel as well.
    Yup - that's the correct name for whatever this style is!
    I think that's a pretty apt label/description. Perfect production but somewhat synthetic feel. Kind of smooth jazz crossed with Toto and some Steely Dan, but lacking the pop songcraft so it's ultimately sterile, at least for me.

     

    It sounds synthetic because it is. The whole tune came out of a 90's Yamaha entry-level XG sound module. the XG modules (DB50, MU10~MU2000) are Yamaha's answer to Roland's Sound Canvas series that were popular among PC gamers and DTM (DeskTopMusic) enthusiasts in Japan.

     

    When compared to Yamaha and Roland's pro lines like the SY and XP/JV series, the MU and SC romplers are typically a compromise in terms of features and sound. For that reason, the second song is about as good as what we can squiz out of a $200 XG synth.

     

    Rom sample/programming qualities aside, MIDI programming of XG and GS official demo songs are often top notch. One of these demo tune creators, Ujiie Katsunori, has a popular Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/musictrackjp/videos) and regularly demos synths from all kinds of era and manufacturers.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Here's another example with a heavier Blues flavor.

     

    The "big horns over shuffle" feel of this second tune reminds me of

    , a track on a guitar shred-fest by an early 90s Mark Varney. Taken together the tracks make me nostalgic for genre-blending instrumental music from 80s and 90s. There is a slight LA studio feel as well.

     

    Yup, it's got that "LA Studio", "Westcoast Session" vibe.

     

    There's a bit of Jam & Lewis and Tower of Power in there too, if I try split the hair a little.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    slightly fun semi-pro rubbish
    As opposed to the extremely fun amateur rubbish that I put out.

     

    The OP's track (disregarding the spacey opening bars) reminded me more than anything of Donald Fagen's cover of Ruby Baby, accelerated slightly - cueing from the midtempo shuffle and the occasional hits on 4&.

     

    Cheers, Mike.

     

    Yes, I'm a sucker for shuffle so rhythm certainly contributed to my fondness of that piece. But it's mostly the harmony that sounded refreshing to me.

     

    While I do dig Donald Fagen's Ruby Baby and lots of Steely Dan's music, I don't recall any harmony similar to the first demo song in their tunes.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    To me the first one reminds me of mid-80's GRP All Stars (Grusin, Ritenour, Laboriel, et.al.). If I had to assign a genre "label" to it, it might be "smooth jazz played by actual jazzers".

     

    [video:youtube]

     

    Yes, I do hear the early 80's Gospel/Jazz keyboard influence in the first piece. Richard Tee and Koinoia's music comes to mind.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    Special blend?

     

    Pop drum beat.

    Bass was kinda prog-funky-ish lays back.

    Lead synth was kind of Captain and Tennille get woke?

     

    Blospazz or GospJaBlu?

     

    Not much help, it is packed with influences!!!

     

    Yes, it sounds simple but is packed with influences like you said. I like the way you named it: GospJaBlue, maybe we'll just call it something like BluJaspel. :D

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    It's a little of all of those things you mentioned but if I had to put it down to one style I'd say it's got an 80s fusion and smooth jazz vibe. Check out stuff like Fourplay and The Yellowjackets. For the second tune check out the stuff that David Garfield was involved with in the 80s including Steve Lukather's 'Los Lobotomys'.

     

    Thanks for the recommendations, Bobadeath. I'm a big fan of YellowJackets, Garfield and Lukather. And I agree that it's most likely the tasteful mixture of the different ingredients that made the first piece so refreshing to me.

     

    And you're absolutely right that the second piece would fit perfectly in a Los Lobotomys album.

    Jazz? Blues? Gospel?

    in The Keyboard Corner

    Posted

    I've been trying to figure out the genre of a Yamaha demo song (see SoundCloud link below) and artists/records that have a similar style (especially harmony-wise).

     

    So far, the closest genre I've found is Urban Gospel.

     

    Have you heard of songs/music similar to this tune? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

     

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