SK Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Some of you may have heard of him. The bass player I played with tonight occasionally plays with this talented blind pianist. Eric Lewis has his own sound going on in a variety of styles, and may be the most physical piano player I think I've ever seen. The second video shows, on some level, how piano can be a complete instrument. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Swinging! Don't think he's blind though. local: Korg Nautilus 73 | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 The bass player who plays with him off and on says he is. Maybe it's only partial, I don't know. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Mmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raddtunes Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 yummy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangsu Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Jeez, I feel like I"ve been had. I waited that entire solo jam for him to just come out and say it: Mama Told Him not to Come! And I'd hate to see what his copper strings look like. But I guess he doesn't have to worry about that. Talented guy, but I think that bass player will be asking you back SK. "........! Try to make It..REAL! compared to what? ! ! ! " - BOPBEEPER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 I posted it because he has tremendous physicality in his strange approach to playing. He treats the piano like it's a different instrument, which that alone is interesting to me. He's talented, although not the way I'd approach playing. Then again, I was probably impressed with his energy since I had just returned from a 9 hour out of town trip which included a 4 hour quartet gig. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 He has good rhythm and a joyous feel on the first joint. I didn't care for the quasi-70's approach of the second vid. local: Korg Nautilus 73 | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Mmmmmm. To clarify, I wanted to express my perplexities. To my ears, he seems to use more showmanship that real musical substance. He seems to have just two things in his language arsenal: More or less written out riffs and melodies, and crazy atonal episodes. He shows talent in mixing the two, but really, he needs to expand his vocabulary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzwee Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 agreed. Hamburg Steinway O, Crumar Mojo, Nord Electro 4 HP 73, EV ZXA1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridog6996 Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Dude's a monster, and real "out there" dude, but cool. I got a chance to hang/jam with him and some of the other cats a bit when the Lincoln Center Orchestra came through town a couple years back. Unless something happened recently, he's not blind. I really dig his playing, and while it's not exactly my style, there's something to be said for "selling it" a la Jarrett or Lang Lang, who borders on hilarious at times: My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 About the blindness, besides the bass player, a drummer told me the same thing and I heard it from someone else too. I have no idea myself. Mmmmmm. To clarify, I wanted to express my perplexities. To my ears, he seems to use more showmanship that real musical substance. He seems to have just two things in his language arsenal: More or less written out riffs and melodies, and crazy atonal episodes. He shows talent in mixing the two, but really, he needs to expand his vocabulary. Yeah, I didn't see him as the be all/end all piano player, just that he has a different approach to the instrument and a lot of technique and physical endurance. As a result, it's a curiosity. His high energy negates subtler dynamic possibilities and richer harmonic value. If you check a few of his other youtubes out, you'll see his solos were different on the same material, so he didn't write the solo lines out. But yes, he needs to grow. According to my bassist friend, he's in huge demand with NY musicians who fire their pianists to hire him when he's available. Then he leaves that group on a whim for something else. So I'm equally perplexed by him; it's like he's a rock star but playing different kinds of stuff, and thought he was worth checking out. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moj Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 He's a good pianist with a vain appeal for performing. He loves the attention he's getting. I guess "Jarrett's" self-indulgent stylistic approach can get you a lot of gigs. OTOH, when Bruce Hornsby is a bit self-indulgent in this clip he really shows what a talented musician he is. And, he takes requests! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Eric Lewis (pianist) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Eric Lewis Born May 13, 1973 (1973-05-13) (age 36) Camden County, New Jersey, United States Eric Lewis, born May 13, 1973 in Camden, New Jersey, is an American jazz pianist. Lewis studied piano as a child, graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in 1995 and began touring with jazz luminaries Wynton Marsalis and Cassandra Wilson. In 1996 at age 23 he won the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. He has performed with famous jazz figures such as Clark Terry, Betty Carter, Donald Bryd, Ornette Coleman, Elvin Jones and was a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He is known for his energy and unconventional style, including reaching inside the piano lid to pull at the strings directly.[1] Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 He's a monster. Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 To me he's connecting to Tatum, in the sense that there's a basket of tricks that comes out. Tatum was more fluid of course. This guys has a cute sense of R&B and groove. Sweet. I love that when somebody plays the "piano" well, almost nobody complains about the piano sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Frank Zappa was doing this kind of stuff 30 years ago, with hilarious "found" conversations overdubbed to make it little more palatable. Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yannis D Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lewis_(pianist) He's an accomplished jazz pianist. You've got to be one to play with Ornette, Cassandra Wilson, The Lincoln Jazz Orchestra (unless he's another Erik Lewis, and i'm mistaken) Be grateful for what you've got - a Nord, a laptop and two hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 He won the Monk competition in the mid 90s; he's gotta be bad. You can't even get to the later stages of that competition and not be phenomenal. I kind of dig what he was doing on those videos, although I'm really not that blown away by it. This guys has a cute sense of R&B and groove. Sweet. I kind of felt the same way. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 He is known for his energy and unconventional style, including reaching inside the piano lid to pull at the strings directly.[1] That's never struck me as more than a gimmick. Even when Chick does it, it's cool when he uses it as an ostinato, but it doesn't make me think 'wow his command of the instrument is mind blowing'. In other words, big deal. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Cornish Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 He is known for his energy and unconventional style, including reaching inside the piano lid to pull at the strings directly.[1] So does this mean that people are going to demand the ability to pluck actual strings from their next-generation stage piano? "Roland V-Piano v 2.0 - Now with pluckable strings!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Lewis studied piano as a child, graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in 1995 and began touring with jazz luminaries Wynton Marsalis and Cassandra Wilson. In 1996 at age 23 he won the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. He has performed with famous jazz figures such as Clark Terry, Betty Carter, Donald Bryd, Ornette Coleman, Elvin Jones and was a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Ulp! With this kind of curriculum, it's more difficult to criticize this guy. Yet, I fail to hear any substantial phrasing in the two videos above. Probably, it's time to check his other stuff; I'll do it as soon as I have the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 "Roland V-Piano v 2.0 - Now with pluckable strings!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floyd Tatum Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 To clarify, I wanted to express my perplexities. To my ears, he seems to use more showmanship that real musical substance. He seems to have just two things in his language arsenal: More or less written out riffs and melodies, and crazy atonal episodes. He shows talent in mixing the two, but really, he needs to expand his vocabulary. That's about what I thought, too. Impressive technique, I suppose. But too aggresive for my taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrhudson Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 At the very least, interesting to see a jazz pianist tackling some current songs in some manner. Wonder what would happen if more jazz pianists tackled "standards of today" (ha, opening myself up there.......). Not sure that his end product applied to coldplay sounds "like jazz" but I suppose the progressions of current popular music don't have ii Vs everywhere to pull for the same lines.....Thanks for sharing....... Found this one which was fun....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I saw the TED clip some time ago. Check out this guy ... No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kad Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 His piano tuner has job security. Reality is like the sun - you can block it out for a time but it ain't goin' away... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I saw the TED clip some time ago. Check out this guy ... That is quite the old clip of him! Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Gerard Depardieu's character = cacophonic, uncontrolled insanity, Eric Lewis = controlled insanity. Looking him up, I saw no reference to him being blind, so I'll suspend that notion. I need to ask my friend about that, he might have been the bass player in that NY clip. Eric Lewis is a driven pianist who's concentrated on creating his own voice on the instrument. He's different, which might encourage players to find their own uniqueness. I thought that was enough reason to post on him. As for playing the strings, I've no problem with that when it's done musically. Eric seems to have a general understanding of it, but more for effect. Paul Bley's the perfect example, who knows the inside of a piano as well as out. He can pluck specific things while playing the keyboard to enhance certain tones. Probably the last thing I'll say about Lewis: he's dramatic, but it's not all show - there is some substance there, and a lot of confidence and energy. But he does seem to be more into conquering the piano with sheer force than exploring the broader possibilities of music in a group. Impressive, if more like the piano olympics than pure music. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridog6996 Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I saw the TED clip some time ago. Check out this guy ... Nice. An excerpt from Cecil Taylor's "Silent Tongues" My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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