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My top three "out of body experience" piano solos

16251

By 16251
in The Keyboard Corner

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16251

16251

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Posted

What's your 3? Any style, any keyboard. I need some more discoveries.

 

Chick's solo starts around 5:30.

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cry7-pPXPas

 

Herbie's solo starts around 2:40.

[video:youtube]

 

Brad's solo starts around 1:30

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVFrlOr1TMc

AvantGrand N2 | ES520 | Gallien-Krueger MK & MP | https://soundcloud.com/pete36251

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Nordude

Nordude

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Impossible to choose. Three favourites from two influential players (at last, to me)

 

Russ Ferrante - Pass It On (1983)

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Gz2Xr7V3eAo#t=105

 

Russ Ferrante - Imperial Strut (1981)

 

[video:youtube]

 

Lyle Mays - First Circle (1993, I guess)

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PVBoDx_1dTc#t=269

 

 

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burningbusch

burningbusch

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Agreed on the Chick Rhodes solo, flawless.

 

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-BoQfeUURQ

Don't know how much of this intro was written vs. improvised but the flow of the music never ceases to amaze me.

 

[video:youtube]

The birth of introspective jazz piano, stream of consciousness, the incredible depth of Evans musicality. Love how he ends at 7:55, but then keeps going. There is a another transcription (Japanese) out there with more normal rhythmic interpretation but I assume the actual pitches on the YouTube version are accurate.

 

Busch.

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Paul Harrison

Paul Harrison

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Ah, Dr Gradus ad Parnassum - one of my Debussy favourites (after the orchestral Fetes) - but nowhere near as difficult as it sounds! Both are frequently coming through my speakers.

 

Yes, I managed to get Dr Gradus ad Parnassum up to speed at one time, but my nod was more to Debussy's piano music in general, and his Children's Corner Suite in particular, after becoming acquainted with it in a music appreciation class in high school 40 years ago through a recording by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, whose delicate touch and lyrical interpretation made a great impression.

 

Isao Tomita's electronic interpretation of Debussy is also a favourite and a classic in its own way.

 

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XnrmPBj4_k

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JeffLearman

JeffLearman

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Not quite as sublime as the above, but here's a blues solos I remember from my youth, before I even really knew what blues was:

 

Joe Sample at 4:10:

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FpiSMceXa7c

 

Here's another more recent one I like; not sure who, at 1:45:

[video:youtube]

 

I'm sure there are many better blues piano solos, but for some reason that one sticks in my mind.

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orangefunk

orangefunk

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Not my top 3 as such but stuff that I have been listening a lot to this week.

 

1. Keith Jarrett in 1976. Just beautiful. kinda like a follow up to Koln in some ways...

 

[video:youtube]

 

2. Bill Evans and Herb Geller rehearsing in 1972. AFAIK this tune has not properly been released except as poor quality bootlegs. It was reworked in 1975 on Geller's jazz fusion LP "Rhyme and Reason" but I like the acoustic treatment a lot.

 

[video:youtube]

 

3. And finally I always loved this piece Herbies woodwind sounds are awesome and his piano solo is off the hook!!

 

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQiPgjpouV0

 

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orangefunk

orangefunk

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Agreed on the Chick Rhodes solo, flawless.

 

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-BoQfeUURQ

Don't know how much of this intro was written vs. improvised but the flow of the music never ceases to amaze me.

Busch.

 

:thu: This was the piece in the Art of Improvisation documentary that really pricked up my ears esp the passage from 4.15 to about 4.45 amazing!

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I-missRichardTee

I-missRichardTee

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So many to choose from.. I will choose one and add later.. and it's not so much the piano solo. just the amazing synergy of the band led by pianist Eddie Palmieri.

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HbCt6nXsv4

Listen from beginning to end.

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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I-missRichardTee

I-missRichardTee

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Kenny Kirkland - Bring on the night. Perfect, with all the imperfections. Starts at 4:27

[video:youtube]

 

And, in context, this amazing scene from The Pianist.

[video:youtube]

 

I did not listen to all tracks yet... but the Kenny Kirkland track is just wonderful, mixture of discipline to hold down the stuff Sting wants him to play.. which Kenny does surpassingly, and Kenny's pushing the envelope in his jazz roots as well. Fantastic track.

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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Bridog6996

Bridog6996

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One of the craziest things about Cecil is that on the surface, it sounds like a madman randomly banging on the keys, but really every note is played with a purpose, and there's structure to it. It's really not random. He's still a madman though :grin:

 

Dude's got crazy technique too. Ligeti's Etudes have nothing on some of the stuff he plays. I spent a couple months immersed in his music for a thesis in grad school. I picked him as a subject precisely because I didn't "get" what he was doing at all. After putting so much Cecil into my brain something clicked, and now his music makes sense to me in a weird sort of way. Let me see if I can find that paper. Even if you'd rather listen to the sound of a cat in the washing machine than hear him play the piano, it might be an interesting read.

 

Of course, even if you "get" his stuff, it's still pretty easy to not like it. It's very demanding on the listener.

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timwat

timwat

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Well, this is easy for me, but I can't find a youtube anywhere to easily post it here:

 

Hourglass, part 2 - Keith Jarrett

 

...from the double album of solo piano improvs, "Staircase".

 

Simply put, it's the one piece of music that single-handedly made me lose interest in all the other genres of music I was playing at the time, and want to say something more direct and personal on just the piano.

 

That sounds way too melodramatic and precious to say out loud in front of a bunch of guys on the internet, but there it is.

..
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Bridog6996

Bridog6996

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I found the Cecil Taylor paper I mentioned, in case anyone feels like they have too much free time or simply need a sleep aid :) :

 

Clink (should be viewable)

 

I did have some visuals to go along with it, which are referred to in the paper, but I think this is all I have. My laptop with all the original stuff was stolen :mad: and all have is this backup copy.

 

Back to the subject at hand...it's really tough to only pick three. Three solos that I can think of with the phrase "out of body experience" in mind:

 

Brad Mehldau - the live version of "London Blues" from Art of the Trio Vol. 4

 

Chick's playing on "Steps" from the Now He sings album.

 

Probably something by Esbjörn Svensson

 

And if we're counting stuff from the classical repertoire, definitely Arturo Michelangeli playing Debussy does it for me. To my ears, "Reflets dans l'eau" is maybe the most beautiful piece of piano music ever written.

My YouTube Channel
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stoken6

stoken6

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Not quite as sublime as the above, but here's a blues solos I remember from my youth, before I even really knew what blues was:

 

Joe Sample at 4:10:

[Joni Mitchell YT]

 

Here's another more recent one I like; not sure who, at 1:45:

[James Taylor YT]

 

I'm sure there are many better blues piano solos, but for some reason that one sticks in my mind.

 

Thanks for posting Jeff. Sample's phrasing and sense of just-behind-the-beat rhythm is sublime.

 

What lifts both those solos is very sensitive arrangement/backing - just bass and drums, neither overplaying. A lesson for some of my bandmates, I can tell you...

 

Cheers, Mike.

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