Pianos at NYC Musical

[Joe P]

I went to see "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" last night at the New York City Center. Great show, great music, lots of R&B and gospel. Musicians were on the stage. At first as a small combo in the back left, and then as a large ensemble across the back. Piano, guitar, bass, reed, drums.

 

In the smaller group context the pianist (who was phenomenal) played what appeared to be a spinet. Then that got moved off and he went to the back line and played behind a big upright. I was certain they were digitals in acoustic shells because the sound was fantastic and consistent throughout the show and the pianos sounded wonderful - clear, full and even. It was amazing. I knew one of the cast and was back stage and went and checked them both out. The acoustic spinet was exactly that, and the upright was a big Yamaha upright. The dude also had a Motif but he almost always played the upright (we could see him because his image was on monitors across the balcony facade for the other musicians to see him conduct).

 

I was just surprised to see that. I thought for sure they would have been digitals, but I was very happy to see they were acoustics.

[stoken6]

Thanks for sharing Joe.

 

Personally in this kind of context I would be perfectly happy to see and hear a digital.

 

Rachmaninov at Carnegie Hall? Not so much.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Joe P]

That's kind of where I was coming from. I would figure to mic and mix and tune the acoustics would be such a pain; but apparently it wasn't for the sound person because it sounded totally fantastic!

[cphollis]

Any time a performance group makes an effort to use a real acoustic piano, I appreciate it.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Seems like a few increasingly rare perks for an NYC pit musician -- getting to play an acoustic piano, and being in the same building as the actors and other musicians (never mind onstage).