Morrissey Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 As a tangent to the recent thread about Ben Folds appearing in a Scary Pockets re-arrangement of a Ben Folds tune, I'm curious as to takes on whether Jack Conte of Scary Pockets is a talented keyboard player. He is without a doubt a savvy entrepreneur, a great bandleader, and a tasteful musician. But I've watched a lot of videos of him playing keys (primarily Wurlitzer and Rhodes), and he always seems to be playing very simple/sparse piano parts. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he is playing parts that fit the song/arrangement/musical style. But I'm left with lingering curiosity as to whether his videos are the limits of his keys talent. I know there are Scary Pocket fans here: what videos would you point to as Jack's "best" playing? Is there anything out there where Jack rips a fierce solo? Again -- much respect to Jack for his many, MANY talents -- just wondering how deep his keys talent goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffincltnc Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Silence and sparse playig spaces are just as important as the sounds you make in between. 2 Quote Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Simple is good and a great way to make money. Look at the musicians that get all the studio work and pro touring gigs they are known for being great accompanist first, can groove their ass off, and being a good soloist is just a fringe benefit. Music is an art not a sport, musicians who focus on playing the song, more than burning for a couple chorus are where it's at, Wynton Kelly great pianist who played with Miles Davis and many others would say he didn't care if he ever took a solo it was all about be a great accompanist. Or in the classical world a collaborative pianist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Beaumont Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I'm not too familiar with Scary Pockets, but I'm so over too many notes. Maybe its just me getting older, but I'm growing more fond of players who are laid back with a solid groove. Quote Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogika Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Technical ability, to my perception, has merely tangential relevance to the quality of musicianship. (Obviously, this assertion is in part my own inferiority complex justifying my own lack of technique, but it aligns with my taste, for sure.) 3 Quote "The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk) The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Fortner Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 We did a story on his duet Pomplamoose (he and wife Nataly) in Keyboard some years ago, written by Jim Aikin. My impression was that he's very musically sensitive about what will serve a particular remake of a song, and in my eyes that makes him a good musician. Can he rip a solo like Cory Henry? No idea, and not sure that it matters. 6 Quote Stephen Fortner Principal, Fortner Media Former Editor in Chief, Keyboard Magazine Digital Piano Consultant, Piano Buyer Magazine Industry affiliations: Antares, Arturia, Giles Communications, MS Media, Polyverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Is he a good keyboard player? NO Is he a great keyboard player? YES 1 Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrissey Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Technical ability, to my perception, has merely tangential relevance to the quality of musicianship. (Obviously, this assertion is in part my own inferiority complex justifying my own lack of technique, but it aligns with my taste, for sure.) This may be part of why I asked the question. I'm never going to play as well as Bill Payne or Herbie Hancock or [insert your favorite technical piano whiz]. But I think I can do justice to those Scary Pockets keyboard parts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Whatever he"s playing, he always appears to be having the best time. That display of joy is wonderful. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Good is always in the ear of the beholder. Versatility, proficiency, virtuosity, etc. are different measuring sticks from 'good' which perhaps leans closer to, 'do you enjoy his creations' - which has more to do with composition than playing the keyboard. Great players are sometimes but not always great composers. Is less more? That"s a matter of taste and style. Perhaps the keyboard playing should be just right for the style or song. Neither more no less - but hitting just the right balance. Quote Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 We did a story on his duet Pomplamoose (he and wife Nataly) in Keyboard some years ago, written by Jim Aikin. I remember that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Wait, he was Pomplamoose? I have been annoyed by more of his projects than I realized. 1 1 Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Simple is all I can manage, therefore I love his playing Quote The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Nathan Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Is he able to capably play what he wants to express musically, with whatever precision or looseness he desires? Yes? Then he is a good musician. 2 Quote Don't rush me. I'm playing as slowly as I can! http://www.stevenathanmusic.com/stevenathanmusic.com/HOME.html https://apple.co/2EGpYXK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrokeys Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 ^^ This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 without a doubt .... 1 Quote CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrissey Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 Is he able to capably play what he wants to express musically, with whatever precision or looseness he desires? Yes? Then he is a good musician. I agree with that. My curiosity about his piano skills remains, however. I mean, Axl Rose can manage November Rain and Tommy Lee can plunk out Home Sweet Home -- and I'll respect opinions they are good musicians, but I've never heard anyone claim they are good piano players. I suppose I'm just wondering what kind of chops Jack has. I'm already jealous of his many talents; perhaps I'd be gratified to know he doesn't have giant chops, to confirm he is indeed mortal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzilla Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 Just show to a pianist a few videos of jack playing the keyboard. And you'll get the answer you have been looking for.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossRhodes Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 On 10/31/2019 at 8:49 AM, Legatoboy said: without a doubt .... I saw Scary Goldings here in L.A. with Scofield sitting in and Will Lee on bass. Killer show! Love how Conte and crew have zero ego when they hit the stage and happily support the older guard like Goldings and Scofield while at the same time giving them the platform to connect with a younger and more diverse audience then some of their other projects might allow. Nothing but respect for those guys. 2 Quote Jazz is the teacher, Funk is the preacher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 This is one of the two Scary Pockets covers we play. I love playing the key parts of this song. 2 Quote '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old No7 Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 On 10/30/2019 at 1:10 PM, jeffincltnc said: Silence and sparse playing spaces are just as important as the sounds you make in between. If I recall correctly, from an article in the YES magazine that I'd offered up to a lucky winner on this forum last year, that's almost a direct quote from Rick Wakeman himself. He essentially said "what he didn't play" was often just as important to the arrangement as "what he did play". That's an excellent example of "using your ears" and "not just your hands". Old No7 Quote Yamaha MODX6 * Hammond SK Pro 73 * Roland Fantom-08 * Crumar Mojo Pedals * Mackie Thump 12As * Tascam DP-24SD * JBL 305 MkIIs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossRhodes Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 9 hours ago, HammondDave said: This is one of the two Scary Pockets covers we play. I love playing the key parts of this song. I took a few bass lessons from Nick Campbell. He’s got groove for days. Quote Jazz is the teacher, Funk is the preacher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 17 hours ago, CrossRhodes said: I took a few bass lessons from Nick Campbell. He’s got groove for days. Yeah, that bass line is awesome. My bass player loves playing this song. We also do their cover arrangement of “Stayin’ Alive”. 1 Quote '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 The more mature I'm becoming, the more sparse my playing has become. To me, that feels like progress. It also doesn't feel easier than playing more notes. If anything, it's harder. The logical extension of this philosophy would of course be to play nothing, which would be absurd (insert John Cage joke here). Let's just say my starting point has left me a lot of room to evolve towards an ideal. So, yeah, Conte is doing something right in my book. Also, it seems like he's making a conscious choice to be the foundation and let others do the ornamentation. It's obviously working for him, so I don't think he cares what anyone thinks of his chops. 2 Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miden Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 tbh, and seriously no offence meant at all to anyone, but why is it always so important to try and categorise keys players (or any instrument for that matter) into best and worst? And there are a couple more threads along these lines in the forums as well. They are all different and they all bring something unique to the table....I personally don't care if they play a thousand notes a minute or 10, as long as it is musical and with passion they've got me....don't care if some poll or another, or some critic or another or whatever and another decide they are not the best. 4 Quote There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence... Time is the final arbiter for all things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niacin Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 Jack is just the latest in a long line of players that includes Spooner Oldham and Booker T. I don’t know if he can shred like JR and tbh don’t care, his playing serves the song and the groove. 3 Quote Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 On 4/27/2024 at 8:14 PM, miden said: tbh, and seriously no offence meant at all to anyone, but why is it always so important to try and categorise keys players (or any instrument for that matter) into best and worst? And there are a couple more threads along these lines in the forums as well. They are all different and they all bring something unique to the table....I personally don't care if they play a thousand notes a minute or 10, as long as it is musical and with passion they've got me....don't care if some poll or another, or some critic or another or whatever and another decide they are not the best. First, I 100% agree with you and don't favor the "music olympics" approach to our field. But I do think some of the "X or Y" conversations are about something different than competition; they're really a conversation about people's aesthetics or preferences, and in that sense they can be interesting and helpful. 1 Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 Are we talking about rating artists or playing ability? Because rating artists is a fool’s errand. 1 Quote '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 On 4/27/2024 at 11:14 PM, miden said: tbh, and seriously no offence meant at all to anyone, but why is it always so important to try and categorise keys players (or any instrument for that matter) into best and worst? Art and sports seem to be similar in that regard. A long time ago, music magazines would rank musicians as well. Some folks seem to enjoy the detour away from actually playing and producing music.😎 1 1 Quote PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 On 4/26/2024 at 5:07 PM, HammondDave said: This is one of the two Scary Pockets covers we play. I love playing the key parts of this song. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Totally kills the spirit or the originals. That said they are good musicians. 1 Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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