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What do you think of Harry Connick, Jr.'s playing?


Ernie Rideout

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Agreed. We need to keep the focus on the rebuilding and revitalization of New Orleans and its music. We can't afford to lose that culture.

 

Good idea.

 

Very good idea.

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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I'm a big fan of Harry's playing, and his CD "20", which he did - surprise! - when he was 20 years old, is one of my all-time favorites. In fact, I do two songs from it in my gig repertoire. It's mainly piano, with some vocals, and a few duets (Dr. John and Carmen McRae). I highly recommend picking it up.

 

Harry is definitely a pianist who sings. I think he's forgotten that. Every time I see him anymore he is playing 'frontman crooner'. Shut up and play, Harry!

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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Originally posted by Synthaholic:

I'm a big fan of Harry's playing, and his CD "20", which he did - surprise! - when he was 20 years old, is one of my all-time favorites. In fact, I do two songs from it in my gig repertoire. It's mainly piano, with some vocals, and a few duets (Dr. John and Carmen McRae). I highly recommend picking it up.

 

Harry is definitely a pianist who sings. I think he's forgotten that. Every time I see him anymore he is playing 'frontman crooner'. Shut up and play, Harry!

I agree with you. What songs do you play from 20? "20" is my favorite of his, especially I love what he is doing on Avalon with those Booker-inspired right hand riffs and turnarounds. For ages I've been trying to pull those off but had limited success. Harry gets them so smooth with that "smeared" sort of sound. I saw Connick play that version of Avalon on TV and it was incredible.
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Thanks for all the great input, folks! It's clear that each of you is a very discerning listener, a real musician. You guys make it fun for us Keyboard chain gang members to go to work every day.
If we can put a smile on just one person's face, it will have been all worth while. :)

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.

 

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http://www.harryconnickjr.com/connick/images/redesign/home_photo.jpg

 

Well said, Dave: you made me smile too.

Sincerely yours,

Harry

Korg PA3X Pro 76 and Kronos 61, Roland G-70, Integra 7 and BK7-m, Casio PX-5S, Fender Stratocaster with Fralin pickups, Fender Stratocaster with Kinman pickups, 1965 Gibson SG Standard
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Quote Pete psingp

What songs do you play from 20? "20" is my favorite of his, especially I love what he is doing on Avalon with those Booker-inspired right hand riffs and turnarounds. For ages I've been trying to pull those off but had limited success. Harry gets them so smooth with that "smeared" sort of sound. I saw Connick play that version of Avalon on TV and it was incredible.

--------------------------------------------------

 

I do Avalon up to the point where he takes off on his syncopated lead thingy, then I just can't keep up but I somehow bring it back around and end it. I also do Imagination, Basin Street, and Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me. I am working with a chic singer and might add Please Don't Talk About Me. I had totally forgotten about it. I also play bits of If I Only Had a Brain during warm ups just to see if anyone is listening.

 

So I'm packing a Ruger in case anyone gets any wild ideas. Don't mess with my Sheep or you may be in sheep dit.

Jimmy

 

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho

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Well this is the wrong thread, but since folks are making suggestions, let me suggest again that Keyboard try to get a Clint Eastwood interview . . . . he's a blues pianist, and I'm sure he has a lot of great stories to tell. I guarantee you'll sell a lot more copies with Clint on the cover. Hell, I'll even do you a favor and interview him myself! ;)

 

On Connick, I always enjoy hearing him and his interesting arrangements of the old standards, I like his energy and the fact that he appreciates and plays authentic blues. I think it's great that Keyboard will be interviewing him.

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Clint Eastwood? Why not one of the hundreds of more deserving pianist that get overlooked. He is just another well connected macho Hollyood celebrity with questionable talent, like Arnold. Eastwood belongs in People Magazine, not in Keyboard Magazine. I guess because he is a clebrity? Who next? I hear Oprah plays a mean Fur Elise. Yeah, I know Eastwooden likes jazz but so what. And if Connick was done before then there is no need to re-do him again. Nothing ever changes with him, he is a prisoner of the old fashioned style he cloned in New Orleans.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Originally posted by Jazz+:

Clint Eastwood? Why not one of the hundreds of more deserving pianist that get overlooked. He is just another well connected macho Hollyood celebrity with questionable talent, like Arnold. Eastwood belongs in People Magazine, not in Keyboard Magazine. I guess because he is a clebrity? Who next? I hear Oprah plays a mean Fur Elise. Yeah, I know Eastwoody likes jazz but so what. And if Connick was done before then there is no need to re-do him again. Nothing ever changes with him, he is a prisoner of the old fashioned style he cloned in New Orleans.

While we are making requests, I would like to request a feature on Jazz+ with full interview, master class and MP3s online. Seriously. I am curious.

 

Regards,

Eric

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Originally posted by Jazz+:

And if Connick was done before then there is no need to re-do him again. Nothing ever changes with him, he is a prisoner of the old fashioned style he cloned in New Orleans.

It's actually an excellent time for an article on Harry.

The last article on him discussed his somewhat of a "been there done that" attitude toward music and the New Orleans style. He had, at the time I think, more interest in acting. Since then I think he's become more active again in music and is also showing more interest in promoting or preserving his "roots" in music and particularly the New Orleans style.

 

I can't find it now, but I think the article was done almost 10 years ago.

 

Regarding his music: He's hardly been a cloner of the New Orlean's "old fashioned style". He's recorded far more of his more progressive jazz style and relatively little real traditional New orleans piano stuff.

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IIRC the last time you guys did a feature on Harry, he wouldn't allow any of his transcriptions to be reproduced, or MP3s posted up at the web site, or something like that-- I don't remember what he disallowed at the moment but I recall being hugely disappointed in his decision.

 

Either way, he's probably the one guy around of whom I'm insanely jealous these days... singer, bandleader, pianist, actor... if he ever decided to be an author he'd truly be the Steve Allen of our generation (and that's high praise from me).

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Originally posted by fulcrum:

IIRC the last time you guys did a feature on Harry, he wouldn't allow any of his transcriptions to be reproduced, or MP3s posted up at the web site, or something like that-- I don't remember what he disallowed at the moment but I recall being hugely disappointed in his decision.

The transcriptions were posted, but no audio or midi files. My recollection was that Harry requested this because he wanted to have control over his own live performances.

 

I was dissapointed at the time as well. I think it's particularly hard to pick up that style, and of course many others, strickly from the transcriptions. An audio recording definitely helps a lot.

 

Maybe this time around, would it be possible to actually record him playing live so both transcriptions and audio could be included? I'm just guessing that he might be willing to share the audio if it's a recording of his own playing.

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Well, it's nice to have the opportunity to chime in on this but I'll submit a new one in the case she hasn't been featured yet.

 

Nellie McKay

 

Great pianist, great vocalist, great music, no pidgeon hole here, unlike anybody else, anti-establishment (Julliard drop out), young, gorgeous, and takes no crap from anyone...always an interesting interview.

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I saw Harry live a couple of years ago....while there is no question that he is very talented, his performance did not seem to be "effortless", let's say. But he is much more than a pianist -- he's a great singer and showman, and as a package a great entertainer.

"Oh yeah, I've got two hands here." (Viv Savage)

"Mr. Blu... Mr. Blutarsky: Zero POINT zero." (Dean Vernon Wormer)

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Jazz+: on our friend Clint, I think celebrity is one way to introduce folks to jazz and blues and get them curious; god knows the U.S. audience is at an all time low for jazz at least -- what is it, about 2% of the music market now? And a little tongue-in-cheek once in a while doesn't hurt.

 

On Harry Connick, he's an outstanding talent. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and I don't like to pass judgment on a fellow jazzer. He's been a phenomenal success in a field with a tiny audience and tremendous competition.

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I've mentioned this before, Clint Eastwood wrote a song that appears on a Diana Krall CD. I believe it is track 13 (I forgot the album), but there are only 12 tracks labeled in the CD notes.

 

That song is also used at the end of a Clint Eastwood film with DK singing.

 

Anyone know which tune I mean? (I could search here and provide it, but I'm in the middle of preparing dinner.) Gotta go.

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.

 

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Originally posted by Jazz+:

Clint Eastwood? Why not one of the hundreds of more deserving pianist that get overlooked. He is just another well connected macho Hollyood celebrity with questionable talent, like Arnold. Eastwood belongs in People Magazine, not in Keyboard Magazine. I guess because he is a clebrity? Who next? I hear Oprah plays a mean Fur Elise. Yeah, I know Eastwooden likes jazz but so what. And if Connick was done before then there is no need to re-do him again. Nothing ever changes with him, he is a prisoner of the old fashioned style he cloned in New Orleans.

C'mon, man. Ease off. Clint Eastwood and Arnold don't belong in the same conversation when it comes to film. Eastwood has won two Best Director Oscars over the likes of Martin Scorsese and Roman Polanski, and two of his movies won Best Picture (although so did 'Titanic' so I question the measuring stick sometimes). He is a well-respected film-maker, and deservedly so. He also composed the score (and played piano on it as well) to his best-picture nominated 'Mystic River'. Plus he is a huge proponent of jazz. How can you diss the guy who made 'Bird'? Or that wrote the theme to 'Rawhide' :) (that's right folks).

 

I would LOVE to see Eastwood interviewed in KB mag. Maybe he and Connick can share gun tips or something...

Weasels ripped my flesh. Rzzzzzzz.
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The CD by Diana Krall is When I Look In Your Eyes and the tune written by Clint Eastwood is Why Should I Care. It was added as a bonus track. The only reason that got my attention, I was watching a Clint Eastwood film and the last tune in that film was that track sung by Diana Krall. I knew I had it on a CD and it took quite a while to find it as it wasn't listed with the 12 other tracks in the notes.

 

While you guys are arguing about Harry Connick and Clint Eastwood, I'd like to read articles on Oscar Peterson, Dick Hyman, George Shearing, Dave Grusin and so forth.

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.

 

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Rawhide Theme Song

by Ned Washington and Dimitri Tiomkin

Performed by Frankie Laine

 

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/rawhide.htm

 

I don't think Eastwod is that great a director or actor. He's competent, but the word "genius" does not leap to mind when I consider his body of work, even if I consider only the best of it. I have also heard him play piano and that was really unimpressive, his chops and timing are poor.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I don't think Eastwod is that great a director or actor. He's competent, but the word "genius" does not leap to mind when I consider his body of work, even if I consider only the best of it. I have also heard him play piano and that was really unimpressive, his chops and timing are poor.
It's hard to make the case that he's a good or even competent pianist -- maybe if he practiced more -- and I'm certainly not going to argue that most of his films are worth seeing (although the spaghetti westerns are, IMO, some of the greatest films ever made -- in part because the music cues aren't overwhelmingly treacly as in many of those directed by Clint himself).

 

But, given his publicized interest in people like Jimmy Yancey, it *could* provide a good excuse for some coverage of that Chicago boogie sound, which would be a plus. That particular sound isn't taken as seriously as it should be, so barring a full-on set of unusual transcriptions and such, I'm all for the Clint idea, as a practical compromise.

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