The greatest piano solo of all time?

[Radagast]

My biggest regret musically is never having seen Oscar live in concert.

 

[niacin]

The video title is actually "Greatest solo of all time", not "Greatest piano solo." I give Beato props just for not choosing a guitar solo. The looks on the faces of Niels and Barney remind me of the look Corey Henry's now famous Lingus solo drew from the other members of Snarky Puppy.

[analogika]

Defintely up there.

 

If I had my druthers, I'd probably pick Kenny Kirkland's solo on "When the World is Running Down" off Sting's "Bring On the Night" live album or Cory's "Lingus" solo, though.

[Paul Harrison]

Oscar Peterson - Sweet Georgia Brown

 

... with Ray Brown & Niels-Henning Oersted Pedersen

[video:youtube]

 

 

... with Joe Pass & Niels-Henning Oersted Pedersen

[video:youtube]

[wd8dky]

George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

[16251]

No argument here (his technical prowess is impressive,) but if I was in line at triple bill concert and could only pick one artist to hear (Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Bill Evans,) Oscar would be last.

[ABECK]

Defintely up there.

 

If I had my druthers, I'd probably pick Kenny Kirkland's solo on "When the World is Running Down" off Sting's "Bring On the Night" live album or Cory's "Lingus" solo, though.

 

Hells yes - you beat me to it.

[Reezekeys]

Rick readily admits he uses hyperbole a lot. So the video is kinda like clickbait, but I look at it as Rick winking at us so it's cool. As great as Oscar was, let's be real - first of all, the "best", "greatest", etc. adjectives applied to music is all nonsense to begin with. I've been to plenty of shows where someone's solos have engendered reactions like what Joe & NHOP do. Were they "the greatest"? No, just good music performed by stellar musicians (well, usually - you can get these same reactions from guitar-heads watching a player bend a note with an expression on their face suggesting they're suffering a bout of severe constipation!).

 

There's no doubt that Oscar was a great player and swung his ass off. But I am also reminded of Miles's famous "blindfold test" reaction when he was played an OP track. The pull quote is very harsh: "Oscar makes me sick because he copies everybody. He even had to learn how to play the blues." That's off-base, but looking at the entirety of what Miles said, imo there's some truth spoken with some of the other criticisms. I won't quote the whole thing now, it's here.

 

Do I sound like an OP "non"-fan? I guess so, but I don't think that's really the case. I just got into the guys like Chick, Herbie, McCoy and Bill Evans very early in my development and it was those styles that moved me the most. I definitely listened to the acknowledged greats of the past - starting with guys like Ear Hines & Tatum, to Bud and the bebop guys, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, etc. I think that's important for any piano player wanting to learn jazz - you have to hear how it developed. But learning about it and appreciating it is only one component of how a player develops their own style. Oscar found his style in the 30s-50s era of jazz piano playing and applied his prodigious technique and sense of swing to it - and he sounds great. "Greatest of all time"? Well I think Rick is actually doing a lot of good by introducing players like NHOP, Oscar, Martha Argerich, etc. to his audience, so sure... call it the "greatest" if it gets the clicks. You can't lose learning about all the great players out there.

[Morrissey]

I look forward to us arriving at a consensus in this thread as to the greatest solo of all time.

 

[AnotherScott]

If "greatest" is defined by "most difficult to play," this is probably up there. But does it transport me emotionally? Not really. For me, that's the fundamental problem with endless speed.

[ElmerJFudd]

Rick readily admits he uses hyperbole a lot. So the video is kinda like clickbait, but I look at it as Rick winking at us so it's cool. As great as Oscar was, let's be real - first of all, the "best", "greatest", etc. adjectives applied to music is all nonsense to begin with. I've been to plenty of shows where someone's solos have engendered reactions like what Joe & NHOP do. Were they "the greatest"? No, just good music performed by stellar musicians (well, usually - you can get these same reactions from guitar-heads watching a player bend a note with an expression on their face suggesting they're suffering a bout of severe constipation!).

 

There's no doubt that Oscar was a great player and swung his ass off. But I am also reminded of Miles's famous "blindfold test" reaction when he was played an OP track. The pull quote is very harsh: "Oscar makes me sick because he copies everybody. He even had to learn how to play the blues." That's off-base, but looking at the entirety of what Miles said, imo there's some truth spoken with some of the other criticisms. I won't quote the whole thing now, it's here.

 

Do I sound like an OP "non"-fan? I guess so, but I don't think that's really the case. I just got into the guys like Chick, Herbie, McCoy and Bill Evans very early in my development and it was those styles that moved me the most. I definitely listened to the acknowledged greats of the past - starting with guys like Ear Hines & Tatum, to Bud and the bebop guys, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, etc. I think that's important for any piano player wanting to learn jazz - you have to hear how it developed. But learning about it and appreciating it is only one component of how a player develops their own style. Oscar found his style in the 30s-50s era of jazz piano playing and applied his prodigious technique and sense of swing to it - and he sounds great. "Greatest of all time"? Well I think Rick is actually doing a lot of good by introducing players like NHOP, Oscar, Martha Argerich, etc. to his audience, so sure... call it the "greatest" if it gets the clicks. You can't lose learning about all the great players out there.

 

Oh, sheesh. Assuming accuracy, that Miles quote ranks up there with Quincy"s, 'They were the worst musicians in the world, They were no-playing motherfuckers. Paul was the worst bass player I ever heard. And Ringo? Don"t even talk about it.' Or Buddy"s, ' "I think it's about time that this country grew up in its musical tastes rather than making a giant step backwards that country music is doing,'. I get it to the extent that one establishes their musical paradigm within their lifetime. We have opinions, tastes and (honestly) skills that are shaped by our experiences and where we chose to devote most of our time. But to disparage someone else"s craft, art, experiences, realities - in particular when you"re someone others hold with esteem. What"s the goal or the point? If Miles can"t appreciate Oscar - it may be true, but it"s a shame. And if Buddy can"t dig Albert Lee⦠shrug. It is what it is I guess. There"s an awful lot of music in this world. You"ve got to give something a good listen and at least a shot. The same stuff over and over gets boring, no?

[TommyRude]

I look forward to us arriving at a consensus in this thread as to the greatest solo of all time.

 

Actually this has already been decided. Here's the analysis, voting, celebrity judges, musicologists and influencers - all weighing in to decide once and for all that Bob Mayo's solo in DYFLWD is the greatest solo of all time.

Greatest solo of all time

[CEB]

Scriabin Sonata No. 5 . The man was insane.

[cedar]

Just using this thread to comment about my general experience listening to Oscar.

 

I first started listening to Oscar when I was a young teenager. It so happened that coincided with the general period when he was recording on Pablo, often with other "all-stars" in big stages, as opposed to small clubs. As a kid, I was amazed at his proficiency. But I think those settings may have brought out the worst of him, as if he was playing to the crowd (if you get my meaning). I soon bored of those albums and got deep into Bill Evans, Herbie, Wynton, Sonny Clark, etc.

 

For many years after, I never returned to Oscar Peterson.

 

But eventually, I discovered his more classic trio albums, from the 1950s and early 1960s. These albums were a revelation to me. I realized that Oscar was very tasteful and could play very pretty too. He's still not my favorite, but I appreciate him a lot more now than when I was only familiar with his later output from the 1970s and 1980s.

[ABECK]

I look forward to us arriving at a consensus in this thread as to the greatest solo of all time.

 

Actually this has already been decided. Here's the analysis, voting, celebrity judges, musicologists and influencers - all weighing in to decide once and for all that Bob Mayo's solo in DYFLWD is the greatest solo of all time.

Greatest solo of all time

 

 

Shit - yup, I think he's right.

[Reezekeys]

The pull quote is very harsh: "Oscar makes me sick because he copies everybody. He even had to learn how to play the blues." That's off-base, but looking at the entirety of what Miles said, imo there's some truth spoken with some of the other criticisms. I won't quote the whole thing now, it's here.

 

Oh, sheesh. Assuming accuracy, that Miles quote ranks up there with Quincy"s, 'They were the worst musicians in the world, They were no-playing motherfuckers. Paul was the worst bass player I ever heard. And Ringo? Don"t even talk about it.' Or Buddy"s, ' "I think it's about time that this country grew up in its musical tastes rather than making a giant step backwards that country music is doing,'. I get it to the extent that one establishes their musical paradigm within their lifetime. We have opinions, tastes and (honestly) skills that are shaped by our experiences and where we chose to devote most of our time. But to disparage someone else"s craft, art, experiences, realities - in particular when you"re someone others hold with esteem. What"s the goal or the point? If Miles can"t appreciate Oscar - it may be true, but it"s a shame. And if Buddy can"t dig Albert Lee⦠shrug. It is what it is I guess. There"s an awful lot of music in this world. You"ve got to give something a good listen and at least a shot. The same stuff over and over gets boring, no?

 

Sheesh. Of course it was a stupid thing for Miles to say and I did call it off-base. He actually does address some very specific things about Oscar"s playing if you read the full quote. IMO they are well-reasoned opinions, which are of course overshadowed by his initial dismissive salvo. He says he heard him sound good on a medium blues and he liked his recording of 'Tenderly.' Of course Miles Davis, being Miles Davis, could and did call it exactly how he saw it, and didn"t give a shit for the consequences. Maybe he wanted to play that up for the interviewer.

 

I think I"m just reacting to the general idea of calling any kind of musical expression - a song, a solo, a performance - as the 'greatest.' My greatest is not your greatest, or probably anyone else"s. I think Rick Beato knows this, and there is some amount of tongue-in-cheek in his titling of that youtube. And I think Quincy apologized for those things he said about the Beatles!

[drawback]

I've been watching this topic and have the same thoughts about it. Context is king.

[ElmerJFudd]

Haha. Of course, everyone has their favorites, greatest. But does everyone also have their most despised? It"s not hard to get something from OP, Monk, Miles, the Beatles, or whatever else. It"s another thing to be one of the greats and to drag a contemporary or predecessor"s work so blatantly. But to each their own. Some folk"s just like chicken salad for lunch every day and don"t want anything else.

[Reezekeys]

Miles was one of a kind. You know there's a record he did with Monk where he told him to lay out during his solos? Couldn't stand his comping!

[16251]

Miles was one of a kind. You know there's a record he did with Monk where he told him to lay out during his solos? Couldn't stand his comping!

 

That is the secret to my recent thread I believe I read somewhere that Monk's solo was inspired by Miles telling him to lay out. (Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.)

[MathOfInsects]

Beato has mastered the clickbait video title, and also the art of stretching a video to its longest possible retention-rate, and for that I give him sincere credit.

 

I will stop there.

[GovernorSilver]

Beato, huh.

 

Let me know when the medal awards ceremony is scheduled. The thrill of victory! The agony of defeat!

[marino]

[video:youtube]

[Reezekeys]

Miles was one of a kind. You know there's a record he did with Monk where he told him to lay out during his solos? Couldn't stand his comping!

 

That is the secret to my recent thread I believe I read somewhere that Monk's solo was inspired by Miles telling him to lay out. (Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.)

I have the Monk biography by Robin Kelley and it goes into some detail about this session. The upshot is that the supposed conflict between Miles & Monk is somewhat overblown (there were stories about them coming to blows). Miles did tell him to lay out for his solos. Monk was also apparently a little grumpy because he was away from his family on Christmas Eve. There was also some tension because the producer (Bob Weinstock) didn't want to include any of Monk's tunes on the date (Ira Gitler lobbied successfully to include Bemsha Swing). So Monk was a little pissed off, some words were exchanged, but the book says nothing about Monk's actual soloing being inspired by or "payback" for Miles telling him to lay out.

[ABECK]

FWIW, I watch a lot of Beato's videos as he has a lot of good guitar knowledge. He has a very strong production background and a solid knowledge of theory. Def a well informed opinion.

[bfields]

Has there been a nomination for Leonard Cohen's solo on "Tower of Song"?

 

"You're very kind...."

 

[U.Honey]

We have a winner!

[hardware]

The Three Fates by Keith Emerson, middle section Clothos.

 

I know it"s not a jam/improv type piano solo, but always a pleasure hearing his chops on that.

[TommyRude]

I had no idea that Lil Wayne is a prodigious soloist, wow!

 

[video:youtube]

[Mike Warren]

After seeing the Lenard Cohen and Lil Wayne videos I realise there's hope for me yet.