Thank you so much again for the huge work, so many great lessons, talks and performances. I love specially when a teacher transmits love for the music, and a player dig, is a channel and play the music, not his ego
Billy still shines through his music through you!! He was truly such a generous, kind and wonderful soul! Im grateful for learning from him and having the experience of singing to your exemplary and most beautiful musicianship back in the day. This entry is very special. Thank you!!
Thanks Rhonda - those were great times, indeed! Btw - I'm getting back into performing and will be playing at Jazz on Main in Mt. Kisco on Sat, April 22nd with Giacomo Gates. I hope you're doing well :)
Enjoyed this! How fortunate you were, to have studied with Dr. Billy Taylor, a sterling pianist and a born educator! I once attended a masterclass he gave at the University of Maryland. I remember playing an odd choice : “OGD” the minor-bluesy organ trio number Jimmy Smith recorded with Wes Montgomery, and, I believe, Grady Tate. I doubt I had a lot to say about it on the piano, or much in the way of chops to say it with. But he was encouraging, had some good pointers, and thought it was praiseworthy for a young piano player to listen to other instrumentalists.
Thanks for watching, and I'm so glad that you had that experience with him! Billy was such a nice man and it sounds like his talent and love of music has stayed with you for all these years.
Thank you for this, Ron! No doubt, Billy Taylor would be very proud of your joyous interpretation of his piece. Also love the suggestion of how to find your way into a piece and other improv suggestions. A well-spent 18:41!
In the UK this tune was used as the intro music to a film/movie TV review show so half the country knew it! Barry Norman's film 77 or 78 or whatever the year was. Check it out on google. great tune by the way and I love your playing style. You ever heard of the english/UK jazz pianist "Stan Tracey" ? He was the house pianist at the famous London jazz club "Ronnie Scotts" in the 1960s and he played like Thelonius Monk and played right hand solos with both right and left hand at the same time. He was still doing gigs until age 84 I think and I got to see him play live 2 times. That's a sweet piano you've got!
Hi Robin. I had no idea about the tune being used for the UK show until I made this video. Great choice of theme music! Thanks for the kind words, and I'll check out Stan Tracey. All the best :)
Wow! An absolute treasure to learn from someone who knew the composer of the song!!! So much insight that no other tutorial video could ever give. I knew of this song via the Derek Trucks Band cover and was overjoyed to learn that it was in the Real Book which I have finally acquired to actually learn some melodies as a rhythm guitarist who just stares at iReal Pro and muddles my way through solos. Given that another lockdown is looming here in Germany, I am going to dust off the old keyboard and learn the piano version of this great tune. Thanks so much for this video and the entire series covering tunes from the Real Book!
@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 thanks! it's really great to see so many videos. I'm a swing dancer so very familiar with many of the songs as well which really helps in how I want to play them. I'll definitely be going through your 30 days of jazz piano.
@@sarelfeniel1388 Your dance experience will help you in so many ways, as you know. It's ironic that classical pianists play Chopin waltzes without ever having waltzed themselves, and jazz musicians play swing tunes without ever having done any swing dancing. I've only done a little dancing, but I've played countless hours of music for swing dancing and on Broadway. It comes out in our music!
@@rondrotos5285 Absolutely! I'm lucky to know a bunch of jazz musicians over here in Europe and have danced to so many amazing bands. There is a really good pianist here in Berlin (Declan Forde) and I've seen him play for swing dancers and at a jazz club. The example that sticks out most clearly is On The Sunny Side of the Street which he played completely differently for both audiences. If you didn't know it, you would believe they were two different songs! My dancing background definitely informs how I approach the music which tends to always be more towards what I like to hear when dancing. So not too much fancy scales or complicated chord substitutions or whatnot, but more laidback and simple that makes it fun to dance to.
One o my fave tunes...busted out a double bass left hand and went to town with the right on a bright piano sound backed with a simple swing beat with my clavinova after listening to ur lesson...nice way to kill 45 mins on a saturday. Requesting a lesson of the days of wine and roses as a lil tribute to my own jazz teacher please
I don’t even play piano (I play guitar), but that was truly awesome. I love this stuff. Thanks for sharing and I’ve happily liked and subscribed too. Best wishes, James
Thanks Jude! I'm finding the same thing. By going through the book tune-by-tune, I'm discovering tunes I would have never come across otherwise, especially since the new edition is a little different than the version I grew up with.
Wonderful tune, beautifully played. I first heard it when I was about 19 by Nina Simone, then Solomon Burke, then Don Shirley----three of my favourite recording artists. So I thought it was an old gospel standard (even though I knew it was written by someone named Billy Taylor).....and never realized it had been written in the 60's. And when you talked about having been taught by Billy Taylor---I never associated him with the same BIlly Taylor that wrote that tune. Thanks for sharing all that, Ron.
@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 nah, I’ve played guitar on and off since I was a kid (39 now), I have a good ear for music, I just love the piano and the melodies, from classical to blues/jazz, I really need to start lessons
@@Chrissaces1 The guitar and piano are a good, and complimentary, combination. You'll enjoy learning the piano with your musical experience. I do have a couple of spots for Zoom lessons open right now. If you're interested, just send me an email. If you already have another teacher in mind - enjoy :)
@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 I’d need to buy myself an 88 key digital piano first in that case, once I can justify the funds, I know exactly where to come!
Great rendition Ron. This song is very familiar to a large proportion of people from the UK as it was the theme music to the BBC Film show for over 40 years.
Thanks Ron for shining light on that very uplifting gospel spiritual I wasn't familiar with it, it will be a great piece for me to learn especially since I've been playing piano in an all Afro American church for about 6 years now, I hardly knew any of the rep and my piano playing left much to be desired (still does) but I've come a ways, they have been very patient with me and I have to learn everything by ear as there is no written music, they just said "Do You". Also while reading through the comments someone said there are words to it (Nina Simone etc.). Loved the "Bird" story, I remember going to Birdland back in the sixties a few times, I think Chico Hamilton may have had the House Band then,... I love Debussy too...would loved to have heard it!
Have fun learning the song, Randy! You can also create gospel versions of Christmas songs like Silent Night. Listen to Kirk Franklin's "O Come All Ye Faithful." Wish I had been at the original Birdland with you!
I just discovered this song, and I am a bit surprised it is the real book and considered jazz; isnt this gospel more than anything? I'm getting major gospel vibes, reminiscent of my brief brief time in an evangelic choir.
If you enjoy gospel music, you would enjoy Andre Crouch's Live in Los Angeles performance of "Livin this Kind of Life" on RU-vid. Andre was an incredibly gifted songwriter, arranger and performer who left us too soon, and this arrangement is sure to stir your heart and lift your soul. The vocals are particularly wonderful. (the live performance in L.A.).
