piano appreciation day1

Today is Piano Appreciation Day and the speaker talks about Oscar Peterson, a left-handed pianist. They describe Peterson's unique talent and the richness he brought to jazz music. The speaker recommends listening to Peterson's version of "Sea Jam Blues" and watching a live video of him playing. They also mention another pianist, Alma Deutscher, who is a composer and performer. The speaker reflects on their own experience with playing the piano and discusses the importance of community and supporting other talented individuals. They end by mentioning good news about a football player and inviting suggestions for other piano players to listen to. Today is Piano Appreciation Day. I'm going to take the time to talk about Oscar Peterson. I'm going to have a lot of air space. I have no script. I didn't read anyone's book. Just going off of observation, the eye test, even with my less-than-perfect vision, and going off of a concert I went to with my beloved father, also just common sense. He was the only true left-handed pianist, Oscar Peterson the only one. Have patience with me, I'm honest, please, I'm honest. I imagined a cartoon drawing of the man with one hand that had ten fingers, then there was the left hand. With each era, each jazz musician tried to make the cake richer, but no one could make it richer than Oscar. He made chords that grew. I was struck when I first saw him live in concert by his left-hand solo ability, never seen anything like it before or since. You know, sometimes a person can see something and think it's for them. It could take them maybe almost a lifetime to find out that it's not. With all the trying, with all the not knowing, and all the feeling that you might have it, only to find that you don't. You can pretty much get how I'm feeling about that. Oscar Peterson definitely was in his zone with the piano. I've heard the term left-handed piano player applied to some classical musicians, and I'm not saying that all these pianists weren't full of dexterity, but you know a left-handed pianist when you hear him, and that he was. If you ever get an opportunity to listen to a song, listen to Sea Jam Blues, the Oscar Peterson version, and make sure you catch a live, well, a video of him playing live, you know, a video as opposed to a picture of him standing near a piano. Although if you capture a video with a picture of him standing at a piano, you'll get a gist of what he's been doing, but from the version that I watched, listened to, it ended before the ending of the song. So the live video really is preferable. Now I know Johann Sebastian Bach is known for contrapuntal, but Peterson is known for being the left-handed piano player. Here's a difference. I'm grateful for what I have and had, I know he was, and of course can't stand the pain But, if you're going to know about me, I'm going to always be graphic and honest. I believe Oscar Peterson had the greatest musicians surrounding him, backing him, the greatest, but I believe it took 40 years for them to really catch up with him. That's how good he was. I think they were only able to catch up with him after his stroke, and even then, his right hand still had ten fingers. I just got finished watching what I believe was a post-stroke video. A gift is a gift. Sometimes you have to hear it. A description isn't good enough. Yes, a practice in listening to my monologues is a practice in getting used to airspace. At least some of them, up to this point. I believe in community. Community is when you're not threatened by someone else who has talent. You're not just saying you're not threatened. You prove in your actions that you're not threatened. You're not about competing, though you are about being the best. You're not about putting others down in a subliminal fashion. You're not about making them feel isolated or like they should be afraid to approach you a second time. You're willing to broadcast, advertise them for free. I mean, really, all of them. You don't form a circle and leave others out. On that note, let me recommend another pianist. You've probably heard of her. Alma Deutscher. She's a classical pianist and a composer. Arranger and conductor. She's 17 years old. She bills herself as a composer first. At least that's what I see on her social media. As a critic, perhaps I would say she's a virtuoso performer first. But she is definitely a genius composer. She also has a singing voice, too. But she's modest, of course. Just like Oscar Peterson was modest. You should hear the cadenza that she has for one Mozart piece that I heard her play. I don't know which one it is, but you'll know it when you hear it. While you're at it, going back to Oscar Peterson. I believe he wrote that one. A masterpiece without drums. Although I couldn't get a hold of the piano myself, I still appreciate it. And those who greatly play it. I spent pretty much a lifetime playing just enough chords to be feeling like a carrot was being dangled. But I could never truly get that dexterity. Never could sight read. I know that's a requirement. I try to convince myself that you shouldn't have to be having a dexterity or sight reading ability to play the piano. If you can play anything, some sort of chord, that's enough. On some level, someone might be able to do just with that. I could not. If I wanted to write a song, it was too much dexterity for my fingers. You can't force yourself to write a song. You're not the one actually writing it, so you can't control how it's going to come out. That's all I can say. I heard good news about the football player tomorrow, Hamlin. No matter how much you protest something, you're always going to be seen professing its truth. Go ahead and think about that one. Maybe there's a piano player that you know of and really can't get enough of hearing. Perhaps if you're inclined, you can leave suggestions in the comments section. Meanwhile, though, if you give Oscar Peterson a listen, that's Peterson, S-O-N, and I'm a Deutscher whose name is a little more difficult to spell. I believe it's capital D-E-U-T-S-C-H-E-R, comma, A-L-M-A, capital A. You won't be disappointed in their sound. Until next time, folks. And next time is now. I know what I'm referring to when I say no. I sound weirdly different to me every time I do another recording. Okay.