My name is Dotan Negrin and this is my space. Read stories from my travels across the World. Listen to my music. Look at photos of my beautiful dog, Brando. Lets have a discussion about the piano and music! Message me!
Recent posts
This is a pretty amazing Keith Emerson Organ solo.
This is a pretty amazing Keith Emerson Organ solo.
i think I posted this once before, but I’m posting it again because I love Hiromi’s style.
i think I posted this once before, but I’m posting it again because I love Hiromi’s style.
Q & A with Bobby McFerrin: Read this if you want to be inspired.
I had the opportunity to see Bobby McFerrin live and it was a truly inspiring performance and a life lesson on how to work an audience. After the performance, there was a Q & A with the audience. Here are a few of the questions asked:
What kind of music do you like?
“I like most things. I like anything that swings and has a nice beat to it. The kind of music I don’t like is the kind that is violent in nature or misogynistic or oversexed. There’s so many songs out there that are very degrading to women. I don’t like songs that are negative and have no redemptive value.”
What do you like about improvising?
“The thing that I like about improvising, just generally is the fact that you are doing something only one time. And there is something extraordinarily beautiful to me about that.
The first two pieces that I do at every concert are improvised. That’s sort of a rule of thumb for me. Its funny it used to only be the first piece, but then I discovered that after improvising the first piece the most difficult decision was to figure out what I would be doing for the second piece. So I decided to make the second piece another improv. And then after that it’s up for grabs, whatever comes to mind at the time. The halls are different, the audiences are different, and I just kind of go with whatever I’m feeling at the time.”
What is your favorite album of all time?
“…For classic rock music an album Eric Clapton, Ric Grech, Ginger Baker, and Steve Winwood did called, Blind Faith…
…Keith Jarretts first solo album called, Facing You. And Miles Davis Live Evil….”
When you improvise, do you ever get jammed up?
“At the very beginning of the show, when I do my solo improves, I ignore the audience. And I actually like a dark house where I cant see anyone. I like to get to the hall at the last second so I don’t have the hall in me. I like to have the street in me. So I get to the hall maybe ten minutes to 8 o clock. That’s the way I like it. I never get jammed in an improv because fundamentally improv is simply motion. The most courageous thing you need to do is keep singing keep playing. So you never stop. You would stop if you wrre thinking about what you’re doing. But if you don’t think about that and you just keep your attention on the motion the notes just continue to flow.”
…And here is another Comedy routine by Lee Evans using a piano. Enjoy!
…And here is another Comedy routine by Lee Evans using a piano. Enjoy!
This review is a bit overdue, but because of a request, i decided to post it.
Yann Tiersen at the Concert Hall – October 8, 2010
I was brimming with excitement after I bought my $47.50 ticket to see Yann Tiersen at the Concert Hall in New York City. I walked into the hall to see other young fan’s who were also excited to see a musician who is known to be a Virtuoso in multiple instruments including piano, guitar, violin, and accordion. Ten minutes before the show was to begin I sat down and talked to some of the people who were sitting next to me. We discussed the music from the soundtrack of Amelie, which Yann is most famous for and many people were saying how they couldn’t wait to hear specific songs of his.
And so we waited…..and waited….and waited for 45 minutes until the 20 piece orchestra came out with Yann Tiersen and his disheveled hair. I was a bit annoyed that at his East Coast debut he would come out so late. But I forgave him and watched the first piece with 2 violins in awe. I was really into it at first but as each song began and ended I was becoming very impatient. It seemed as if every song sounded the same and that each song was not recognizable at all. And then it hit me. He was playing everything from his new album. The problem with this is that many of us came there to hear the songs that made us fall in love with him and yet we were completely unsatisfied. I think it’s important, especially in a foreign country, to play a few of the songs that made you famous in that country because that is what your fans want to hear.
Most of the songs were of him on the guitar with a few other vocalists, the orchestra and a man on an electronic synth machine which gave every song a strong reverb quality. I didn’t think the vocals were necessary and that they took away from the musical experience. None of the vocalists were even close to spectacular. Here’s another video with the vocals.
There was only one piece that stood out and was a very moving, a solo viola piece called, Sur le Fil. Judging from the partial standing ovation, some people enjoyed it and when he came out for an encore I was hoping that he would bring out something from Amelie but instead he gave us a 2 minute performance of him playing really fast 16th notes on the violin with a drummer. Not the best choice for an encore. In the end, I don’t think Yann Tiersen is a bad musician or performer, but this seems to be a similar experience that many other fans have had in the past with his performances.
Above you can see some unreleased footage of Yann playing Sur le Fil.
This review is a bit overdue, but because of a request, i decided to post it.
Yann Tiersen at the Concert Hall – October 8, 2010
I was brimming with excitement after I bought my $47.50 ticket to see Yann Tiersen at the Concert Hall in New York City. I walked into the hall to see other young fan’s who were also excited to see a musician who is known to be a Virtuoso in multiple instruments including piano, guitar, violin, and accordion. Ten minutes before the show was to begin I sat down and talked to some of the people who were sitting next to me. We discussed the music from the soundtrack of Amelie, which Yann is most famous for and many people were saying how they couldn’t wait to hear specific songs of his.
And so we waited…..and waited….and waited for 45 minutes until the 20 piece orchestra came out with Yann Tiersen and his disheveled hair. I was a bit annoyed that at his East Coast debut he would come out so late. But I forgave him and watched the first piece with 2 violins in awe. I was really into it at first but as each song began and ended I was becoming very impatient. It seemed as if every song sounded the same and that each song was not recognizable at all. And then it hit me. He was playing everything from his new album. The problem with this is that many of us came there to hear the songs that made us fall in love with him and yet we were completely unsatisfied. I think it’s important, especially in a foreign country, to play a few of the songs that made you famous in that country because that is what your fans want to hear.
Most of the songs were of him on the guitar with a few other vocalists, the orchestra and a man on an electronic synth machine which gave every song a strong reverb quality. I didn’t think the vocals were necessary and that they took away from the musical experience. None of the vocalists were even close to spectacular. Here’s another video with the vocals.
There was only one piece that stood out and was a very moving, a solo viola piece called, Sur le Fil. Judging from the partial standing ovation, some people enjoyed it and when he came out for an encore I was hoping that he would bring out something from Amelie but instead he gave us a 2 minute performance of him playing really fast 16th notes on the violin with a drummer. Not the best choice for an encore. In the end, I don’t think Yann Tiersen is a bad musician or performer, but this seems to be a similar experience that many other fans have had in the past with his performances.
Above you can see some unreleased footage of Yann playing Sur le Fil.
Song of the Day #71: Ben Folds- One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
I love how Ben Fold’s rocks out on the piano. He looks like he’s holding a guitar and ready to headbang for an hour. This definitely has to be one of Ben Folds’ most rockin’ tune. The chorus is so catchy with those chromatic movements. I think this is a really well made song because both the A section and B section are really catchy, they make me want to move, and he does a solo in the middle of the song. I would love to see this song done live.
Have you ever been to a Ben Folds Concert?
Song of the Day #71: Ben Folds- One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
I love how Ben Fold’s rocks out on the piano. He looks like he’s holding a guitar and ready to headbang for an hour. This definitely has to be one of Ben Folds’ most rockin’ tune. The chorus is so catchy with those chromatic movements. I think this is a really well made song because both the A section and B section are really catchy, they make me want to move, and he does a solo in the middle of the song. I would love to see this song done live.
Have you ever been to a Ben Folds Concert?
After receiving 10 responses, here is what I chose….Thank you all!
Song of the Day #34 (Brought to you by mystrea)
Editors: No sound but the wind (live @ Glastonbury 2010)
it’s a really beautiful song.. Tom Smith is my favourite singer, his voice is a miracle. This song, “No sound but the wind” was featured on the New Moon OST, but I chose the live version, because that’s slower and I like it better. But the studio version is great too. Tom sings this song in live with different lyric, because he wrote it originally to his son, but he created an other version for the OST of the New Moon, with different lyric. I love both of the versions.
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I agree. I think it is a beautiful song as well. I heard the Editors once, but i wasn’t as into them as i was with this song. His voice is very operatic and bold. It almost makes you shutter because you don’t hear many rock or pop artists with such deep vibrant voices. It is a very passionate song that makes me listen more to the lyrics than the music itself. Here is the studio recording.
After receiving 10 responses, here is what I chose….Thank you all!
Song of the Day #34 (Brought to you by mystrea)
Editors: No sound but the wind (live @ Glastonbury 2010)
it’s a really beautiful song.. Tom Smith is my favourite singer, his voice is a miracle. This song, “No sound but the wind” was featured on the New Moon OST, but I chose the live version, because that’s slower and I like it better. But the studio version is great too. Tom sings this song in live with different lyric, because he wrote it originally to his son, but he created an other version for the OST of the New Moon, with different lyric. I love both of the versions.
———————————————————————-
I agree. I think it is a beautiful song as well. I heard the Editors once, but i wasn’t as into them as i was with this song. His voice is very operatic and bold. It almost makes you shutter because you don’t hear many rock or pop artists with such deep vibrant voices. It is a very passionate song that makes me listen more to the lyrics than the music itself. Here is the studio recording.
# 8 Song of the Day: Billy Joel- Piano Man (Live in Toyko 2006)
Oh, come on! How could not expect me to post this song? I dont think there is one piano player out there that doesn’t know this song (there may be one). This is a rock ‘n roll classic, that will never be forgotten. And although, i do think there are better pianists out there than Billy Joel, he has created a huge force of musical power through his timeless music. Not only does he play piano, he sings, AND plays the harmonica.
Watching this video you can hear a crowd of thousands singing the lyrics to the song, they practically kick him off the mic! That is something not many musicians can say they’ve experienced. I can count them on the fingers of my piano hands.
Have you ever been to a concert like this? Where?
# 8 Song of the Day: Billy Joel- Piano Man (Live in Toyko 2006)
Oh, come on! How could not expect me to post this song? I dont think there is one piano player out there that doesn’t know this song (there may be one). This is a rock ‘n roll classic, that will never be forgotten. And although, i do think there are better pianists out there than Billy Joel, he has created a huge force of musical power through his timeless music. Not only does he play piano, he sings, AND plays the harmonica.
Watching this video you can hear a crowd of thousands singing the lyrics to the song, they practically kick him off the mic! That is something not many musicians can say they’ve experienced. I can count them on the fingers of my piano hands.
Have you ever been to a concert like this? Where?
