# What a Pianist!!



## Mayerl (May 5, 2008)

If there are any more devotees of the lighter side of piano music out there, and by lighter I mean Ragtime, Novelty, Swing etc, can I suggest that you enter the name Frederick Hodges on search on YouTube. 
Until a couple of months ago I was totally unaware of this man when I discovered him almost by accident when browsing through YouTube. He appears to be well enough known in the USA but almost totally unheard of in the UK.
I shall say no more, but if this sort of music is your thing, then have a look and a listen. I would be interested in hearing opinions.
By the way, he appears, in my experience, to be the only player of this type of music who has fully mastered the sostenuto pedal; an art in itself!!


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## Guest (May 25, 2008)

Yes, He plays what used to be called Honky Tonk but for a different style of Musician how about : Andre Previn, he is a Jazz and Classical Pianist also a Conductor of considerable success.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Does any one remember George Shearing and his quintet?


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Tears for Esbjorn Iiro Rantala

Doesn't have a lot of flash, but I find him one of the more innovative piano players today.

Here is a little bit flashier one:





Iiro Rantala - Freedom


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Mayerl said:


> If there are any more devotees of the lighter side of piano music out there, and by lighter I mean Ragtime, Novelty, Swing etc, can I suggest that you enter the name Frederick Hodges on search on YouTube.
> Until a couple of months ago I was totally unaware of this man when I discovered him almost by accident when browsing through YouTube. He appears to be well enough known in the USA but almost totally unheard of in the UK.
> I shall say no more, but if this sort of music is your thing, then have a look and a listen. I would be interested in hearing opinions.
> By the way, he appears, in my experience, to be the only player of this type of music who has fully mastered the sostenuto pedal; an art in itself!!


My father played this sort of music regularly. Unfortunately he never got well known enough to make recordings


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)




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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Dan Ante said:


> Does any one remember George Shearing and his quintet?


this is one of my favorite pieces.
To me Iit's one of those examples of music that seems light and simple on the surface but it has a lot of depth, subtleness and poetry. The song is one of the most beautiful in the great american songbook (and a quite unusual song) and to me this is the definitive version. Few songs convey a nostalgia like this one for me.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Dan Ante said:


> Does any one remember George Shearing and his quintet?


Yes! Fondly. Fine musician and a nice bloke.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)




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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


>


What a talent Dud was. His deconstruction is amusing, but we also get to see his playing. He was a great jazz pianist too.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2017)

Sure he was a great talent,it is realy a pity that he died so young,the video is very funy and shows that he was a great improviser.:lol:


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Andante said:


> ... for a different style of Musician how about : Andre Previn, he is a Jazz and Classical Pianist also a Conductor of considerable success.


He was also part of the funniest comedy sketch involving a piano; Eric Morecambe what a pianist! All the notes, but not necessarily in the right order:


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Mal said:


> He was also part of the funniest comedy sketch involving a piano; Eric Morecambe what a pianist! All the notes, but not necessarily in the right order:


Ah those were the days.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)




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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


>


I bet you can't play a trumpet on your PC.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


>


You have nice fingernails.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

hpowders said:


> You have nice fingernails.


Let you on a secret, its not me


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Let you on a secret, its not me


Dashed my hopes!!!


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Dan Ante said:


> Does any one remember George Shearing and his quintet?


Wonderful hearing this again after many years. I never before noticed some of the bebop licks that Shearing had in his solo, straight out of Charlie Parker. The group is beautiful precision playing! And the harmonies were sophisticated enough that it kept the music in the foreground rather than thinking of it as background music. Shearing had a way of pulling in the listener rather than trying to impress the audience. He was around for years and deservedly quite popular. He became Sir George Shearing in 2007 when he was honored by Queen Elizabeth, and lived to the age of 91. Here's another blind musician with tremendous gifts he made the most of. What would this sometimes pitiful planet be without these inspirational figures who gave so much more to others than they took?


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

*@ Larkenfield*, I was brought up on Sheering and the MJQ, George was a bit more than nice easy music and was great with Peggy Lee. I feel the same about the MJQ they are written off to day as old hat elevator music but for me they were jazzes equivalent to the String Quartet, John Lewis a marvellous pianist just went so well with Milt Jackson, I still have some of their LPs + lots of d/l


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