He is awesome! I bought his 1997 album "Down in Mississippi" - a full album of just his voice and his piano. It's great to listen to; it's really something when someone can entertain with just their voice and one instrument.
And he does provide a full sound like that. I remember a quote from Adam who said something like "How to you get two people to sound like a full band? You play perfectly in tune." Well, Pinetop does it by creating a groove and sitting perfectly on it.
I have been meaning to pull it out and practice comping, actually...
arzajac That was way back when he was in his early 80s...he is a much more seasoned bluesman now...lol
I bet that album would be good to jam with since it won't be so full of drums and guitars.
I was in front of the stage last year when he sat down at the keyboards. After a few notes he complained about the tuning. You could tell he was unhappy but carried on anyway...and no one else could tell.
Do they have blues tunings for piano? blues 3rd and such?
Was he playing a keyboard or a real piano? A real piano could have been out of tune, but they often are anyway. A keyboard could just have had a bad sound compared to a real piano.
The way I was taught to hit a blue note on piano is to slide from the minor to the major in one motion. This works better in some keys than others. Like F or G where you go from a black key and slide down (up) to a white key. In A, you need to go from a white key to a black key so it's less smooth.
I think either of those instruments can go or be out of tune... What I know of Pinetop is that he has a memory like a steel trap. I would imagine he remembers a whole lot more than you think he would. You have to remember it has been a very long line up, but he has always been sharp and deliberate. I wouldn't be surprised if he went out that way. I wouldn't want to bet into him in a game of hearts either...! Happy Birthday Willie! ----------
Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2010 12:15 AM
