Not so much a song as a tune this week.
"Boogie Number 8" https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=12889786
In a previous post I mentioned how much, as a child, I used to love sitting at the piano, making up tunes in the front room at my parents house at 20 Orchard Road. I had piano lessons, from a lovely lady called Miss Chell, at her home on Upton Road. I can only imagine how many Moretonians she taught to play!
She even managed to get me through Grade 1 piano exams. I recall doing a teenage production of "Jonah Man Jazz" at the Moreton Presbyterian Church,(myself on piano) and her being present and congratulating me on my performance. I was pleased and suitably humbled.
Not least because, as a young one, my interests were more with boogie-woogie than Bach and Beethoven. I should have paid more attention to Miss Chell, as a lack of technique and theory is not a good thing. While I did occasionally practice the pieces I was set, I was more interested in trying to figure out how to play some of the piano tunes I had heard on records.
Particular favorites and influences were;
Memphis Slim's 'Frankie and Johnny Boogie' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1P7k7nH90M
Keith Emerson playing Honky Tonk Train Blues https://youtu.be/L3mk0AEkiBY
B Bumble and the Stingers "NutRocker' https://youtu.be/gfYnq-qasiU
Masters of the craft every one of them. My own attempts seem lame in comparison.
The title "Boogie number 8" came about as a reflection on the way that composers would give their compositions numbers rather than names. For some reason that fascinated me and I mused that maybe I would name everything I ever wrote with a number instead of giving it a title. Thankfully that was not a route I followed. My music would be even more inaccessible than it already is!
The recording was done on my Alesis QS7 electric keyboard, so lacks the dynamics of an acoustic piano... but it was the best I had available at the time! Some Drums and Bass were added... well... because computers let you do that stuff these days.
My inclination to boogie woogie continues unabated. Though, I have to reluctantly admit,the passing years are making tinkling the ivories far more of a challenge than it ever was. My hands certainly no longer have the dexterity I had when younger. The little finger on my left hand in particular seems to object to being flexed. C'est la vie.
When we recently moved to Bridgehampton, NY, I was delighted to find that the church here were providing a piano at the manse! While we previously had a very out of tune piano in the basement or the garage, the poor old thing was virtually unplayable. What a genuine joy to now have an accessible fully functioning piano once more at my disposable! Been a while. So Thank you Bridgehampton Presbterians:-)
One of the first things I did when moving in was to try it out. I hadn't realized Yvonne had her iphone camera rolling, and she captured a rather rusty (particularly at the start) improvisation that I will call... "Top Hat New House Improv Boogie." It's a better title than 'Boogie number 257" lol
https://youtu.be/YcCvHk6C-wI
Have a great week and may the boogie woogies put a spring in your step!