May 2008 Music Celebrity of the Month

May's Music Celebrity of the Month is Max Steiner. Steiner was an Austrian-American film composer who scored the soundtracks to Gone With the Wind and King Kong:

He was an Academy Award winner who lived from May 10, 1888 - December 28, 1971.

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

If you'd like to learn more about Max Steiner, check out this book:

April 2008 Music Celebrity of the Month

It's been such a crazy month, filled with music festival preparations that the April Music Celebrity blog almost fell by the wayside. This month's music celebrity is American jazz composer, pianist and band leader Duke Ellington. He lived from April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974. A few of my students are studying some of his works. "It Don't Mean a Thing" is the popular choice among the group.

If you'd like to add the Duke to your music collection, check out these albums by clicking on the image below:

If you'd like to learn "It Don't Mean a Thing" or any of the Duke's other songs, head to Sheetmusicplus.com and choose which version you want.

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Cal Band Video Game Show - Half Time Intermission

Thanks to my brother for this one. Last year, the Cal Band performed a video game music medley, complete with impressive choreography.

Musings on One Fun Gig

Today I had the pleasure of performing background music at a 90th birthday party. The "birthday boy" is looking very hearty and hale. Both he and his wife could easily be mistaken for being 20 years younger. When I first spoke to the couple, they requested that I play a wide range of music as the youngest family member is 3 months old, while the "birthday boy" represents the top end. I really enjoyed putting this program together, which had everything from All of Me and Fly Me to the Moon to Avril Lavigne's Breakaway and Super Mario Brothers; with some improvising thrown in.

The great grandchildren came to chat with me about music, Guitar Hero II and karate while I played the Inspector Gadget Theme and Willy Wonka's Welcome Song. One six-year old asked if he could play with me so we jammed on a boogie pattern while his cousins bopped to the music and "comped" when the inspiration struck.

They said my hands moved pretty fast. Meanwhile, I was thinking, "I need to practice my scales even more!" I stayed to chat afterwards with one of the grandchidlren, a former coworker of mine whom I haven't seen in years. It was a pleasant surprise to see her there.

The gig wasn't without its glitches. My break was used up over a dropped key. When the party moved to the venue's dining room, I found the piano locked. I went to get the key when it fell into the piano. Three gentlemen (four if you count my six-year old assistant) tried to pull it out because it fell in the most inconvenient spot.

I also think perhaps the Heritage Park ghosts decided to play a practical joke on me as my pages kept flipping on their own during my Beatles songs and Breakaway. Perhaps it was their way of saying that they wanted more ragtime and boogie? Who knows?

With a bit of tweaking and revising, I think I can reuse the program at future gigs.

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Oscar Peterson Remembered

Canadian jazz legend, pianist, composer, Grammy Award winner, humanitarian and Order of Canada recipient Oscar Peterson passed away on December 23. He was of 82.

Oscar Peterson's website, containing news, biographical, band, journal, discography, photos, audios and more.Wikipedia article on Oscar PetersonCBC tribute to Oscar PetersonThe Press Association's article, Tributes Pour In for Oscar PetersonCollections Canada websiteThe Toronto Star's memoriamThe Canadian EncyclopediaLoss of a Legend - CTV Tribute

"C Jam Blues" never sounded so fine!

This is one of the Oscar Peterson CD's in my music collection: