Category: e) Rants & Ramblings
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On Pianos – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Here comes another blast of unashamed opinion. Looking forward to the comments! I recently got involved in a discussion about a certain piano at a venue. One chap, a knowledgeable listener and amateur tinkler, maintained that the instrument was rubbish and cited a friend of his who had performed on it and refused to touch…
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Word for the Day: Slatin
Every now and then someone coins a new word and I think it deserves to spread. I’d like to introduce you to the wonderfully descriptive term “slatin”, which comes courtesy of virtuoso percussionist João Bosco de Oliveira. Bosco will sometimes tell a little tale about one particular gig when he’d only recently arrived from Brasil in the ’80s…
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Geronimo! …and Thoughts from New Chief Sitting Bull’s Head
Let’s hope that the Evening Standard gossip column rumours about conversion of the Bull’s Head in Barnes into a ghastro pub aren’t true. It’s a great venue in a beautiful part of London, with one of the best maintained pianos in town. This just in from www.thebullshead.com : “Geronimo Inns & The Bulls Head Geronimo…
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Some Thoughts from the Piano Chair of a Jam Session
Jam sessions are a fantastic tradition, and I don’t think I know any decent jazz player that hasn’t frequented them, or even run one. These sessions fulfil so many different functions and needs. They are social events. If you’re new to town, jams are where you go to check out the scene and make contacts.…
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Flim Flam Sauce – Lies, Damn Lies & Marketing
Music has what investors would call very low “barriers to entry” – in plain English, anyone can do it. Although it takes talent and many years of perseverence to do it well, and a heavy dose of luck to get to the point where you can do it exclusively for a living. The marketing side…
Jason Lyon Music 