Al compás del mundo- #115

Al compás del mundo- #115 - Piano Music

Wikipedia informs me that Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian maker of string instruments, is credited with the invention of the piano in the 1720’s. So, a piano today has 88 keys, far more than the original model. In those seven octaves+ there’s a world of music waiting to come out that Cristofori could never have envisioned. I imagine a creative pianist staring at the keyboard and visualizing a sculptural block with inherent musicality anticipating release. Carve a little here; emphasize some there; craft the tune to their desire though within the structure of what the instrument allows for. And that allowance is ample. I’ve heard that playing the piano is like having an entire orchestra at your command. Thinking of what emotions come to play, I expect truly every emotion can be expressed: light and lilting, heavy and percussive, inspirational, or just a ton of fun.

There’s a little of all this and a lot more in this week’s Al compas del mundo. Old standards like On the Sunny Side of the Street, Lamento Cubano, and Wade in the Water; world music contributions from Iran, Ethiopia, Spain, Cuba and South Africa; distinct versions of rock and blues – Otis Spann, John Cale; more label-resistant approaches in the hands of Lou Harrison and Jason Moran; and straight-ahead (or voluptuously curved) jazz from the likes of masters Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Randy Weston and Keith Jarrett. Just a tip of the iceberg for listeners but, hopefully, one that will satisfy as an hour well spent. - J.H.

Run list for Piano Music
First broadcast 2-15-24

01 James Booker - On the Sunny Side of the Street (USA)

02 Bebo Valdes - Lamento Cubano (Cuba)

03 Abdullah Ibrahim – Gwidza (South Africa)

04 Art Tatum - Just-A-Sittin' and A-Rockin' (USA)

05 Bud Powell – Hallucinations (USA)

06 Randy Weston - African Village-Bedford-Stuyvesant (USA)

07 Mulatu Astatke - Phantom of the Panther (Ethiopia)

08 John Cale - Ides of March (England)

09 Lou Harrison - Suite for violin, piano & small orchestra (USA)

10 Javad Maroufi - Jila (Iran)

11 Hank Jones and Charlie Haden - Wade In the Water (USA)

12 Otis Spann - Spann's Boogie (USA)

13 Chano Domínguez - Monasterio de Sal (Spain)

14 Jason Moran - RFK in The Land Of Apartheid (USA)

15 Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden - No Moon at All (USA)

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