Singing Pianists and Piano Playing Singers

[cookie]

I wanted to start a thread about people who sing and play. I think it's one of the hardest things to do because you're responsible for so much. For me, the problem is that though I feel very confident as a vocalist, my piano chops are still developing. When I'm comping using rootless voicings, I find that I sing with very different phrasing, in part because I'm consciously thinking of what to do with my hands. A piano player friend of mine has the opposite (but ultimately the same) problem: he's a great pianist but finds it hard to sing *and* play at the same time.

I really respect somebody who can pull of this dual role well. Right now, my very favorite is Dena DeRose. I particularly enjoy her approach to arranging and I enjoy her voicings and solos. I hear growth in her musicianship from her earlier recordings to her most recent. She inspires my own practice. I want to play and sing like that.

I like Diana Krall as well, though I prefer Dena's material and arranging. I also love Patti Wicks,Shirley Horn and Blossom Dearie. I can appreciate Patricia Barber although her music doesn't grab me viscerally.

Would love to hear some talk about who's out there playing and singing and about the particular challenges of doing so.

[yardbird]

Interesting thread. In addition to the ones you mention, you have the males, Nat King Cole who started as pianoplayer and ended up a singer. Oscar Peterson is definitely a piano player who occasionally took (takes?) a vocal chorus, and then you have the new generation like Connick, Cullum and Cincotti.

There's a young Azerbadjan girl Aziza Mustafa Zadeh who is great in both the vocal and piano department, check her out, she's something special - IMO her earliest records are best.

Can't be of much help in the tecnical dept - I'm a lousy piano player and an even worse singer, and trying to do the two things simultaneoulsy usually mean disaster.

[Bruce Lindfield]

There are a few good pianist/singers in Britain, besides of course : Jamie Cullum!!

So - Pete Churchill, is soembody I admire for his knowledge of the Jazz standard repertoire and so much more - he's an all round great guy and teacher as well!

Lianne Caroll is another in the same mould although maybe more in the "virtuoso" class on both counts - very passionate - and she has just relased an album which is entirely her and piano - nobody else!! "Billy No Mates" !!

There is also Ian Shaw, who is mostly a vocalist but plays piano live.

[Gentle Giant]

Ray Charles, hands down.

[cookie]

Yeah! good: some names I've never heard and also some "right ons!"

Fats Waller always charmed me. Still does.

And yes, I was completely remiss in not mentioning Nat Cole. Without Nat Cole, you have no Diana Krall. Cole's influence on her is more than apparent. Some people hold that against her ("oh, she's not breaking new ground" but some people say, "hey, she sounds pretty good---reminds me of Nat Cole". Different strokes for different folks...).

Ray Charles also gets my "right on" and Donald Fagan also came to mind. If we're going to go beyond jazz to embrace all popular music, you could also point to Elton John and Billy Joel just to name a couple of mainstream examples.

And sure, let's throw in Norah Jones. She's alright. But I'm more impressed with Alicia Keys. She reminds me of Stevie Wonder. (*STEVIE WONDER!!* That man can sing and play!). Alicia is very smart and creative---an excellent musician, IMO.

[graypencil]

Of the senior generation, I'd also mention two guys ( one pretty well known and another a bit more obscure for many folks ):

Buddy Greco ..he has the facility to do what Cookie is adressing with great fluency ..and a great bebop pianist as well.

Joe Massters ..originally from Boston where he played in the 50s with Herb Pomeroy. Charlie Mariano and all the stars of that area , and now, after a long career in Palm Springs, he now lives out here in Bellingham( along with GP ..) unfortunately, his health has been a bit dicey lately . His vocal and piano style is very much in the Greco/ Matt Dennis bag ..

and then there was Chico ( Frankie ) Randall ..what ever became of him ?

[stonemonkts]

As long as non-jazz artists are ok to name, I'd like to mention two of my very favorites: Gary Brooker (Procol Harum singer/pianist) and Tom Waits.

[Valerie]

i'd like to submit another vote for patti wicks. she's outstanding!

[Gentle Giant]

Here's another legend: Mose Allison. Perhaps better known for his composing than either his singing or piano playing, he remains one of a kind.

[cookie]

Bob Dorough and Dave Frischberg! Yeah!

[SinginSumo]

Originally Posted by yardbird

Interesting thread.

There's a young Azerbadjan girl Aziza Mustafa Zadeh who is great in both the vocal and piano department, check her out, she's something special - IMO her earliest records are best.

Had to go to Amazon France to hear some song samples from this artist (whom I had never heard or heard of). I really enjoyed the bits that I was able to hear! Finding a new artist that you dig by reading what other listeners are grooving to is, for me, the quintessential reason to read these threads!

BIG THANKS TO YARDBIRD!

[Mike Schwartz]

Freddie Cole will often play with a band, but on those occasions he does both roles is first rate.

Let us not forget Andy Bey!

[yardbird]

SinginSumo,

Glad you liked AMZ. Forgot to mention that she has recorded both solo and with trio, but of the CD's I've heard, I prefer the soloes which I think expose her individuality better.

[sashabur]

I like Annette Peacock very much. She is not a piano virtuoso, or a great singer, but she is a very interesting performer with a distinct voice, and her skills are adequate to what she is doing. Well, I have no idea what she is doing now, but her albums from the 80-s are just cool. And, hey, they say she invented free-form song as well.

[Gary Sisco]

Shirley Horn baby.

[Root Doctor]

Another non-jazzer: Richard Manuel.

[clinthopson]

I have always enjoyed George Shearing's vocalizing.

An don't forget Carmen McRae was a pretty fair piano player.

We caught Mose Allison last fall in N.O. and he still is delivering the playing and singing.

Dave Frishberg is playing in L.A. this week which means that the average IQ in Smogville has gone up several points.

[cookie]

Wow! This thread is turning out great! Thanks, guys!

Clint: thanks for mentioning Carmen McCrae. I've been looking for recordings of her singing and playing (I just got a nice heads-up from another friend, but would have to go check the email for the info to post it). Also, Sarah Vaughan had a good reputation as a piano player. Did she not play for Billy Eckstine? Maybe I'm remembering wrong. Anyway, I wish I could hear what Sass sounded like.

Also, I heard a recent Bill Mays recording where he sang. It was absolutely charming.

[cookie]

Part II (The program wouldn't let me post all of this at once!):

The mention of Annette Peacock interested me. I am totally unfamiliar with her music but this line struck me:"her skills are adequate to what she is doing."

That's what's so funny about the playing and singing combo. You don't have to be a very good pianist or a very good singer, but you have to figure out how to make your strengths work for you. Graypencil suggested to me once that essentially, I could play less when singing and that when I filled, I could fill simply. Essentially, when I'm singing, I play sparingly, but when I'm not singing, I can devote my entire mind to the piano.

I think some pianist/singers depend more on their piano chops or on their voice depending on which came first. Then you have others who have limitations in both departments, but make them work. Then there are still others who seem equally accomplished in both areas.

[cookie]

Part III (guess I was more long-winded than I thought!)
A few examples of what I'm talking about:
Primary: piano/Secondary: voice
Bill Mays

Primary:voice/Secondary: piano
Carmen McRae
Sass (so I'm told)

Limited, but make it work:
Bob Dorough
Frischberg
Mose Allison (his strength is his writing)

Accomplished in both areas:
Nat Cole
Dena DeRose

[cookie]

Part IV:
Now, this list is FAR from complete and my measurement of "accomplished" and "limited" could lead to hours of debate. I'm thinking more in a technical manner *and* where the voice is concerned, I'm also thinking of natural beauty of the voice (the thing that makes us all unique) and manner of using it. But I think you see what I'm getting at.

The first person I ever heard ask a pianist/singer which he was more comfortable with was Bill Mays about 15 years ago. The kid admitted he was a pianist first, but Harry Connick was all the rage at the time so the kid thought he'd try singing, which thankfully he was good enough to do.

I definitely consider singing my primary strength and my piano playing to be an adjunct. I used to tell my mentor that I was a first-class third-rate pianist. I'm inching my way toward 2nd-rate everyday though!

Anyway, that's my meditation on singing and playing for today!

Oh, yeah....and Nina Simone!

[Gentle Giant]

Nina Simone!


Even though she clunks a chord in it, "Seems I'm Never Tired Loving You" slays me every time.

[clinthopson]

Speaking singing/playing trios, one of the long time stalwarts in the L.A. scene is Page Cavanaugh.

Page has been doing his thing since the 40's and is still going strong.

[Pete C]

CHARLES F*ING BROWN!

[Mike Schwartz]

Charles was astounding, having seen him, luckily, many times in his home strech. I helped carry him in a wheelchair to the stage at one of the past San Jose Festivals.

He was in good spirits and relatively decent health at the time, other than he couldn't stay on his feet for long or confidently navigate some stairs. He made way too much fuss over me and the other guy who pitched in for a few moments, and proceeded to slay a large loving audience!

At another sit down talk, Mr. Brown told me at great detail of the faith healing he experienced in later life that allowed him his final comeback years of playing, recording, and performing .
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The late Hadda Brooks was a hoot, never without a cocktail at hand, very entertaining with her combination of singing raunchy blues and torch songs and accompanied herself at piano.
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Another who was excellent at the piano and humorous and entertaining as hell as a singer who spent major time in the Bay Area and was LOVED by all who witnessed her; Dorothy Donegan, who is also gone...

She would change-up [sometimes in the same song[ boogie-woogie, stride, Tatum_esque swing and was a brilliant virtuoso like pianist.

Thanks for the thread Cookie, to bring back memories of such amazing musicians and personalities!

[james harrigan]

Originally Posted by Mike Schwartz

Let us not forget Andy Bey!

I dunno know about that, Mike. My only exposure to Bey is his "Ballads, Blues, and Bey" album, and one reaction I had was that it would have been a lot stronger with a more accomplished pianist. Great singer, though.

[sashabur]

Ah, and I absolutely have to add Amina Claudine Myers!

[Mike Schwartz]

James H,
The qualifier with Bey, to me is that he is highly effective and knows exactly where he's going when he plays and sings. One skill or talent does not take away from the other.

That's not saying that he's as gifted on keys as some of the talented names on his various projects.
Also having seen him solo, left no reason at all to wish he had not done so. To me on ballads he's the best pianist he can hire...

[Pete C]

I agree with Mike about Bey. I'm going to see him at my local music school on Saturday night. Yipee!

Freddie Cole is a pretty good self-accompanist too.

[Lehinchi]

Here in Chicago, I have enjoyed the music of Singer/Pianists Audrey Morris and Judy Roberts for the last 40 years or so.
Can we also include Frank D'Rone in this topic? (Singer/Guitarist)

Leon Harris