Grousing The Aisles: Piano Men

Bruce Hornsby recently played a series of solo acoustic gigs at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. I’ve been a Bruce fan since I was 10, and The Way It Is played every five minutes on Z100. Usually I like Hornsby better with a full band. When it is just him and a piano, Bruce tends to move too quickly from song to song and never really gives each tune the time it deserves. But Bruce takes it slow at the show featured in this torrent, hitting on songs from all different eras of his work, gently moving between the songs without making the listener feel like he or she is in a rush.

Gonna Be Some Changes Made from 2004’s Halycon Days benefits the most from the solo treatment. Rainbow’s Cadillac and King of the Hill also sound great with just Bruce’s voice and piano. Check out Hooray For Tony, where Hornsby gives a shout out to St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who was in attendance.

Herbie Hancock 07/09/91 SBD (FLAC):

Over on shnflac.net — a great site for downloading live music — they have a tradition called Jazz Sunday when people upload their favorite jazz shows. On Sunday someone uploaded this rarely circulated soundboard featuring a supergroup of Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Wayne Shorter and Omar Hakim.

The first track is a take on Charles Mingus’s Goodbye Porkpie Hat: Shorter and Hancock both take turns playing terrific solos during this 13-minute epic. One of the best tracks from this show is a straight take on Maiden Voyage, from Hancock’s 1965 album of the same name. Each musician gets his chance to shine, and the interplay between the musicians is otherworldly.

It isn’t often that I listen to straight-up jazz, but I’m glad I decided to check out this show as an example of the best of the genre.

Billy Joel 06/10/76 FM (FLAC):

We can’t discuss the best piano men without throwing Billy Joel into the mix. I went to summer camp with a bunch of Jewish kids from Long Island (not unlike Ace), so I grew up on his music. Back then we would only listen to his greatest hits, but as I got older I discovered the amazing album tracks that didn’t get played on the radio. Songs such as I’ve Loved These Days and Miami 2017 show off the nuanced songwriting that made Joel a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

This recording comes from the beginning of Joel’s career, before he became a big shot, when Billy was featuring material from the recently released Turnstiles at the legendary Bottom Line cabaret in NYC. The show starts off hot with an incredible piano solo leading into Angry Young Man. Other highlights include the aforementioned Miami 2017, Captain Jack, and Souvenir. Check it.

Got anything for your ol’ pal Scotty or the rest of the class? Share below…