Ed Mascari

Conversations at the Piano

Many people I know have said that they were glad to say goodbye to 2009. With the economy, the political situation and the general morale being less than upbeat, it certainly seems like the title of today’s selection That’s All is spoken with a tone of relief. When he wrote the words to That’s All in 1952, lyricist Alan Brandt (born 1923) probably had a different thought in mind.

There is an element of humility in Brandt’s lyrics when they say, “I can only give you love…. I can only give you country walks….that’s all, that’s all.” Perhaps as we move forward into 2010, we can take solace in the fact that last year could only give us what it gave us. If we let it go, we can look ahead with a more positive outlook.

What better way is there to feel more joyful, more hopeful and more enthusiastic about life than by playing and listening to music? That’s All is the kind of a tune that leaves room for a variety of interpretations. Its composer Bob Haymes (1923-1989) was the younger brother of the singer and actor, Dick Haymes. Also known under the stage names Robert or Bob Stanton, Bob Haymes is best remembered as the composer of That’s All.  However, during his long career, he also worked as a singer, actor, radio host and television emcee.

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During my final year at Holy Cross College, my deepest desire had been to perform full-time as a jazz musician. However, due to my need to make a living, I pursued what I then thought was my secondary career, that of working as a music teacher. In order to continue performing with the Ed Mascari Jazz Quartet as well as hosting my jazz radio show on WICN-FM (both based in Worcester near the college), I accepted a teaching position at Clinton Jr. Sr. High School. Little did I know at the time that I would later establish the Ed Mascari Piano Studio’s Hudson Studio location just a few miles away from there.

Interestingly enough, it was during my first month as a brand new teacher, that the music of the Charlie Brown television programs became the way that the junior high school students related to my jazz piano playing. During those days, jazz education was in its infancy and there was little interest on the part of students for this style of music. However, when I played Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man on the piano these young people immediately and enthusiastically responded “That’s Charlie Brown music.”

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Every year, just before Thanksgiving, I start working on Christmas and other holiday songs with my piano students. For the student who has become familiar with the basic I-IV-V-I chord progression by learning how to play selections from my Six Simple Songs collection, including When the Saints Go Marching In, This Old Man and Michael Row the Boat Ashore), the most sensible seasonal selection for her to learn is Jingle Bells.

I would venture a guess that, over the years, most piano students, regardless of their playing level, have included Jingle Bells in their repertoire of holiday songs. In addition to the simplicity of learning the refrain, this song is one of the most well known Christmas holiday standards. It seems to me that whether my piano student is 6 or 66 or any age in between, he is familiar with Jingle Bells. This is no accident, especially in America.

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For those of us who live in the Northeast, snow storms are part of the winter season. I suppose it’s where you are during the storm and in the 12 to 24 hours that follow. When I was a boy, as with most children, I found that snow storms signaled school closings, sleds, snow balls and fun. Things haven’t changed very much since then. When I ask my school age piano students how they felt and what they did during and after a recent snow storm, they share similar stories.

If you’re old enough, you may remember the Blizzard of ‘78. The roads throughout Massachusetts were closed for nearly a week. My commercial group, Synergy, was scheduled to start a week’s engagement at the Marriott Hotel in Newton. After several hours of shoveling, I realized that my efforts to get to the gig were futile. This disappointed both the hotel management as well as the booking agent who had lost his 10% commission.

One of the tough things about being a full-time performing musician is that a “no play – no pay” week adds to the normal struggles of “living on the edge”. However, I enjoyed spending some unexpected time with my wife Brenda and the kids and got some much-needed rest during that week.

Needless to say, there was a sense of a Winter Wonderland during that week as we all encountered, experienced and enjoyed the beauty of the white stuff that was all around us. Nevertheless, there is a much more picturesque image that I remember when I think of a Winter Wonderland.

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As most of you know by now, I usually go to Rhapsody Music Service to locate tracks of the featured song selection for my current blog post. Having taught piano for more than three decades, I am thrilled that today I can simply tell my students to look for musical examples on the Internet. One of the best ways that a piano student of any age can find inspiration for practicing and learning a new song is to listen to a variety of performances of the particular piece being studied. I do the same myself.

Sometimes the available assortment of recordings is good, occasionally it’s disappointing and once in a while there are some real gems. I have to tell you that recently when I was working on my Beguine blog posts, I was somewhat disenchanted by selection of tracks offered for the Cole Porter standards that I had selected for the series. As a result, I was not overly hopeful when looking forward to researching versions of today’s selection I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

Boy was I surprised….. (more…)