Re: This guy is in a class all by himself
Quote:
While enjoying his great musical playing, I couldn't help but wonder why I am at times such a salve to looking at the fingerboard when I play.
I'd tend to agree. I had the great fortune to share the stage with a great and fairly well known blind pianist named Jay Spell for about 5 years in the 80s and I was close friends with him till he passed away a couple years ago. I had a few conversations with him about how his blindness either helped or hindered his approach to playing music. I came to realize that
watching what you're playing can interfere with
listening to what you're playing and what the other guys on stage are playing as well. He would sit down and center himself behind the piano by feeling the first and last set of black keys and then just go for it. It was all just sound for him and and no distractions. There's something to said for that I think.