I came to the song in the "Alice in Wonderland" excerpt below, like some others, through Bill Evans, and his superb interpretation of it. Of course, I try to sound like Tyrone A. Gaskins. "In this video, I  speak to the circle of 4ths/5ths that Bill uses in his delivery in this song; referencing movement in the circle by b5. Not entirely correct. The circle is manifested through a combination of P5s, and b5 movement; further within this movement the chord structures change until they come home (generally back to the II/V/I). I'll get more specific after doing a brief analysis the next time I upload the rest of this video - mistakenly, the solo in F was inadvertently cut out.  If necessary I'll make another podcast." 

 

Musician feedback and other feedback as well, is always appreciated. Visit 88muses.com to learn more about the development of Tyrone A Gaskins as an artist and ways to connect. Earbuds perpetually recommended.

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Tyrone Anthony's growing piano technique, uniquely his own, draws upon the traditional styles of jazz pianists such as Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, Thelonius Monk, and Bill Evans. Tyrone Anthony is also influenced by contemporary artists such as Herbie Hancock, Junior Mance, Ramsey Lewis and many others. He doesn't claim and dares not, to sound like any of them; this sojourn at the 88's is entirely his own and his developing pianistic voice in the post jazz stylings and idioms of contemporary pop and standard compositions, are  designed to be uniquely original.    

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He states,"Much of what I've accomplished at the instrument is strictly self study; loving it, investigating it, and longing to learn its capabilities.  I've used it as a healing salve in my own trials... the piano would always listen... As a child I took some short duration of lessons, I guess about nine or ten years of age for about a year, I couldn't even give you the name of my teacher or what I learned.  I was no prodigy; I had to earn it; I'm still earning it.  I remember my father would dread me playing piano exercises, basic Czerny, for the repetition drove him crazy.   He was a R&B, Blues guy.  He expected me to hammer that out and had nothing but micro aggression about the rest; he didn't know he was framing my initial trauma to sharing my work."  

 

"Nevertheless, during my teens in the Bronx and NY State, wherever there was a place to play, I would, but I had no direction.  I practiced often at Sullivan County Community College, where the piano got little use.  It was at Cortland State University and Old Westbury State College, that I began to gather the tools I would need to learn the instrument.  Up until this time, I was simply committed to playing and learning in an unstructured way.  I spent much time in the music buildings of Hofstra University, and even now at The College of New Jersey and Princeton University, honing this craft... and its starting to click after 40 years."  Tyrone continues, "I fell in love with the piano in the 1st grade at a dedication ceremony in our school. The woman played the Black National Anthem and the sonority of the instrument moved through me... at 6.  It was then that knew, if it took me a lifetime, I would learn to play the 88 keys and play jazz piano..." 

 

He conveys that Jazz Piano is challenging and requires the chops and fluidity of the trained classical pianist, an ability to swing, and an ear that hears colors; integrated in strong theory and key modulations.  Jazz is after all African American Classical Music, borne of the integration of blues, gospel and classical genres.  It is not a learning curve for the faint of heart, and for those not prodigies, it is a steep learning curve indeed -to play professional jazz piano.  Wishing you all the best of rejuvenating and consciously prosperous musicianship.