Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

RIP Richard Rodney Bennett http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/25/composer-richard-rodney-bennett-dies

51 views
Skip to first unread message

Jerry Willard

unread,
Dec 25, 2012, 3:16:13 PM12/25/12
to
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/25/composer-richard-rodney-bennett-dies

Murdick

unread,
Dec 25, 2012, 4:02:46 PM12/25/12
to
On Tuesday, December 25, 2012 2:16:13 PM UTC-6, Jerry Willard wrote:
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/25/composer-richard-rodney-bennett-dies

I'm sorry to hear that. He was at Peabody when I was there. Very interesting guy.

thomas

unread,
Dec 25, 2012, 5:13:40 PM12/25/12
to
On Tuesday, December 25, 2012 3:16:13 PM UTC-5, Jerry Willard wrote:
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/25/composer-richard-rodney-bennett-dies

"He is regarded as having been one of the most accomplished jazz pianists of his generation." By whom?

Jim

unread,
Dec 26, 2012, 12:42:42 AM12/26/12
to
Have you heard him play at all? He's no slouch, rather a fluid master
of the keyboard. Now I woudn't put him up there and compare him to
straight-ahead jazz pianists like Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell or Wynton
Kelly etc.. but more along the lines of somebody like George Shearing,
another English pianist. Andre Previn would be another with similar
playing style. I would say Bennett plays like the best pop/jazz/lounge
pianist you've ever heard. Sir Richard was an excellent accompanist to
singers, one of my favorite recordings is him accompanying the late
cabaret singer Mary Cleere Haran in songs by Gershwin. He sings too.
There's also two recent recordings of him playing for Claire Martin, a
British jazz singer. I once heard a nice hour of him playing duets with
Marian McPartland on her Piano Jazz series on NPR - must have been over
25 years ago. As far as the classical guitar goes the Impromptus are
very beautiful expressive pieces written in a lyrical 12-tone style.
May he rest in peace.


Jim

Regondi

unread,
Dec 30, 2012, 8:49:18 PM12/30/12
to
On Wednesday, December 26, 2012 12:42:42 AM UTC-5, Jim wrote:
> On 2012-12-25 17:13:40 -0500, thomas <drthoma...@gmail.com> said: > On Tuesday, December 25, 2012 3:16:13 PM UTC-5, Jerry Willard wrote: >> http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/25/composer-richard-rodney-bennett-dies "He >> > is regarded as having been one of the most accomplished jazz pianists > of his generation." By whom? Have you heard him play at all? He's no slouch, rather a fluid master of the keyboard. Now I woudn't put him up there and compare him to straight-ahead jazz pianists like Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell or Wynton Kelly etc.. but more along the lines of somebody like George Shearing, another English pianist. Andre Previn would be another with similar playing style. I would say Bennett plays like the best pop/jazz/lounge pianist you've ever heard. Sir Richard was an excellent accompanist to singers, one of my favorite recordings is him accompanying the late cabaret singer Mary Cleere Haran in songs by Gershwin. He sings too. There's also two recent recordings of him playing for Claire Martin, a British jazz singer. I once heard a nice hour of him playing duets with Marian McPartland on her Piano Jazz series on NPR - must have been over 25 years ago. As far as the classical guitar goes the Impromptus are very beautiful expressive pieces written in a lyrical 12-tone style. May he rest in peace. Jim

His Impromptus were etudes in guitar writing, in preparation for his Guitar Concerto, composed for Bream. Even better is his four movement Sonata- one of the best guitar pieces from the 1980's- a particularly fertile period for solo guitar music.
0 new messages