Ahmad Jamal

[Thomas A. Sheehan]

Richard,

I couldn't agree with you more about Mr. Jamal. I've worked with him on
numerous occasions in NYC, and he's always been sincerely appreciative. In
general, I also agree with you that jazz players are, for the most part,
willing to work with a technician to achieve what they'd like to have from
their piano.

As the tuner who tuned and voiced this year's Grammy award-winning Best
Contemporary Jazz Album by a Group - Pat Metheny Group's "Thinking of
Now," - it makes the work go more efficiently when the pianist, in this case
Lyle Mays, is trusting enough to ask me to just get the piano "right" for
him. I think that it's a matter of rapport: with and confidence in the
technician. As Herbie Hancock once said to me, "Tom, I always play better
when you tune the piano for me." I think that the specific and general sense
of that statement is true. I am continually appalled by the lack of good,
solid tuning in jazz piano recordings from the 50s and 60s. E.g., "Time Out"
by the Dave Brubeck Quartet swings like crazy, but there's one ballad -
"Strange Meadowlark" - that's so clearly out of tune that it's enough to
almost make your toes curl.

Anyway, I'm sure that you're keeping up the world-class standard that these
artists deserve!

Sincerely,

Tom Sheehan, RPT
NYC Chapter


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "PTG" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2003 1:10 PM
Subject: Ahmad Jamal


> Hi folks
>
> Just got back from tuning this beautiful nearly new Hamburg D for Ahmad
> Jamal who's in town. He asked me if the piano was sent up from Paris
> specially for him. Very nice fellow, made a point out of telling his
> bass player and percussionist to quite down when he called "the
> technician" on stage. Smiled at me and said "theres a difference you
> know".  (technician visa vi tuner)
>
> Struck me, as more and more I get a sense that Jazz pianists are much
> more in touch with their instrument and what it can and cant do, what to
> expect from a piano tech and what not to, and in general being able to
> relax and make music.... get  << that sound >> they are after, to a
> significantly greater degree then classical pianists. I find classical
> players very often to be easily disturbed by the slightest things and
> very willing to lash out at the nearest and best potential recipient of
> wrath... quite often the piano tech, quite often venting frustration
> with their own inability to live up to their own expectations.
>
> I heard a story not long ago about a former professor (from Bergen) who
> upon visiting a conservatory in Sweden, lashed out at the technician in
> full public and demanded she make certain adjustments before he would
> play. He left the room for a while and she took out her tool box and did
> basically nothing for 10 minutes being consoled by a few onlookers who
> obviously had understood the situation. Upon returning the fellow sat
> down and played a bit and smiled hugely " MUCH BETTER" !!!
>
> You know... I have run into exactly one such similiar story about a jazz
> pianist in near 30 years of work now. Keith Jarett, and my own personal
> experience with him on one occasion was quite eventless. I'm sure it
> happens more often then this with jazz players.. but still.... there is
> a marked difference.
>
> Anyways.... I have to admit... I've learned a lot about pianos from
> working around classical pianists. And thats good as I have an awfull
> lot yet to learn, but it is so refreshing to run into these fellows with
> such a positive attitude from time to time.
>
> I dont get to sit in on his concert as I am at a 50th birthday party
> this evening, but I did get to hear about 45 minutes of warm up / sound
> check. Nice !!!
>
> Cheers
> RicB
>
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> UiB, Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
> http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
> http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html
>
>
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