Keyboard Magazine - March 2011-TV [PDF]

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LEON RUSSELL ON ELTON JOHN | YAMAHA CP SERIES | SYNTHOGY IVORY II | KAWAI MP10 AND MP6 | KURZWEIL SP4-7 | STUDIOLOGIC NUMA PIANO

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A NEWBAY MEDIA P U B L I C AT I O N MARCH 2011

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CONTENTS

Follow Keyboard on

COMMUNITY 10

Your pictures, anecdotes, questions, tips, gear, and feedback!

KEYNOTES Hot players, news, and reviews from the keyboard world. 12 Jason D. Williams: Kindred of the Killer 14 Jonathan Hamby: Carrie Underwood’s Key Player

LESSONS 16

5 Ways To Play Like Leon Russell and Elton John

COVER STORY 24

LEON RUSSELL: The Master of Space and Time Returns His influence on the vocabulary of rock piano is second to none, yet mainstream music fans have usually seen him as a sideman. Elton John sees him as an idol. Learn firsthand from Russell about their Grammy-nominated collaboration on the acclaimed album The Union.

SOLUTIONS 32 34

DANCE Get the House Piano Sound GIGS The Piano Bar Rules

GEAR 36 44 50 54 58 62 66

Stage Piano Spectacular! Yamaha CP1, CP5, and CP50 Kawai MP10 and MP6 Roland RD-700NX Synthogy IVORY II GRANDS Studiologic NUMA PIANO Kurzweil SP4-7 DPA 4099P Piano Microphones

DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS 69

Corrected transcription of Thomas Dolby’s “Simone” from last month’s issue.

TIME MACHINE

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND

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Electro-acoustic grands that let us get real piano sound onstage.

More Online! Video report: New Gear from Winter NAMM!

KEYBOARD (ISSN 0730-0158) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066. All material published in KEYBOARD is copyrighted © 2011 by NewBay Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in KEYBOARD is forbidden without permission. KEYBOARD is a registered trademark of NewBay Media. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Bruno, CA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KEYBOARD P.O. Box 9158, Lowell, MA 01853.

Yamaha’s new CP family, page 36 Cover photo by Joseph Guay

Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

keyboardmag.com/march2011

Composer Lance Hayes on video game music. 03.2011

Video from Korg Kronos launch party. KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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eyboard VOL. 37, NO. 3 #420 MARCH 2011 EDITOR: Stephen Fortner MANAGING EDITOR: Debbie Greenberg EDITORS AT LARGE: Craig Anderton, Jon Regen SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS: Jim Aikin, Tom Brislin, Ed Coury, Michael Gallant, Robbie Gennet, Scott Healy, Peter Kirn, Mike McKnight, Dominic Milano, Franics Preve, Ernie Rideout, Mitchell Sigman ART DIRECTOR: Patrick Wong MUSIC COPYIST: Gil Goldstein GROUP PUBLISHER: Joe Perry [email protected], 770.343.9978 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, NORTHWEST, MIDWEST, & NEW BUSINESS DEV.: Greg Sutton [email protected], 925.425.9967 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, SOUTHWEST: Albert Margolis [email protected], 949.582.2753 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, EAST COAST & EUROPE: Jeff Donnenwerth [email protected], 770.643.1425 SPECIALTY SALES ASSOCIATE, NORTH: Contessa Abono [email protected], 650.238.0296 SPECIALTY SALES ASSOCIATE, SOUTH: Donovan Boyle [email protected], 650.238.0325 PRODUCTION MANAGER: Amy Santana MUSIC PLAYER NETWORK VICE PRESIDENT: John Pledger EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Michael Molenda SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST: Bob Jenkins PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT MANAGER: Beatrice Kim DIRECTOR OF SALES OPERATIONS: Lauren Gerber WEB DIRECTOR: Max Sidman MOTION GRAPHICS DESIGNER: Tim Tsuruda MARKETING DESIGNER: Joelle Katcher SYSTEMS ENGINEER: John Meneses NEWBAY MEDIA CORPORATE PRESIDENT & CEO: Steve Palm CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Paul Mastronardi VP WEB DEVELOPMENT: Joe Ferrick CIRCULATION DIRECTOR: Denise Robbins HR MANAGER: Ray Vollmer IT DIRECTOR: Greg Topf DIRECTOR OF PUBLISHING OPERATIONS AND STRATEGIC PLANNING: Bill Amstutz CONTROLLER: Jack Liedke SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS? 800-289-9919 (in the U.S. only) 978-667-0364 [email protected] Keyboard Magazine, Box 9158, Lowell, MA 01853 Find a back issue 800-289-9919 or 978-667-0364 [email protected]

Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork.

Follow Keyboard online at:

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The Power of Ten.

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COMMUNITY CONNECT! Tell us what you think, link to your music, share tips and techniques, subscribe to the magazine and our e-newsletter, show off your chops, or just vent! Your forum post, tweet, email, or letter might end up in the magazine! Comment directly at keyboardmag.com twitter.com keyboardmag facebook.com KeyboardMagazine myspace.com keyboardmag Keyboard Corner forums.musicplayer.com

[email protected]

From the Editor Let’s save my usual punditry for next month’s NAMM issue and have some fun instead. Who wants a Korg Monotron? Okay, there’s this magazine I really like. It’s not about music or gear, but in some ways, I wish Keyboard could be more like it. The thing is, the editor’s letter almost always has nothing to do with the rest of the content, which drives me nuts. So I’ll send a Monotron to the first person who guesses which mag it is based on the following parody. To the first three correct guesses, I’ll send a subscription to Keyboard. Email answers to [email protected]. We were ice fishing on Lake Champlain when we got word that Mossback Benoit’s prize Holstein was in labor. Eager to welcome new life, we snowshoed back to the farm, keeping warm with the last of Grandma’s mulled cider. Upon our arrival at the barn, which we’d raised by hand when we were just kids, we were greeted with a disquieting scene: The calf wouldn’t come, and Betsy Ross (Mossback was a patriot) mooed in increasing distress as the night wore on. The only veterinarian in the county was two towns away, caught in a

blinding yet picturesque snowstorm. Mossback thought he might have to fetch his Winchester and do the unthinkable, which would have devastated him, because he talked to that cow . . . and she listened. The sound of hoofbeats could mean only one thing: Old Man MacBeth approached. A luddite even by Vermont standards, he shunned cars and digital synthesis. His horse-drawn carriage thundered to a halt, at which point we saw it was piled with wooden crates festooned on one side with all manner of knobs and switches. One, two pulls at the generator cord and the apparatus sprung to life. “I’ll save ye, Betsy,” he roared, then pressed a stud on the machine. The most profound basso note any of us had ever heard seemed to emanate in all directions from the carriage, shaking the barn to the rafters, dislodging fillings, and causing less hearty bystanders to make haste for the privies. When at last the contraption fell silent, we gazed in wonder at an unfazed Betsy Ross lovingly nuzzling her newborn. MacBeth had found the magic frequency—a testament to the power found only in analog oscillators and the neighborly spirit found only in Vermont.

SOAPBOX

I’ve been a fan of Keyboard since the ’80s and have subscribed several times over the years. It was great to see one of my letters in an issue during 2003 or 2004 when I was in Iraq, with the pun “now that’s a rack” referring to my gear. I made it back safely and used some of my combat pay to buy a brand new Access Virus KC after reading your reviews! Even though I like the website, there’s nothing like leafing through a real magazine with informative reviews, intriguing interviews, glossy ads, and even some quirky humor. I hope Keyboard continues forever in printed form, just like I hope there’ll always be new physical, tangible synths to play. Joe Wright, via email

Joe, we salute you for your service to our country and thank you for being such a longtime, supportive reader. We’re glad you’re back safely! –Stephen Fortner, Editor

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MAJORminor

Sarah Rose Nunes First memory of hearing piano: I remember being entranced by Debussy’s “Claire de Lune” when I was around seven. I was obsessed with that piece. I had to learn how to play it. Age lessons began: Four years old. Musical influences: Regina Spektor is my musical hero. Other influences include Radiohead, Queen, Arturo Sandoval, and Miles Davis. Favorite style to play: Latin Jazz. I also enjoy jazz/classical combinations, like Claude Bolling’s suites for flute and piano—espeThis 17-year-old pianist studies music at West cially Baroque & Blue. I also love saxophonist Charlie Parker’s Hartford, Connecticut’s famed Hall High School, work with strings. Classical/jazz combinations are the most fun the launching pad for Brad Mehldau and other for me to play. acclaimed keyboard artists. Worst gig nightmare: Being led to believe I’m providing background music at a party, when it’s actually a formal performance. That’s happened to me a The few times! Workstation synth How important is traditional music training? Very. It makes playing, writing and improvising Computer upgrade so much easier. But more important than training is creativity and passion for what you’re playing. Listening to the greats is better musical Clonewheel organ training than any formal training. Real or virtual Most wanted keyboard: A Fender Rhodes. What’s the next analog synth Use of recording technology: Recording helps thing your me write songs. I can piece together strings of New amp or keyboard rig powered speakers melodies, harmonies, backgrounds, and form the truly needs? structure from hearing the parts I’ve already DAW software upgrade recorded, building around that.

Poll

Be counted! New polls go live the first and third Tuesdays of each month at keyboardmag.com.

New soft synth or sample library Accessories like stands and cases

03.2011

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KEYNOTES JASON D. WILLIAMS Kindred of the Killer When it comes to honky-tonk and rockabilly piano in the 21st century, Memphis-based Jason D. Williams is keeping the style very much alive. In fact, in the 1989 Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire, it was Williams’ hands that were shown playing when actor Dennis Quaid was at the piano. Now, the man USA Today called “Jerry Lee Lewis’ most devoted disciple” has released an album appropriately titled Killer Instincts, and it’s chock full of the pumping rockabilly and wild lyrical stories that are a staple at Williams’ raucous live shows—he plays about 160 of them a year all over the country. Mostly written in the studio with Nashville producer/songwriter Todd Snider, Killer Instincts is a boisterous, piano-fueled party cooked up with a good dose of dark humor from what Williams calls “the Dada,” in reference to the anything-goes artistic and cultural movement associated with painter Salvador Dali. Though Williams modestly claims to know more about bird watching than about music, don’t believe it for a second—he’s a wellspring of inspiration. He shared his thoughts on being the heir to the Killer’s throne, how to pound the piano without wrecking your hands, and how hard good boogie-woogie is to find these days. Besides Jerry Lee Lewis, who were your inspirations growing up? I’ve known Jerry Lee since maybe before birth! [Laughs.] I got some of the energetic moves from Jerry, and he’s one of the greatest entertainers doing that. I don’t mind the comparison, as long as it stays musical. My cousin who plays guitar calls me a human sponge. I’d mimic the way people were playing more than what they were playing. I’d watch [’70s country music/comedy series] Hee Haw and see Moon Mulligan put his foot up on the piano, so I’d do that. Of course, once you do that, the comparisons to Jerry Lee come right in. But truly, it was Moon Mulligan who did that first. A lot of my inspiration also came from stride piano: Fats Waller, Louis Jordan, and people like that. I also picked up some classical by ear, namely from listening to Vladimir Horowitz. But I don’t read music. What was your first gig? When I was five or six, my Momma took me to play for old people at a nursing home. When I finished, everybody applauded and it scared the heck out of me, so I ran to my Momma and started to cry. But I wound up kind of liking it, and it’s been one wild thing or another ever since. I think it’s in my blood. You once described yourself as “Jerry Lee Lewis meets Jackson Pollock.” How so? When my band’s onstage, it’s like a Jackson Pollock splatter painting: very spontaneous from one minute to the next. I’m used to being entertained as well as the audience, and I never know what I’m going to do next. It could go from classical to jazz to ragtime to straight out boogie-woogie. But my band is basically rockabilly with the energy of Jerry Lee. When you started touring, was it hard to find real pianos? Absolutely. One of the best piano markets was Boston. I left Arkansas and went up there with Sun recording artist Sleepy LaBeef. We’re real close friends—he’s like a daddy to me. After I was done with the Sleepy gig, I found myself doing a solo act with my twang talking and wild boogie-woogie. Now I play an old Kawai EP-308 electric grand piano, which 12

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they stopped making in the ’80s. We’ve had 70 or 80 of them over the years, and I still tour with them. We have a warehouse full of parts to keep the three or four I have on the road going. With such a physically demanding piano style, how do you stay loose? To keep my energy up, I run five miles a day and Keyboard does not condone I’m basically a vegetartaking an axe to your ian. My hands have not grand piano—unless, of slowed down at all over course, it sticks its tongue the years. I don’t do any out at you first. excessive hand exercises. I play often enough to keep my fingers limber. But it’s the cardio exercise that flows through the fingers. Keeping my body healthy has kept my hands healthy. What’s your take on the state of rockabilly piano these days? I don’t see a lot of players. I know they’re out there and I want to see more of them. Old-style rockabilly piano is a lost art, almost like tap dancing. My whole thing is not an imitation of Jerry Lee, but I don’t see anyone else really following in his footsteps. What piano players would you recommend our readers discover? The guys that were very influential to me were Memphis Slim and Booker T. Laury, who was nicknamed “Slop Jar.” Memphis Slim turned me on to him. When I met him, I shook his hand and realized he didn’t have all his fingers. Even so, he was one of the best boogie-woogie pianists I’d ever heard. Some of the popular players are still great. They’re well

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known for a reason. Coming up, I was always listening to a variety of music and trying to transpose it to piano, like Leo Kottke, who’s a guitar player. Another guy you ought to look up is Alan Seidler. He made the nuttiest record, called The Duke of Ook. I never heard nothing like it. He was a classical Julliard guy that cracked and just went crazy. That record really warped me from an early age. Then I heard George Winston, who started out as a boogie-woogie kinda guy before he went all new age. His boogie playing was more interesting. If you want to hear a great song, listen to his “Miles City Train”—it’s the damndest thing you ever heard. Was there a defining influence on your musical direction? My cousin who played guitar was such a mentor to me, and he told me, “There’s no rules on a piano. It’s just a canvas and your fingers are the

paints.” I looked up to him so much that I just went back to the piano and started creating these really original solo pieces. But record-wise, I remember hearing Jimmy Dorsey doing boogie-woogie with Glenn Miller and it got me really stirred up about piano. How do you describe your style? I call it “pianimal.” It’s just playing your ass off ’til everybody either keels over or goes home drunk! Robbie Gennet

Jason playing live and in his home studio.

More Online! 03.2011

Show dates and more videos on Jason’s site.

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RUSTY RUSSELL

KEYNOTES

JONATHAN HAMBY

Hamby onstage with Yamaha Motif XS6 workstation and CP5 stage piano. Behind him is a chopped Hammond B-3, atop which sits a Nord Electro 2.

Carrie Underwood’s Key Player Nashville keyboard ringer Jonathan Hamby is no stranger to the big time. He’s logged many musical miles with renowned artists such as Amy Grant and Peter Cetera. Most recently, he’s held fierce keyboard fort with country singing sensation Carrie Underwood, and he’s having the time of his life. “We’ve been on tour most of this year,” Hamby tells me backstage at a recent Underwood arena show. “I’ve been in Carrie’s band for nearly four years. I’ve been extremely fortunate.” Hamby’s keyboard palette in Underwood’s band revolves around the musical meat ’n’ potatoes of piano and Hammond organ. “This gig is piano-centric,” he tells me. “It’s still country music, so there’s a lot of acoustic piano and Hammond organ. I love playing the Hammond, so it’s great to have a real one out here.” Other Hamby mainstays include the Yamaha CP5 stage piano (reviewed on page 36 of this issue) and Motif XS6 synth workstation. “I started using the CP5 this year and have been really pleased with it,” he says. “It’s the closest thing I’ve found as far as playing the way I would on a real piano. The Motif is incredibly versatile. 14

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I use it day in and day out.” When he’s not on tour, Hamby remains just as active as a session musician. “I have a studio at home where I do a lot of overdubs for other producers and musicians,” Hamby says. “I also just produced a new album for the jazz singer Sylvia Thompson. I’ll be doing additional producing projects in the near future as well.” When asked how aspiring keyboardists might also join the ranks of the touring elite, Hamby stresses the basics. “Play with other good musicians,” he says. “Learn your instrument. With resources like YouTube and the latest software out there, it’s easier today than it ever was before. Be passionate about your music.” Jon Regen

Jonathan live with Carrie Underwood.

More Online!

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FRANK MICELOTTA

LESSONS 5 Ways To Play Like LEON RUSSELL and ELTON JOHN Leon Russell and Elton John have sent the music world spinning with their recorded collaboration The Union. For over 40 years, these two giants have been the gold standard for rock piano composition and performance. Only five years younger than Russell, Elton John has long claimed Russell as one of his greatest influences. Elton’s landmark 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection best demonstrates the combined influence of Russell, Americana music, and Elton’s own nascent genius. Both Leon and Elton have a firm grasp of Gospel, blues, country,

by Jeff Kazee and rock ’n’ roll, and have each built upon those styles to create their own distinctive musical personae. Below are five examples of musical devices that demonstrate the similarities and differences in their piano and compositional work. For this lesson, I draw primarily from their 1970s recordings. For your own research, listen to Leon on his own Leon Russell, Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen, and Freddie King’s The Best of Freddie King: The Shelter Years. For Elton, check out Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection, and his fantastic live album 11-17-70.

1. Rock Riffs Ex. 1A is a typical Leon rock riff, employing octaves in the right hand over a “four on the floor” pattern in the left hand. Notice how the melody notes are separated: They’re not always played staccato, but they’re certainly not legato either. This should be played clearly and distinctly.

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Keyboardist, composer and vocalist Jeff Kazee is a longtime member of legendary rock band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. In addition to producing their latest album Pills and Ammo, Kazee has toured and recorded with Bon Jovi, G. E. Smith, and Dar Williams. Most recently, he played all keyboards on the Crystal Bowersox album Farmer’s Daughter. Follow him at twitter.com/jeffkazee and facebook.com/ jeffkazeemusic. Jon Regen

Ex. 1B is Elton’s take on the rock riff. He often leaves his right hand in a fixed position, here playing an A major chord with the root in the top and bottom fingers, while developing the melody in the interior of the chord. Notice how the octave notes drone along with Elton’s punchy rhythms. His left hand accentuates the syncopation. Each phrase ends with a quick G and D chord over the A bass. This helps break the riff up while keeping the rhythm rolling.

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2. Harmonic Ballad Tension Leon is renowned for writing affecting minor-key ballads that employ chromatically descending bass lines, as on his songs “Superstar” and “A Song for You.” Ex. 2A demonstrates a typical right hand sound of his that uses minimal movement as the chords change. He tends to use space effectively—note the absence of unnecessary fills on the resolution at the end.

q=66 Amin

Eaug/G#

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KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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LESSONS

Ex. 2B shows how Elton often creates tension by way of a pedaled bass, with the right hand chords changing over the pedal. This is essentially the opposite of Leon’s example 2A. A hallmark of Elton’s sound is his rolling arpeggios over a pedaled tonic. This builds tension until an eventual musical climax and denouement.

q=66 Amin

Emaj/A

Gmaj/A

Asus Dmaj/A

œœ œœœ 4 œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ #œœ œœœ œœœ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œœ œ œ™ ? 44 œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ ø ° ø ø ° °

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3. Mid-Tempo Techniques A steady right hand, eighth-note chord pattern (again using distinct separation between notes), often accompanies Leon’s voice in his mid tempo songs. Check out his song “Tightrope” for an example. Ex. 3A is a bluesy walk-down variation built off the C7 chord. It ends with a Gospel-style II7-V7-I chord progression.

q=74

Cmaj/B¨

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KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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18

Dmin7¨5

03.2011

j œœ ™™™ œ

Cmaj/G

œ œ œœ œœ

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km0311_play_elton.dsg

1/14/11

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Page 20

LESSONS In Ex. 3B, Elton uses arpeggios to keep his sonic train rolling in mid tempo. Elton often will insert a non-tonic bass note in a chord (a la the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows”). Here, I’ve referenced that effect by using an F# in the root of the D7 chord in the second to last measure. Check out Elton’s “Your Song” and “Levon” for more chordal embellishment.

q=74 Cmaj9/B¨

Adim

Dmin7¨5/A¨

Cmaj/G

œœ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ 4 œ &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœ œ ˙ b˙ œ ? 4 bœ ™ J 4 œ™ œ ø ° ø° ø ø ° ° 3 D7/F# Gsus4 B¨maj/C Cmaj j œœ œœ nœ œœ œœ œ ™ b œœ ™™ œœ ‰ & œ œ #œ œ œ ™ œ ˙ œ œ™ œ œ ˙˙ ? #œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ #œ œ ˙ ø ° ø ø ° °

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4. Piano Intros Sometimes simple works best. In Ex. 4A, a Leon-esque melody sets the stage for a vocal entrance. In bar 2, I’ve quickly used a B as a passing root of the G chord, before heading to the G root and then resolving to the D minor final chord. Space is the key here.

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In the Elton-flavored intro in Ex. 4B (not unlike Ex. 2B), I’m using a pedaled note (D) in the bass, setting up the vocal with a building tension. A slightly flowery, arpeggiated fill leads us into the last chord—an Elton trademark.

q=70

Dmin

& 44

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20

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Gmaj9/B

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03.2011

Dmin

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km0311_play_elton.dsg

1/14/11

3:29 PM

Page 22

LESSONS 5. Turnarounds Ex. 5A is something you might find Leon playing on a Freddie King record. I’m using an A7b9 chord on the II7 chord to lead into an Eb7 (the bVI chord), and a D7b9 (V7 chord) for the big blues turnaround. The right hand keeps driving the beat along the pulsing left-handed bass line. Notice how the Gospel-tinged D7#5 dramatically sets up the last chord (G), harmonically resetting for the next section of music.

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Ex. 5B is an Elton-style turnaround. It’s no secret that Elton John was a huge admirer of the great New Orleans pianist Allen Toussaint. With syncopation on and off the beat, this turnaround gets the music ready for the next verse or chorus. The use of the Amaj6 and Gmaj6 chords imparts a decidedly New Orleans flavor to the music. Elton often uses these kinds of chord colors and syncopation for his extended piano jams. For reference, listen to his live versions of “Honky Cat” and “Madman Across the Water.”

q=84

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03.2011

D7

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22

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Video: Leon Russell plays “A Song for You” in 1971.

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œ œ

Video: Elton John plays “Honky Cat” in 1972.

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km0311_fea_leon.dsg

1/18/11

2:41 PM

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COVER STORY

Leon Russell The Master of Space and Time Returns by Elliot Stephen Cohen “Well, I don’t know. Show business terms can be misleading,” ponders Leon Russell in his inimitable Southwestern drawl, when asked if The Union, his duet album with Sir Elton John, is a “comeback.” “I’ve been playing live shows for 45 years,” he explains. “I stopped for a couple of years in the late ’70s because it was driving me crazy, but other than that, I’ve worked all the time. It’s just that when you’ve been in the underbrush for so long that not that many people have been coming out to see you, I guess you could call it that.” Indeed. The Union, Russell’s first major label release in almost two decades, has been a spectacular success. It was voted the third best album of 2010 by Rolling Stone magazine, and the single “If It Wasn’t for Bad” is up for a Grammy for Best Collaboration With a Vocal. The Union was helmed by super-producer T-Bone Burnett at the request of Sir Elton himself, who wanted to work with Russell, the man he refers to as his idol. Continued

FRANK MICELOTTA

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03.2011

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For over 50 years, Leon Russell has been one of rock’s true renaissance men. Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, on April 2, 1942, he began taking piano lessons at age four. In spite of a birth injury that rendered his right hand weaker than his left, he began a remarkable career at a very young age, playing in bars at age 14 with friend J. J. Cale before going on the road with Jerry Lee Lewis two years later. At 19, Russell was already a topcall studio musician whose work would encompass sessions for Phil Spector, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Waylon Jennings, and Aretha Franklin. In 1969, Russell struck out on his own. He co-founded Shelter Records (which would become home to Tom Petty and Freddie King), led Joe Cocker’s band on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, and appeared at the Concerts for Bangladesh with George Harrison and Bob Dylan. A peerless arranger, he wrote the horn charts for the Rolling Stones’ “Live with Me” and played its pounding piano part. He composed such standards as “Delta Lady,” “A Song for You,” “Superstar,” and “This Masquerade,” a Grammy-winning Record of the Year for George Benson. On March 14 of this year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct him under their new Musical Excellence category. Last year, Russell underwent emergency surgery to correct a spinal fluid leak, and though he now gets around with the aid of a cane, that hasn’t slowed him down in the least from re-energizing his lifelong fans, gaining many new ones, and showing the whole world why his signature nickname, “the Master of Space and Time,” describes him to a tee. How did you and Elton get together for The Union? Elton was in South Africa on safari, which he apparently does every year, with his partner David Furnish. He’d talked about me on Elvis Costello’s [British TV] show, but David hadn’t heard of me. Elton went out and bought all of my albums and put them on an iPod. Elton was sitting out there one night and became very emotional. David asked him, “What’s wrong?” Elton told him, “These songs remind me of one of the greatest periods in my life, and this guy has been such a huge influence on me.” He said, “There are so many people on my iPod, like, 65 or 70, who have had hits, but this guy has had more influence on me than all 70 combined.” So, I was of course very flattered to hear this. The new recording sessions began very soon after your surgery. Were you apprehensive about performing at your best? I was. I waited about two weeks after the operation, and was still feeling a little weak when I showed up that first day. Elton already had written five new songs. I have to say this: One of the great things about working with Elton is that he is absolutely savant when it comes to melodic songwriting. I write the first verse of a song, and forget it before I get to the second one. So, I have to record while I’m writing to be able to complete the song, but Elton has such a huge amount of output, and doesn’t forget any of it. 26

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03.2011

Elton John (left) and Leon Russell (right) tearing it up onstage.

FRANK MICELOTTA

COVER STORY

The song that closes the album, “In the Hands of Angels,” is wonderful. What inspired it? I just wanted to give Elton something back for all that he’s given to me, not to mention the immense amounts of money he spent on making the album. So I said to myself, “What do you give a guy that’s got six fully staffed houses, plus about ten or 15 of everything else in world?” I thought, the only thing I could possibly give him is a song. So, one night when the words were coming out, I ran to my computer and decided, “This is the song.” I wrote the whole song that night. Were there times in the studio when the two of you were facing each other, playing your respective pianos? Yeah, at different times. The way the project started out, I was in one room on one piano, and Elton was in another. At other times we were playing side by side. Elton John said that although you began the project on a digital piano, as you regained strength after the operation, you switched to an acoustic. That really wasn’t the main reason. I started out playing this odd-shaped, blond Yamaha digital piano with a lid that props up. [The model was the Modus H01. —Ed.] I played this for a little while, then one day I started playing Elton’s big grand, which is a Yamaha DC7, and I began to realize that I’ve been playing electronic pianos for so long, that I had forgotten I had a whole vocabulary on real grand pianos that I’d been neglecting. What was the first song on which the two of you collaborated? The first song we sat down and played together turned into “A Dream Come True.” Then we did one called “There’s No Tomorrow,” which borrowed a piece from a song by the Mighty Hannibal, a relatively obscure American ’60s soul singer, called “Hymn No. 5.” It’s a song about the (Vietnam) war, and we just used its original chorus. Elton approached me to write some new lyrics for it. It only took me about ten minutes to do them, and I wrote some very, very dark ones. The songs “If It Wasn’t for Bad” and “Hearts Have Turned to Stone” have that early ’70s Leon Russell vibe. Were you consciously trying to recreate that sound? You give me way too much credit for knowing what I’m doing! [Laughs.] I wasn’t thinking of that at all. Johnny [Barbis, the album’s co-executive producer] told me, “Leon, we’ve got too many ballads on the album. We

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km0311_fea_leon.dsg

1/18/11

2:42 PM

Page 28

JOSEPH GUAY

COVER STORY

need you to write some rock ’n’ roll songs.” Now, with “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” I could hear the piano part in my head, but I couldn’t execute it. I had to sit down with my engineer at a computer, write down all three parts, and then just play everything one note at a time. For “Hearts Have Turned to Stone,” I used this little program called MasterWriter that’s been a great help to me when I’m writing lyrics. [MasterWriter is the brainchild of composer Barry DeVorzon, whose “Nadia’s Theme” became the indelible opening theme for the long-running CBS soap The Young and the Restless. —Ed.] You seem to have embraced some of the newer technologies that weren’t around for most of your recording career. I don’t like using anything that’s too old-fashioned. As far as I’m concerned, today’s studio technology is like microscopic brain surgery compared to operating with a hatchet and a bonfire. When I first started recording, everything was recorded to metal wire, so now, to be able to use something like Auto-Tune is a lifesaver for me. Edgar Winter told me that three out of every five notes I sing now are out of tune! [Laughs.] So, it’s a big help to me to have my voice fixed up like that. I’m very grateful I lived to see it. When you were very young, who were some of the first pianists to make an impression on you? The first one was probably Erroll Garner. Of course, Jerry Lee Lewis, and also Huey “Piano” Smith. The first time J. J. Cale heard me play, he said, “You play a lot like Ray Charles.” At that time, I hadn’t heard of Ray Charles yet, so I went out and bought some of his records, and liked them. What was your goal when you first went to California in the ’50s? Did you have rock star aspirations? When I first arrived there, it was to get into advertising. I wanted to be like Stan Freberg, who did all those advertising spoofs: “Nine out of ten doctors prefer Chung King brand food . . . but they’re all Chinese doctors.” I thought that was hilarious. Then, when I was actually exposed to the advertising world and I saw what a bloody business it was, I lost all interest in it, and decided instead to pursue being a studio musician. I didn’t think I was talented enough to ever become a big star. As part of Phil Spector’s famous “Wrecking Crew” with musicians like Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Carol Kaye, and Glen Campbell, what was your first impression of Spector? 28

KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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The first day I showed up to play, he came in, made a cross with both hands—kind of like warding off a vampire—and told the musicians, “Play dumb! Play dumb!” There never seemed to be any limit to his disregard for his audience. He didn’t think they had much going, and felt he had to make the music real dumb to reach them. When you started doing studio work, what qualities did you admire in other pianists that you tried to emulate? It’s hard to say. I mean there are a lot of pianists in all different kinds of music that play things I can’t play. I had surgery for an upper vertebrae injury when I was very young, and was paralyzed for a while on my right side—which also left it slightly smaller than my left. It might have inadvertently created a unique sense in my playing, though. I took lessons for ten years, but I finally got very depressed and disgusted and quit, because I saw people who had been playing for a much shorter time that could play all that classical stuff that I just didn’t have the hand coordination for. Did you worry that would prevent you from getting studio work? No. What if forced me to do, though, was to learn how to invent things to play that sounded classical. When I first got into doing session work in California, a lot of the producers wanted that kind of classical piano playing, but didn’t want to have to write it out. So they called me instead. I worked with Johnny Mathis, Sam Cooke, and great people like [producer/arranger] Don Costa. He’d write me a simple chord chart with maybe a little melody in there and say, “Play classical here!” I really appreciated the way he did it, because otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten the work. When you made the transition in 1969 from behind-the-scenes studio musician to recording your debut album as a singer-songwriter, how did you entice such stars as Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bill Wyman, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton to be on it? Glyn Johns [engineer for the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and others— Ed.] was responsible for that. He was engineering for me over at Olympic Studios in England. I had this song that I liked, and I played it for him. I said as a joke, “Boy, Eric Clapton would sure sound good on this.” He just said, very matter-of-factly, “Well, let me call him up and ask him.” Before I knew it, Eric and the rest of them ended up playing on my album. How did Joe Cocker come across “Delta Lady,” which was your breakthrough song? Well, Denny Cordell, who was my partner at the time, brought me to the attention of someone at A&M Records for my work on a song called “The Ghetto” on Delaney and Bonnie’s album Accept No Substitute. He called me to play on Cocker’s album, and while I was in the studio with him, I figured that as long as I’m here I might as well pitch some tunes. So, that’s how he got to record “Delta Lady,” and also another one called “Hello

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Vintage Leon Russell performances.

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1/18/11

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COVER STORY Little Friend.” What was it like being Cocker’s musical director on the famous Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour—which also became a famous rock movie? Denny had come over to my house with Joe, who had a bunch of shows scheduled but no band. So, I called up some friends of mine, and we started rehearsals at this old Charlie Chaplin soundstage on La Brea and Sunset Boulevards in Los Angeles that Herb Alpert had bought. By the end of the fourth day, 20

30

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to 30 people a day were showing up wanting to be in the band. So, we started out with about 45 people, filled up one of those old Constellation International airplanes, and then on every show, just basically let everyone play whatever they wanted to. Big bands are sometimes easier to manage than small ones. You’ve done studio work for so many great artists. What was working with George Harrison like? George liked to do an incredible amount of takes. On one of the songs we were doing, he had

03.2011

gotten up to 180 takes. I said, “George, do you want me to play 180 different things, or should I play the same thing 180 times?” I’ve always been ready to do my parts when called on. Now, Bob Dylan is known for having little patience for multiple takes. That’s true. When we were listening to the playback for “George Jackson” I said, “Bob, that last take had a little clamor in it. Do you want to do it again?” He said, “Nah, because if we do that, it’ll just have another mistake in it. So, I’m just gonna take that last one.” [Laughs.] What special memories do you have of Dylan’s Bangladesh concerts? The thing I remember most was sitting in one of the dressing rooms between the two shows with Bob Dylan. Bob was just great about showing me everything I wanted to know about the music business, and about writing songs. He’s simply a great teacher. I kept asking him all kinds of stuff, but he was incredibly patient, and probably sang 20 or 25 songs for me at a very quick pace. I’d shout out, say, “Baby Blue,” and he’d sit there and play it. He’s got a sharp memory just like Elton’s. Out of your huge catalog of songs, which one remains your personal favorite? I guess the song I’m most proud of would have to be “A Song for You.” I mean, 25 years ago, it had already been cut by 129 different people, and that was before Ray Charles did it, or anyone had a hit with it. “A Song for You” and Elton’s “Your Song” came out around the same time, and are similar thematically. Do you think Elton was inspired by it? I don’t know about that particular song, but I do know that Elton has given me credit for a whole bunch of stuff that I feel guilty accepting. After this incredible year, what do you plan to do for an encore? At the moment, I’m writing an album’s worth of songs for Michael Bublé. He didn’t ask me to it. In fact, he doesn’t know anything about it. Michael’s one of the best standard singers of our era, and I want to write him some new material in that style. Also, the president of Decca is begging me to make a new record. I’d love to do a hillbilly album. I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not. Out of your entire, distinguished career, what are you most proud of? I guess that I’m still alive, and that I’ve never sold anybody a bad car!

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km0311_app_dance.dsg

1/18/11

2:38 PM

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SOLUTIONS Dance

GET THE HOUSE PIANO SOUND When it comes to classic Chicago house, even passing fans of dance music know that the piano is king. More specifically, chords playing a regular rhythmic pulse using a somewhat metallic piano sound. But did you know that the sound that launched the genre back in the ’80s was generated by a synth, not a sample or loop? That’s right. The most recognizable “house piano” came from the Roland MKS-20, which was the rackmount version of their RD-1000 digital piano. Introduced in 1986, the RD-1000 used Roland’s “Structured Adaptive Synthesis” (SAS), an additive method that produced harmonics in real time, and is arguably a forerunner of modeling. It was so superior to the era’s sampled pianos (unless you plunked down $12,000 for a Kurzweil K250) that Elton John was a fan. While purists can find an MKS-20 on eBay in the $500 range, we can approximate the sound using a software piano and a few common effects. Francis Preve

Step 1. In retrospect, the MKS-20 and RD-1000 had more of an upright piano than a grand piano character. One of the better uprights is in Native Instruments Kontakt 4, so we’ll use that as our starting point. Synthogy Ivory Uprights is another good choice. Step 2. Next, the MKS-20 had very bright upper-mid frequencies, so we’ll apply a generous boost in the 3kHz range. Step 3. The MKS piano sound had a vaguely detuned undertone. It was much subtler than a honky-tonk ROMpler preset, but a little “off” nonetheless. Adding a very gentle touch of chorus can help nudge the sound in that direction.

Step 4. Finally, since the MKS operated at 12-bit resolution, fire up your favorite bit-crusher and dial down the sample resolution (a.k.a. bit depth) while leaving the sampling rate intact.

The sound of house: Roland’s MKS-20 piano module.

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SOLUTIONS Gigs

THE PIANO BAR RULES Cynics would have you believe that the piano bar gig is a purgatory of tired songs played on an out-of-tune piece of junk surrounded by tobacco-stained lushes who make William S. Burroughs look like the picture of health. The bad news is, it can feel that way some nights. The good news is, you can make a lackluster piano bar gig fun and profitable. I’ve done a fair amount of such gigs myself, and for this column, called upon San Francisco piano bar mavens Michael Hatfield and Grant Ewald to guide us. You’ll soon be in their debt, so if you ever see them play, tip them lavishly. Richard Leiter 1. Play the request. Any request. When someone requests a song—even if it’s the lamest one that ever got penned—play it. This is your job. You don’t have to deliver the definitive version; you just have to whip out a spirited performance. And, surprise of surprises, people will love you for it. This, by the way, is the Magical Secret of Getting Tips. 2. Bring lots of sheet music. Not only are you more likely to get through a song (and get a tip) if you’ve got the chart, but if you’re doing an open mic night, the singers will now know all the words and feel good about their performances—thus facilitating tips. Are we beginning to detect a theme here? 3. Bring your smartphone or iPad. For some reason, when you entertain an obscure request by hunting it down and reading the chart on your web-connected gizmo, people go nuts with delight. Delighted people tip more. 4. Don’t sweat the tips. Having acknowledged that we are, after all, working for gratuities, it’s important to not dwell on it.

Sometimes you’ll do three songs that you don’t even like for a rowdy, drunken group, and they’ll leave without even a “thank you.” But then there’s the high roller who really digs the way you just did “Lush Life” and slips a few $20s into the kitty to impress his date with his generosity. It balances out. 5. Treat the customers like buddies. Act like it’s your living room and they’re your guests. You’ll all be able to relax more and have some fun if you get to know each other. 6. Treat the drunks like children. Indulge them, distract them, tease them a little. But don’t ever appear mad at them publicly. If you find yourself getting steamed at the jerk who keeps requesting the song you’re playing right now, take a break. 8. Tip the bartenders and bond with the cocktail servers. Not only will they keep your libation topped off, they’ll cover your back. One night in a South-of-Market lounge, a crocked patron tried to take a swing at me, and the staff was all over him like brown on rice.

The Piano Bar Top Ten This varies somewhat depending on what kind of bar you’re in, your location, and what song was just in a movie. In no particular order: · “Sweet Caroline.” No, I don’t make this stuff up. · “Don’t Stop Believing.” Journey did it. Glee did it. Now it’s your turn. · Anything by Lady Gaga. “Poker Face” will do nicely. · “Benny and the Jets.” This Elton classic is fun as heck to play. · “Piano Man.” When someone offers you $20 to play it, ask, “Who’ll pay me $25 not to play it?” · “New York, New York.” Surprise, surprise. · “We Are the Champions.” Lucrative in college towns whose sports team just won. · “Mack the Knife.” “Fly Me to the Moon” works almost as well. · “The Way You Look Tonight.” A perennial revenue generator. · “Happy Birthday.” You never know who’s having a party.

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GEAR CP1

Yamaha CP 1, CP5, and CP50 Yamaha’s CP designation first launched in the ’70s, on electronic stage pianos but more famously on the electro-acoustic CP60, CP70, and CP80, which used real strings and hammers but pickups in place of a soundboard. Though heavy by today’s standards, these transportable instruments became the industry standard for getting real piano sound onstage when you couldn’t tour with an acoustic piano. Some three decades later, Yamaha’s new CP series aims to be the new standard. Does it succeed?

Keyboard Feel CP1 and CP5. Yamaha’s flagship CP1 and lower priced (but sonically more diverse) CP5 feature a newly designed wood and imitation ivory action, the NW-Stage. Interestingly, Yamaha went with a uniform weight across the keyboard, as opposed to the graded weight (with more resistance towards the bass notes and less towards the treble) that conventional wisdom says you put in a high-end stage piano. Though it qualifies as fully weighted, the NW-Stage keyboard is definitely on the lighter side, and to my own fingers, the key dip feels shallower than other digital pianos I’ve played. This serves the spectrum of acoustic and electric pianos well, though: Rhodes and Wurly actions are almost always lighter than those on weighted digital stage pianos, as are the actions on many acoustic grands that have seen years of use. However, if your expectations have been shaped by more traditional weighted actions—such as the Yamaha P250, CP300, or Motif 8 series—it takes some getting used to. The more you play the CP1 36

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by Jon Regen

or CP5, though, the more you see just how well the action’s nuances serve the dynamic and harmonic variations in the new acoustic and electric piano sounds. CP50. The supposed baby of the CP family is no slouch. Featuring a more traditional graded GH action, the CP50 feels familiar, having been used in other Yamaha digitals in the past. There’s no wood or simulated ivory here, just an eminently playable weighted keyboard. Considering that the CP50 is less than a third of the price of the CP1 and nearly $1,000 less than the CP5, that’s cause for celebration. I like the throw of the CP50’s keys; it feels deeper and more—for lack of a better word—classic, to me.

Acoustic Piano Sounds CP1. Unlike its siblings, the CP1 is dedicated solely to acoustic and electric pianos. How do these sound? In a word, spectacular. I was lucky enough to audition the CP1 at Hal Winer’s BiCoastal Music recording studio in Ossining, New York, hearing it through a megabuck monitor system that pulls no punches when it comes to revealing sonic flaws. Yamaha has really captured the three-dimensional sound that large concert pianos emit: the rumble of long bass strings, the “air” that surrounds sustained notes, and the bell tones of the mid to upper registers. On the CP1, you choose between two vaunted Yamaha pianos: the nine-foot CFIIIS concert grand, and the seven-foot S6B grand. Both emulations are extremely detailed. The S6B is a welcome addition, with its woody, retrojazz quality—think of engineer Rudy Van Gelder’s ’60s-era Blue Note

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CP5 (Key Buy winner)

CP50 recordings, with their characteristically round piano sound. Each of these two pianos is available in versions with either a twoband or a three-band EQ. Initially, learning to play these monster sounds with the new NW-Stage action was a bit of a challenge, as it really is a new breed of weighted action. But the more I played the CP1, the richer the experience became. I have yet to hear a hardware digital piano on a recording that’s as convincing as the CP1. Many digital instruments “sound like” a piano, but the CP1 really sounds like one—I can think of no better way to put it. More than a few professional session and touring keyboardists have told me that the CP1 sounds so great when recorded that they’ve considered selling their acoustic pianos. How’s that for an evaluation? CP5. Like the CP1, the CP5 gives you the choice of CFIIIS or S6B concert grand Voices. Unlike the CP1, the CP5 offers just one version of each, but you’d be hard pressed to find a situation in which these presets wouldn’t work. The basic piano sounds are crisp and detailed, and while they lack some of the jaw-dropping detail of those in the CP1, they’re lush and expressive nonetheless.

CP50. Clearly aimed at the gigging musician on a budget, the CP50 is the baby brother with an overachiever complex. It’s packed with most of the CP5’s sounds and features, but costs almost $1,000 less. The CP50 offers only one acoustic piano, the CFIIIS grand. Compared side-by-side with the CP1 and CP5, this doesn’t have as much detail and resolution. Taken on its own, though, it’s completely convincing for stage work in a band, and I really like the fingers-to-sound connection of the GH action. To me, this is a classic representation of a stage piano in a lean, mean package. At 46 pounds, the CP50 strikes a good balance between stability on the keyboard stand (ultra-light stage pianos can move around unnervingly when I lay into them) and portability.

Electric Piano Sounds The vintage electric piano sounds simply shine. Tine- and reed-based simulations (called “Rd” and “Wr” respectively—guess what those mean) make use of SCM across all three CP models, and are top notch. They sing, bark, and bite just like on your favorite recordings of the real deal. Doing justice to the letters “CP,” electric grand sounds are present in all

Spectral Component Modeling Yamaha developed an entirely new sound engine for the CP family, one they call Spectral Component Modeling (SCM). In SCM, the core samples are manipulated along with a vast array of modeled sound aspects, from the hardness of a piano’s hammers to sympathetic resonance to the spot where hammer hits tine on the electric piano patches. Though you can adjust these settings, the CP philosophy isn’t about tweaking tons of parameters (contrast: Roland V-Piano or Modartt Pianoteq). Rather, it’s about the player not having to think too much about such things. One of the benefits is inaudible transition between whatever different sample sets are involved, another is absolutely realistic harmonic generation in response to your keyboard dynamics.

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GEAR THE VIEW FROM THE GIG Three heavy hitters in the keyboard world put the three CP pianos through their paces. Here’s what they had to say:

Scott Healy on the CP1 Conan on TBS | bluedogmusic.com

Jonathan Hamby on the CP5 Carrie Underwood, Amy Grant, Peter Cetera | keytracks.net Michael Ghegan on the CP50 Justin Timberlake, Pat McGhee Band, Cirque du Soleil | michaelghegan.com Controls: I like the sensible navigation of controls, and the general ease of patch navigation, effects, and editing on the fly. Keyboard feel: This keyboard is a tank. It’s solid under the fingers and has a bit of a hard touch, but it’s great for the meat-andpotatoes rock gig. Acoustic pianos: They cut through a mix very well. I like to EQ them a little to get the midrange right. Electric pianos: I love the Rhodes-like pianos. They have the perfect amount of bell tone and attack, and are warm with very nice imaging. The Wurly is also a very good sound, but needs a bit of EQ. Summary: The CP50 is a very good keyboard for the weekend warrior, rehearsal space, and home studio. I found it to be a very strong all-around ’board for a working blues/rock player. The tonal palette is diverse and covers a lot of ground. The key action has heft and will withstand a good hand hammering. It’s nice to see a quality instrument that can take a beating and keep on rolling!

Controls: I like that each voice and effect section has a button to toggle it on and off instantly—great for changing on the fly. Keyboard feel: It’s a bit different than other digital pianos I’ve used, but I really like it. The parts I play on this piano are more like what I would play on a real piano than any other digital piano I’ve tried. Acoustic pianos: They’re well done from top to bottom. On the CFIIIS, each register has its own character without getting lost or overshadowing other ranges like on some digital pianos. The S6 has its own character as well, which is a nice alternative in certain situations. Electric pianos: The Rhodes sounds are really great, especially with the phaser and chorus effects. Go start a Steely Dan cover band! The CP80 [electric grand] is also really well done. Summary: The CP5 is probably better suited to gigging than the CP1 because it has a bigger sound set. It also works well as a writing or practice keyboard because you can record performances for playback as WAV files to a thumb drive, which is very handy. The CP5 has worked really well for me in live situations.

their Peter Gabriel glory. My ears say they’re a dead ringer for the original black beast with its unmistakable trapezoid-shaped harp. The CP1, CP5, and CP50 all offer a good variety of EP Voices (13, nine, and five, respectively), with the CP1 adding authentic DX7-style pianos created by a real FM tone generator. Adjustable settings for these “DXEP” sounds include decay and release times, attack and release tonal character, and oscillator detune. There’s no operator programming, though, so don’t expect to find a full DX7 lurking under the hood. On the CP5 and CP50, DX pianos are sample-based. Yamaha’s SCM seems tailor made for killer EP simulations. Nearly 38

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Controls: Everything is right there in front of you. Changing patches and banks is a snap, and saving presets is painless. The screen is bright, and on the CP1 you have some really useful parameters, such as hammer hardness, which I find myself using the most. Keyboard feel: The weighting feels natural, not too heavy, like a light to medium Yamaha grand. It is, I believe, the most realistic feel of all the digital pianos I’ve played. Acoustic pianos: The overtones don’t build up in an unnatural way as they do on so many sampled keyboards. The pedaling is realistic, and the imaging in headphones is amazing. It sounds great loud, and cuts through the band. It sounds great soft—the mid octaves are warm and rich. There’s no perceptible looping or cross-fading. Electric pianos: The Rhodes sounds are decent, a little quieter than I’d like, but the onboard effects really add punch. The Wurly is good, but the growl and bark sounds a bit unnatural to me, especially compared to other keyboards out there, like the Nord. Summary: I’ve used it onstage in front of 15,000 people, in clubs for 15 people, on records, and in my studio. It sounds great through a stereo P.A. and through a good amp in mono. I play it on the Conan show on TBS, and for recording sessions. I also just played the CP5 at a jazz gig, as well as onstage with Jack White. I think the CPs are the best digital pianos out there, and I’ve played them all. I now endorse Yamaha, but it was because I liked the CP1 so much that this happened.

every pro I invited to play the CP series raved about the quality and realism of the electric pianos. As with the acoustic piano sounds, there’s a slight loss in detail and dynamic range as you migrate from the CP1 to the CP5 to the CP50, but make no mistake—every one of these retro patches will bring the utmost in vintage credibility to your gig.

Piano Details Yamaha’s goal of modeling the nearly infinite array of variables that make up a real piano’s sound was met with flying colors here. On the CP1, six knobs let you alter characteristics such as hammer hardness, damper

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Hearing what you want from your keyboard amp?

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K SERIES The New Standard ©2010 QSC Audio Products, LLC. All rights reserved. QSC and the QSC logo are registered trademarks of QSC Audio Products, LLC in the U.S. Patent and Trademark office and other countries. DEEP, Intrinsic Correction and GuardRail are trademarks of QSC Audio Products, LLC.

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GEAR Both the CP1 and CP5 (shown) feature balanced XLR outs alongside the usual 1/4" ones. The CP5, though, is the only member of the family with a mic input. resonance, key-off noise, and hammer strike position. On the CP5 and CP50, three knobs perform similar tasks. By default, they control parameters for the first sound in a layer, but you can quickly reassign any knob to any setting for either layer. Much like a piano technician will voice and regulate an instrument to the player’s needs, these parameters let you become your own piano tech. Initially, control over this many options seemed daunting to me, as I tend to be a plug-and-play kind of guy. But the more I delved in to the settings, the more use I found for them. For example, take the CP5’s “Hammer” parameter for acoustic and electric piano sounds. I’ve had numerous vintage Rhodes, Wurlies, and acoustic pianos over the years. Hammer hardness is a huge part of the signature sound of

CP1

different eras’ instruments, and re-creating these on the fly was very cool. The same goes for being able to shape the tone and timbre of the acoustic pianos in different live situations. Every gig requires a different tonal toolkit—here you come armed and ready. I also employed the “StrkPos” (strike position) parameter quite often to alter the sound of the EPs’ virtual pickups.

Other Sounds: CP5 and CP50 The new CP line diverges when it comes to non-piano sounds. While the CP1 does just two things—acoustic and electric pianos—extremely well, the CP5 and CP50 devote more resources to being all-around gig machines. Entirely absent on the CP1 (given its price tag, some might say puzzlingly

CP5

CP50

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GEAR so), the 305 additional patches on the CP5 and 216 on the CP50 cover just about every sound you might need. From surprisingly effective Clavs and tonewheel organs to guitars, basses, brass, strings, pads, and lead synths, the variety is more akin to a workstation than what I’m used to from stage pianos. Though these sounds use samples rather than SCM, there’s nary a dog in the lot—strings are big and lush, analog synths don’t sound brittle, and so on. If you’ve worked much with the Motif or Tyros series, you’ll find plenty of familiar friends here. Of course, you can split or layer these sounds with the SCM-based acoustic or electric pianos to create performance setups. The CP5 lets you play up to four sounds from the keyboard at once: two layers in the left hand and two in the right. The CP50 allows for either a simple dual layer or two-way split. Also, the CP5 and CP50 feature 14 drum kits and 100 pre-programmed patterns. These are convincing grooves that come in 3/4 and 4/4 time and cover all the stylistic bases. While you won’t fire your drummer anytime soon (at least not for this reason), they do make decent backing tracks for solo acts. Speaking of backing tracks, the CP5 and CP50 also let you record your playing as a MIDI sequence, storing the data internally or on a USB stick. The CP5 lets you plug in a mic so you can sing along with your keyboard parts. The CP5 and CP50 also record and play back WAV audio files.

Panel Design The redesigned front panel on all three CP pianos is a far cry from past Yamaha digital pianos like the P250 or CP300, where you simply pressed a preset, added an effect, and hit the ground running. With the inclusion of so many new sounds, effects, and modeling components, it does take a player some time to get used to the layout. Some Yamaha naming conventions are unchanged: single sound patches are called Voices and split/layer setups with associated effects are Performances. There’s a new kid on the block, though, and it’s called . . . the Block. A Block is child to the Performance’s parent, and it’s either a Voice (or multitimbral stack of Voices) along with its associated parameters, or it’s something that affects the Voice along with its associated parameters. In other words, a Block is a station on the sonic assembly line. For example, the CP1 has four blocks. In signal chain order, these are Piano, Modulation Effects, Power Amp/Compressor, and Reverb. You engage or bypass each Block using the identically-ordered row of buttons on the left side of the panel, and since the CP1 can do two layers, there are two rows of buttons, except for reverb—it’s global to both layers, so there’s one button. Though the manual says preamp simulation settings are part of the Piano Block (not their own Block), each row also has a dedicated button to engage or bypass preamp modeling, sensibly located between the Piano and Modulation Effect buttons. I get what Yamaha is going for with this “signal chain” panel design, but it does require more getting acquainted than many stage piano users are used to. The CP line also diverges when it comes to splitting the keyboard. On the CP1, you set your split point in the Common settings, and turn parts 1 and 2 on or off by hitting their Piano buttons. The CP5 and CP50 take the more intuitive route of having a dedicated Split button, not to mention volume knobs for each part in the split or layer. At first, it seemed weird that the CP1 was different, but then it made sense: Unlike its siblings, the CP1 doesn’t do basses, lead synths, or other sounds you’d want to split with your piano—but it does do electric pianos you’d want to layer with the acoustic pianos. Hence, the controls are layer-centric, 42

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letting you toggle either part, plus each of its sound-altering Blocks, with one button-press.

Effects The CP family’s effects capabilities are mind-numbingly powerful, and include convincing vintage and modern chorus, delay, wah, amp simulators, compressors, rotary speaker with speed control (CP5 and CP50 only), and on and on. These use the same Virtual Circuit Modeling (VCM) that trickled from its birthplace in Yamaha’s higher-end digital mixers to the Motif XS and XF—it’s just that given the CP series’ comparatively basic displays, you don’t get the plug-in-like graphics. In a nutshell, VCM models the components and circuit paths of classic stompboxes and rackmount effects you may have hunted for on eBay. Using the knobs to adjust the chorus and phaser took me back to when I lugged a real Rhodes to gigs, and mixing and matching effects as I played imparted a thoroughly vintage vibe to my playing, especially with electric piano sounds.

Conclusions From the three-dimensional sound of the flagship CP1, which to my ears sounds more like an acoustic piano than anything I’ve ever heard from a digital keyboard, to the highly flexible CP5 and CP50, these are devastatingly good digital pianos. I’d prefer the NW-Stage actions in the CP1 and CP5 to have more key travel and convey more of a sense of hammer throw, but I was able to adjust my playing accordingly. Add dynamite EP simulations and effects that rival dedicated plug-ins and hardware boxes, then consider the extra sounds of the CP5 and CP50, and you have three stage pianos that cover nearly every conceivable sonic circumstance. It has to be said: The CP5 hits the sweet spot. Above it is the CP1— the “concept car” for those who want absolute detail and realism in their acoustic and electric piano sounds and have their Clavs, synths, and organs covered by other equally enviable keyboards. Below the CP5 is the CP50, which is the one to get if you’re on a budget but still want Spectral Component Modeling pianos and EPs that you wont find in a P-series Yamaha piano, an S90XS, or even the latest Motif. But it’s the CP5 whose acoustic and electric pianos sound almost as good as the CP1; likewise, it’s the CP5 that has the largest number of Motif-league sounds in other categories, not to mention four-way splits or layers as opposed to twoway on the other two models. That makes the CP5 our Key Buy winner. On all three models, the user interface can be tricky at times, but so can regulating a concert grand piano, and both endeavors ultimately leave you with sounds that inspire and invigorate. The new control panel design is a marked departure from how a stage piano usually works, but so was the CP70 when it was first introduced. Now, as then, Yamaha seems to have thought from the desired result back to what would be necessary to achieve it, as opposed to, “How can we get the desired result based on ‘how it’s done’?” In so doing, they’ve changed “how it’s done” in a way that other brands are likely to study and imitate for years to come.

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VIENNA DIMENSION BRASS is a fantastic new approach to recreating the complete brass ensemble. While every note was played by an ensemble of four players (four trumpets, four horns, etc.), each instrument in the group was recorded with a dedicated microphone. This results in a homogenous sound while providing individual access to each voice, including its stereo position, sound characteristics and volume. Unison, divisi, and four-part harmonies always sound authentic and musical. Get the optional Vienna Instruments PRO for even more control, from subtle tuning and timing variations to heavy cluster effects.

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Kawai MP10 and MP6 The quest for the ultimate digital stage piano is obsessive and at times frustrating. We’re always in search for that magic combination of sound, feel, and portability, and if our wish list expands beyond acoustic piano sounds, the plot thickens. Kawai’s MP line has long been a draw, thanks in part to their hammer-action keyboards, and now has two new models: the MP10 (successor to the MP8 II, reviewed Aug. ’08), and MP6 (successor to the MP5). Both models sport significant upgrades from their predecessors, and in the case of the MP10, an all-new look and layout.

Keyboard Feel MP10. Kawai’s weighted actions first launched their digital pianos to major-contender status when the MP9000 hit the scene more than a decade ago. The MP10 has Kawai’s best action to date, dubbed the RM3. It feels great, and it ought to: The keys are made from long pieces of wood, and the graded hammer action has counterweights and simulates let-off, that subtle click you feel at the bottom of a key’s travel if you press it very slowly. The geometry and mechanics of this action are very close to an acoustic grand. The feel is substantial but not soggy, and very satisfying. You can get rapid-fire repeated notes, but you’ve got to work for them, just like on most real pianos. The new “Ivory Touch” surface has a more subtle texture than that of Roland RD-700NX (see page 50) or V-Piano 44

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by Tom Brislin (reviewed Sept. ’09). It feels good under the fingers, doesn’t distract from your playing, and actually wicks away moisture to minimize slipperiness at sweaty gigs. The RM3 just may be the best action available in a digital piano, and I enjoy it more each time I play it. The tradeoff is that largely due to this action, not to mention a tank-like overall build, the MP10 weighs just over 70 pounds. That shaves off a few pounds from the MP8 II, but we’d love to see this action housed in a keyboard that one person can carry more easily and safely. MP6. Weighing in at just over 47 pounds, the MP6 sports a simpler weighted action, the RH. Honestly, I was expecting quite the compromise after playing the MP10, but I was pleasantly surprised with how musical and well built this action is. It too is graded with let-off simulation, and while the keys are plastic instead of wood, the tops have the same texture as the MP10’s keys. In my opinion, an action that tries to please everyone (piano, organ, and synth players) often pleases no one, so I commend Kawai for committing to a piano feel. Despite their meaty keyboard response, I didn’t feel any premature hand fatigue from extended playing on either model. Finally, though neither keybed senses aftertouch, the MP10 can respond to an aftertouch message from the modulation wheel, an expression pedal, a footswitch, or one of the four assignable knobs. The MP6 responds to aftertouch from the expression pedal only.

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decay, and release), and the MP6 provides string and damper resonance, half-pedaling, and voicing control. The MP6 features more sounds overall, including a mono piano. If you’ve gigged with a digital piano and are running in mono, you know this is useful. Why? A stereo piano sample, when summed to mono, may sometimes thin out due to phase issues. A dedicated mono piano sound won’t have this problem, may provide more presence and clarity in a live setting, and though I hate this cliché, “cut through the mix.” At first I dismissed the mono piano because the samples were relatively short, but when gig-tested it proved most effective.

Piano Details Under the hood of the MP10’s “Virtual Technician” settings are four types of voicing from mellow to bright, including a “dynamic” setting that’s mellow when you play soft and brighter when you play harder. There’s also adjustable string and pedal resonance to simulate the sympathetic vibrations that occur inside a real piano. Mechanical noises include keyoff, pedal, and damper fallback. If desired, a “hammer delay” effect can simulate the lag of the hammer striking the string when you play very softly. I like bringing some of this “junk” into the sound, because that’s what real pianos do. The MP6 doesn’t have “Virtual Technician” per se, but it does feature voicing, resonance, and key-off effects on acoustic piano sounds. A global three-band EQ has a sweepable midrange frequency. This affects every zone when active, and is controllable via front panel knobs on the MP10 and MP6. Make an adjustment, and the screen jumps to indicate your changes. This is especially effective on the MP10, whose larger screen displays a nice EQ graph.

Acoustic Piano Sounds

Electric Piano Sounds

MP10. The MP10 features brand new main piano samples. Many digital pianos sample Yamaha and/or Steinway grands, but Kawai samples their own acoustic concert grand, the EX. Kawai doesn’t reveal the memory size of the sample set nor the number of samples per key, but they do report that all 88 notes were sampled individually. You get three main pianos: “Concert,” “Pop,” and “Jazz.” The “Concert” and “Pop” pianos use different sample sets—both from the same piano, but recorded with different microphones, mic positions, and preamps appropriate to each musical genre. “Jazz” uses a hybrid of the various sample sets, and also includes the piano samples from the MP8 II. The piano sound itself is warm while retaining presence, and is easily the best sound Kawai has produced in a digital piano. Feel usually affects one’s opinion of a keyboard’s sound, and on the MP10, I especially liked the timbral response to velocity using the “Heavy” and “Heavy +” touch curve settings. At times, I wanted longer note decay and more sustain, as I do with just about every hardware digital piano. Thankfully, the synth-like envelope controls (attack, decay, sustain, and release) let me adjust the contour to taste. MP6. The MP6 uses the same core piano sound as the MP10, with some differences. The sample sizes are smaller, and they employ a simpler version of “Harmonic Imaging,” Kawai’s method of creating realistic tonal changes in response to velocity. The MP6 piano is quite strong, though not as robustly detailed as the MP10. Piano sounds from the previous-generation MP5 are included as well. The envelope control is simpler (attack,

The Rhodes and Wurly presets on both the MP10 and MP6 deserve a serious listen. The dynamics respond nicely to both actions, and just feel musical. The electric pianos nail some detail magic as well: You can adjust the key-off noise (and delay it if you wish) on the Rhodes, Wurly, and Clavinet. The “E. Piano” section on the MP10 (and Zone 1 on the MP6) is treated to an amp simulator (see “Effects” below), which goes a long way towards realism and vibe. The MP10 has a suitcase-style Rhodes, a brighter “Dyno,” and a Stage Rhodes. The suitcase simulations shine with realism and responsiveness. Oddly, the Stage patch sounded like it had a chorus even when all effects were turned off. The Wurly is excellent, with brighter and darker variations. The Clavinet is tight and punchy on both the MP10 and MP6, but not as authentically vintage as on the Nord Piano (reviewed Sept. ’10). Both the MP10 and MP6 provide a Yamaha DX7-style FM piano as well.

Other Sounds and MP6 Organs The MP10 and MP6 take a very different approach beyond acoustic and electric piano sounds. You’d think that the MP10 would be the one with more sounds, but the opposite is true. You get three types of strings, three types of pads, harpsichord, vibraphone, and choir, plus 100 preset drum patterns in the metronome section. No basses, no organs, no fake sax. I didn’t miss them at all. This is an instrument for the piano player. The MP6 takes the one-stop gig machine approach, packing 256 sounds. You get variations of strings, pads, brass, winds, synths, mallet KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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GEAR percussion, choirs, basses, guitars, and drum kits. You also get pipe and drawbar organ samples. A pleasant surprise on the MP6 is a tonewheel simulator, which lets you program organ sounds drawbar by drawbar, like on a Hammond B-3 clone. You do have to program them—the drawbar control isn’t realtime while playing. This was a little confusing at first, as the first five presets in the “Drawbar” category didn’t use the tonewheel mode, but were sampled organs (decent ones at that) and were velocitysensitive (though you can turn this off ). I then discovered that the tonewheel simulator organs reside in drawbar presets 6 through 8. These presets play at fixed velocity, offer level control of each drawbar, second and third harmonic percussion with slow or fast decay, and key click. There’s no Hammond-style vibrato/chorus, but there is a rotary effect with speed control (assignable to a footswitch) and overdrive. The result is a useful toolkit for getting good organ sounds on the gig, though it won’t fool Booker T. or Joey D. into thinking there’s a B-3 in the room.

Effects Both the MP10 and MP6 have a healthy array of built-in effects, and they sound fantastic. The effects sections are nearly identical, save for the MP10’s six amp models versus the MP6’s one. Reverbs are warm and unobtrusive. Modulation effects (chorus, phaser, and so on) sound rich, work fantastically with the electric pianos, and make for a powerful

MP6

combination with the amp simulator. This has adjustable drive, amp level, EQ, and on the MP10 only, a selection of classic tube and solid-state amp models. Overall, this really brings the electric pianos to life, and both keyboards’ front panels make it easy to find, adjust, and bypass effects while playing. Bravo.

Pedal Power MP10. The MP10 comes with a double pedal (model F-20), which defaults to sustain on the right and soft pedal on the left. The soft pedal takes the overall velocities down, but triggers the same samples, not samples of the hammers hitting a single string (una corda), which is the behavior the soft pedal triggers on a real piano. You can assign sostenuto to the left pedal instead of soft, and if you need sustain, sostenuto, and soft pedaling, you can connect another pedal to the footswitch input. A cool MIDI feature is that you can assign the left pedal to transmit a MIDI continuous control message independently of the internal sounds. The modulation wheel can do this as well. MP6. A single sustain pedal is included, though the MP6 is compatible with the double pedal that comes with the MP10. Both the MP6 and the MP10 (and their included pedals) support half-pedaling, where pressing the pedal halfway down yields a semi-sustained resonance effect. Like the instruments themselves, both pedals are very sturdy.

MP10

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GEAR Panel Layout The MP10 breaks from Kawai’s previous MP layout and presents an entirely re-thought control panel. To the left of the display you’ll find EQ and separate select/control sections for acoustic and electric pianos. To the right are the “Sub” section (it holds strings, pads, and other sounds), MIDI (which includes all recording controls), and Setup (user presets and utilities). Any adjustments you make show up immediately in the LCD, which is flanked by four knobs and four soft buttons for contextdependent control. The whole thing is so easy to understand that you may forget that there’s even more power to be found in the editing menus. Though I was spoiled by the MP10’s controls, the MP6 was also easy to navigate. It’s more similar to previous MP models.

Conclusions The MP10 is one of the nicest stage pianos I’ve played. The keyboard action is magnificent. The panel layout is designed for performing musicians, not technology enthusiasts. It would be a joy to gig with the MP10 every night, provided you’ve got some help transporting and setting it up. The chief competition for the MP10 includes the Yamaha CP5 (see page 36), Roland RD-700NX (see page 50), and Nord Piano (reviewed Sept. ’10). You could put ten seasoned gigging pianists in a room with all four and not get a unanimous favorite—this goes for the electric and acoustic piano sounds alike. That’s no cop-out; on the gig, it’s a toss-up

The MP10’s balanced stereo XLR outputs include a ground lift switch, and output at fixed unity gain independently of the master volume slider. among which of these four best suits your sonic taste. That said, the MP10 has a major polyphony advantage (192 notes), an intuitive user interface, and my favorite action ever. The MP6 hits the same price point as the Yamaha CP50 and Roland RD-300GX. The construction is very roadworthy, the front panel is easy to navigate and offers some realtime control over sounds and effects, and there’s a larger palette of sounds than on the MP10. Four internal and external zones make it a capable MIDI controller as well, provided you don’t need aftertouch. If you’re carrying your gear solo, the MP6 is a compelling choice and a leader in its price class.

Original audio examples by Tom Brislin

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