Piano Dan

New piano

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 01:30:00 +0000

I have to assume anyone following this blog is already well aware of the various events in my life since my last post, but I figured I'd post an update. Karen & I live in Charlotte, I work at a bank, we have a piano, and we have a baby! Here is the first of a few short videos of Clara & I banging on the piano. The song is "Will You Still Be Mine?"

#44: How About You?

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

How About You?

#43: Everything I Love

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Is this the first Cole Porter song on Piano Dan? That seems like an oversight.

Everything I Love

#42: A Ghost Of A Chance

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

This song title could have used an editor.

This was recorded immediately after the fast version of I'm Old Fashioned I posted the other day. You can hear me sort of slow myself down before I settle on a tempo and start the song.

(I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance (With You)

#41: When I Fall In Love

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Amy penciled in the words to this song in my fake book back last century, and they have been preserved through countless xeroxes in every binder I've put together over the past five years or so.

When I Fall In Love

#40: I'm Old Fashioned

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:02:00 +0000

This could be my theme song.

My blazing fast tempo indicates that this was recorded on a Saturday. Maybe I'll post a "normal" version so you can compare.

I'm Old Fashioned

#39: They All Laughed

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:59:00 +0000

This tune is one of my favorites, and I haven't been able to find it in any fake book. So I get full arranger credit here.

They All Laughed (At Christopher Columbus)

#38: Isn't It Romantic?

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:36:00 +0000

Isn't It Romantic?

#37: Too Marvelous For Words

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:46:00 +0000

The dress code has changed for pianists at Nordstrom--no more jacket & tie. I'll have to post a picture of my fabulous new look.

Too Marvelous For Words

#36: There Will Never Be Another You

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:04:00 +0000

Retirement beckons: I'm heading to the University of Chicago for graduate school in financial mathematics! Look for the new website "Mathematician Dan" in which I will post a new differential equation every day. (Just kidding. Sort of.)

...

Today at Nordstrom, a woman asked me the following question:

"Is that canoodling?"

She evidently meant this in some musical sense, but I've never heard it used that way. I pretended to think she was asking if I was playing a song called "Canoodling" (though I know of no such song). Altogether an awkward exchange.

There Will Never Be Another You

#35: Pennies From Heaven

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Not the same version I posted accidentally a few days ago. This is from a wedding I played on January 17th.

Pennies From Heaven

#34: Dindi

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:56:00 +0000

We're off to Israel! Back Feb. 16th or thereabouts.

Dindi

#33: On The Sunny Side Of The Street

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:14:00 +0000

This is humiliating. Not only did I upload the wrong song, but NOBODY NOTICED! Come on, people!

On The Sunny Side Of The Street

#33: On The Sunny Side Of The Street

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:57:00 +0000

This song makes me think about eggs.

EDIT: THIS IS ACTUALLY "PENNIES FROM HEAVEN". SORRY, I'M TAKING IT DOWN.

On The Sunny Side Of The Street

#32: On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:00:00 +0000

For some reason I have it in my head that Colleen knows this song. Is this true?

On A Clear Day

#31: Summertime

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:43:00 +0000

So, I took a whole week off with the inauguration and a grad school interview. Hope you're still listening!

"Summertime" is certainly my most popular song. I play it almost every day, and get compliments every time. On multiple occasions customers have booked me for a party immediately upon hearing this. Yet my arrangement is exactly the sort of treatment that my own mother often rails against: she believes the song must be played as a lullaby. What do you think?

Summertime

#30: Eighty-One

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Here's a Miles Davis Quintet number that ought to get played more. Go buy "E.S.P." today.

Is it poor blogging etiquette to change the post date and time so I can continue to pretend I'm putting up a new song each day?

Eighty-One

#29: Embraceable You

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0000

More Gershwin. (Yawn.)

Embraceable You

#28: Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Sorry I fell a little behind this week. This is one of my favorite Duke Ellington tunes. I learned it from Art Tatum.

Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'

#27: A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I will totally cop to having learned this one from the Manhattan Transfer, back in my junior high school show choir days. Remember them?

A Nightingale Sang

#26: All Blues

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:35:00 +0000

Karen was in the store yesterday listening, so my playing was unusually inspired. Right?

All Blues

#25: Sister Sadie

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:03:00 +0000

This is a Horace Silver tune which we did a big-band arrangement of in high school.

Sister Sadie

#24: I've Been Born Again

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Courtesy of the Lutherans.

My music for this tune has the following instructions penciled in:

1, 2) Regular

3) Instrumental

4) Music sporadic

5) Softly

6) Regular

As with yesterday's song, someone else has outlined the basic structure, and yet the implementation of that plan is entirely mine. That is to say, I choose all the notes. Who is the arranger? Who is the "orchestrator" (especially when there's no orchestra)? What is the best way to describe what's going on here?

I've Been Born Again

#23: Beautiful Love

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:11:00 +0000

This is on the first jazz album I ever bought, Bill Evans at Town Hall. Since I've never heard any other version of the song, my arrangement is sort of a stripped-down version of his. It also forms a kind of "template" for me, as I have several other songs that I play similarly, though they were not recorded by Bill Evans.

Beautiful Love

#22: Quiet Now

DWielunski@gmail.com (Daniel Wielunski) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:11:00 +0000

Here is my fourth ballad type.

This song was made "famous" by Bill Evans (so to speak-it's not famous at all), but it is not his own composition. The composer is Denny Zeitlin.

Amy has been a huge supporter of this complex ballad ever since I started working on it in high school. Thanks!

And finally, last year at the Siena Hotel, I closed the night with this number, and André Watts tipped me $20 when I was done.

Quiet Now