Welcome to my music blog - The Soundtrack of My Life!

Many of you have asked me “What’s with all the music, Dr. Weiss?” Well, as I’ve told some of you:

I personally call every surgery patient on the evening of surgery just to make sure they are doing well and have no questions that need answering. Occasionally, I would be at the piano and play a song that we had listened to that day. I gradually realized that I wanted to go through all the music that I had played during my life and at least start making a list of the songs that I had recently played.

Well, there are now about 600 songs on the list and I realized that it in a way it represented the ‘soundtrack of my life’! And that’s how I got the idea to record these songs and share them with my patients, friends and family. After I record them they will reside here, for easy access.

Music is truth. It’s honest. It’s really the first social media, where in a way, people could share their souls directly. And isn’t that what the purpose of social media is and why it’s so popular - trying to share who you really are, as completely and directly as possible?

Finally, it has been (and will continue to be) a genuine pleasure sharing these different songs with you and I really appreciate all of your positive feedback!!

Categories


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Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out – Live!

March 1, 2026

Sometimes we just like to say thank you to our awesome family of patients and friends, hang out, and have a little fun. And that’s exactly what we did at this event! We couldn’t invite everyone (at least not until the SuperDome rent drops a little), but some lucky folks got to eat, drink and be merry with a little accompaniment by the fabulous live music of Dr. Weiss and Nutty Jazz. Thanks for the memories!! Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Dedicated to all my friends, family and patients. I hope that you are all doing well.   You can find more about Nutty Jazz and their music here: http://nuttyjazz.com/

Keepin Out of Mischief Now

Keepin Out of Mischief Now

December 29, 2025

Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now (2:26) Thomas “Fats” Waller “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now” was composed by Fats Waller with lyrics by Andy Razaf in 1932 and first recorded the same year by (who else?) Louis Armstrong. In 1963 it was covered by Barbra Streisand (her again?) on her debut album. Fats Waller has always been one of my favorites. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. His best-known compositions, “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “Honeysuckle Rose”, have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Some info from Wikipedia Related post: Ain’t Misbehavin’ Weiss Music Minute PS. I was considering doing a short vocal for this, but you deserve to hear Louis Armstrong’s or Barbra Streisand’s versions (or Dinah Washington, Dianne Schuur and others). Check them out on YouTube or any streaming service. Lyrics to “Keepin’ out of Mischief Now” Keepin’ out of mischief now I really am in love and how I’m through playin’ with fire It’s you whom I desire All the world can plainly see You’re the only one for me I have told them in advance They can’t break up our romance Livin’ up to all my vows ‘Cause I’m keepin’ […]

Aint Misbehavin

Ain’t Misbehavin’

December 19, 2025

Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1:09) Thomas “Fats” Waller This is such a cool song! I dug it up from a previous post and decided to add a vocal. If you don’t know about Fats Waller, you should.  Check him out on Wikipedia and Youtube.  One thing I remember is that shaking hands with him was like shaking hands with a bunch of bananas!  He was a character among characters!Enjoy, Dr. Weiss

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Mr. Jelly Lord – Jelly Roll Morton

January 23, 2024

Mr. Jelly Lord (1:33) Recorded 1/21/24 Jelly Roll Morton, born October 20, 1890 in New Orleans, has been called the first great composer and piano player in jazz. Actually, Morton once confessed that his innovations resulted from his inability to remember and play ragtime pieces properly. He had to “fudge” the notes. His improvisations led him to create loose, swinging rhythms that were more informal than ragtime, and sounded a lot more fun. Morton was jazz’s first arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential characteristics when notated. I can personally attest to that. How else would a kid from the Philadelphia suburbs be able to record this song 100 years later? His composition “Jelly Roll Blues”, published in 1915, was one of the first published jazz compositions. He also claimed to have invented jazz. I don’t know about that (Louis Armstrong and others might also take issue with that claim), but he was certainly foundational and very influential in the development of jazz from ragtime. Morton had an eye for the ladies and the charm of a snake oil salesman. To tide himself over, from time to time, he put his talents to use as a […]

An old image of Basin St, in black and white.

Basin Street Blues

January 6, 2020

“Basin Street Blues" is a song often performed by Dixieland jazz bands, written by Spencer Williams (words and music) in 1928 and first recorded that year by Louis Armstrong. (Williams also wrote the music for “I Ain’t Got Nobody”, popularized by Louis Prima.) It’s one of the greatest of all blues songs. Named after the main street of the famous Storyville district, the red-light district of early 20th-century New Orleans, north of the French Quarter. It became a red light district in 1897. Notable recordings: Lous Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby, and Fats Waller. Sam Cooke, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis. This performance is dedicated to my friend Todd B, with whom I’ve shared many good times in the Crescent City. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Related post: Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans P.S.  For anyone wanting to read more about this quintessential jazz song: Pianist and composer Spencer Williams titled this number after the street where he lived as a youngster with his aunt. But the house he lived in was Mahogany Hall, probably the most famous brothel of Storyville. Williams composed the tune in 1928, eleven years after Storyville [...]
Boogie Woogie on St Louis Blues pic

Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues

August 2, 2019

"St. Louis Blues" is a popular American song composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style and published in September 11, 1914. It was one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song and remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians' repertoire. Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Bessie Smith, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, and the Boston Pops Orchestra are among the artists who have recorded it.  This arrangement is close to the way it was played by Earl Hines, one of the most influential jazz pianists ever. Although I had heard the name, until recently I didn’t know much about Hines. I didn’t know that … OK, there is too much to say here about Hines or Handy, for that matter - just go to Wikipedia if you’re interested.  However, a few quotes:  the trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (a member of Hines's big band, along with sax player Charlie Parker) wrote "the modern piano came from Earl Hines." Erroll Garner said, "When you talk about greatness, you talk about Art Tatum and Earl Hines”. Count Basie said that Hines was "the greatest piano player in the world". As a matter of fact, he does sound pretty [...]
Fats Waller

Ain’t Misbehavin!

July 9, 2019

On This Day (July 9) 90 years ago in 1929, "Fats" Waller’s classic “Ain't Misbehavin'"  was recorded in New York City at the height of the ‘Roaring twenties’ for a Broadway musical comedy. Waller said the song was written while "lodging" in prison (for an alimony violation), and that is why he was not "misbehaving". Interestingly, in the play, Louis Armstrong played "Ain't Misbehavin'" in a trumpet solo, and although this was initially slated only to be a reprise of the opening song, Armstrong's performance was so well-received that he was asked to climb out of the orchestra pit and play the piece on stage. Anyway, “Fats Waller” has always been one of my favorites. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. His best-known compositions, "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose", have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.   I’ve really gotten a lot of joy over the years playing this song and I hope you enjoy it also.  To qualify for a Weiss Music Minute it was necessary to speed it up a bit, but it still feels right, maybe a little on the fast side. But hey, it was at [...]
Do You Know What It Means pic

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? (lyrics)

April 29, 2019

Well, as a matter of fact, I do find myself missing New Orleans, one of my favorite cities, at one of my favorite times of the year in the Big Easy: Jazz Fest!  For a nice summary of Jazz Fest history, read this summary in the New York Times from a couple of days ago. One of my most emotional times in New Orleans was attending the first jazz fest after hurricane Katrina in 2006. I described this moving experience here. This one is dedicated to the many friends and family with whom I’ve shared this unique experience over the years, including: Todd, Alfred, Will, Donna, Portia, Jonathan, David, Katrine and Jay (who, by the way, has the sweetest perfume store in the French Quarter: Madame Aucoin Perfume, around the corner from the Hotel Montelione.)  Let the good times roll! Dr. Weiss Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand piano. Try listening to it with a good set of headphones! It sounds better than [...]