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!!
On this day (July 22) in 1947 Don Henley was born in Gilmer, Texas. Desperado was written for the Eagles by Don Henley and Glenn Frey (their very first song.) It was based on a song he had started in the style of old songs by Stephen Foster (Way Down Upon the Swanee River.) In fact, he imagined a Stephen Foster song as sung by Ray Charles. Well, they came up with an enduring classic with instantly relatable chord changes and a compelling cowboy story. I mean, who can’t relate to ‘you ain't gettin' no younger’, ‘walking through this world all alone’, ‘don’t your feet get cold in the wintertime’ and letting someone love you? Once again, this song is so much fun to play - especially this one, to which I have the following somewhat tenuous connection. This performance is dedicated to my friend Alex McArthur, who played the heroic title role of Duell McCall in Desperado, an indelible but short-lived series of five Western TV movies in the ’80s. Throughout the film series, McCall is "a man of principle who roams the West of yesteryear helping people in trouble while struggling to get himself out of trouble—clearing himself [...]
This is just another example of the musical point that I have been trying to make with Weiss Music Minutes in various genres: very many complete and satisfying musical ideas can be stated in 60 seconds or less (also look out for Weiss Medical Minutes.) In any case, this little recording of the first 16 bars (with a two bar intro) of Debussy’s Reverie is a perfect example. (Moreover, not only can this dream-like introductory section stand on its own, it is so unique and has such resonance that many people will hear this section once and remember it for the rest of their lives!) This performance was inspired by seeing Hershey Felder as Debussy at the Laguna Playhouse recently. If you haven’t yet seen him perform, remember his name, look him up on google, and see him somewhere. He performs all over the world, but comes to Laguna at least once a year. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss P.S. A few other Debussy-related performances: Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder, Happy Mother's Day 2018 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 [...]
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 [...]
“Waltz At Maxim’s” is also by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. This delightful tune from the broadway play Gigi is another beautiful love song. I think the music alone accurately evokes this exciting feeling. I’ve included it as another Weiss Music Minute – Valentine’s Day edition, and also because the arpeggio I’ve added at the end is so fun to play! 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 any piano I've ever owned!!
“Gigi” is another memorable romantic song by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe from the film Gigi (two other well known songs from the same film: “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” and “I Remember It Well.”) By the way, in addition to My Fair Lady and Gigi, Lerner and Loewe also gave us Camelot. I spent so many hours listening to the songs from Camelot when I was a kid – now I know that I have Lerner and Loewe to thank. Thanks, boys! 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 any piano I've ever owned!!
On this day in 1988 we lost Frederick Loewe, who composed the music for “I Could Have Danced All Night”. This is a love song from the musical My Fair Lady, with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, published in 1956. The song is sung by the musical’s heroine, Eliza Doolittle, expressing her excitement after an impromptu dance with her tutor, Henry Higgins. Interestingly, in the 1964 film adaptation of the musical, the song was sung by Marni Nixon, dubbing the singing voice of Audrey Hepburn, who played Eliza Doolittle in one of her most memorable roles. Check out Audrey Hepburn doing the song on youtube – she does an excellent job of lip syncing, although I’ve read that she also had a great voice! 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 any piano I've ever owned!!
“The Theme from Some Story”, written by Francis Lai, kicks off our Valentine’s day songs. Love Story is considered one of the most romantic films ever by the American Film Institute (and the one that gave rise to the famous quote: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Still can’t understand that one!) This is the 1970 role that catapulted Ali McGraw to international fame. In fact, in 1972, MacGraw was voted the top female box office star in the world. I just realized that this timeless song may have been written in a classical fashion to coincide with the fact that MacGraw’s character was a student of classical music. 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 any piano I've ever owned!!
Here’s a one-minute cover of the Tennessee Waltz, one of my favorite songs, written by Redd Steward and Pee Wee King. 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 any piano I've ever owned!!
“I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover” was composed by Henry MacGregor Woods, who also wrote the music for “When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along)”! Although Woods became legendary from this song, in modern times the song is probably most associated with Merrie Melodies cartoons (maybe that’s where I first heard it). It’s also a common tune played by the string bands in Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade (a shout out to my home town, Philadelphia! Picture the Mummers strutting to this song at the speed that I’m playing it! Pretty funny!) This song is dedicated to my friends AB, Brett, Gene, Aileen, Jason and Nathan. 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 any piano I've ever owned!!
On This Day (June 18) in 1942, Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool. I’m sure glad he met the other guys and I was around to hear it. I’ve always thought that “Let It Be” is one of the true classic piano solos. For years I thought I understood that ‘Let It Be’ meant ‘to leave things as they are’, with a pacifist connotation. And also that ‘Mother Mary’ had religious overtones. Now I understand that ‘Let it Be’ was meant more in a prayerful way, hoping for words of wisdom and an answer to times of trouble (as in, ‘let it be soon’) with a timeless message. Anyway, it’s a beautiful, inspiring song. I know that it’s inspired me over the years. And ‘Mother Mary’ was actually about his deceased mother Mary, who had just seen in a dream - but I’m sure that Paul was OK with the ambiguity. Happy Birthday, Paul 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. [...]
