Friends Discuss My Complicated Relationship
8 on the 88
There’s something about the piano that feels timeless. It’s a vessel of limitless possibilities, capable of whispering the softest emotions or thundering with the full force of an orchestra.
I’ve come to see the piano as whisperer of a language both universal and difficult to decode. Its eighty-eight keys have a way of bridging gaps in time, culture, and experience. This unique power lies not only in the instrument itself but in the hands of those who play it—artists who breathe life into its black-and-white landscape and transform it into something colorful.
To me, the piano is not just an instrument; it’s a confidant, a storyteller, and a mirror to the soul. The thing feels both commanding and inviting. Each note carries with it the weight of tradition and the spark of discovery, making it at once familiar and endlessly surprising.
My relationship with the piano is a source of endless frustration and aspiration. I’m never good enough. I’ll never be good enough. An imposter. An interloper. Forever and always. My relationship with the piano might be the most complicated relationship in my life. And yes, I have a wife and a tween.
Over the past year or so, I’ve come to see the piano as a pal who walks beside me along my bumpy path towards patience. Detachment. Humility. Surrender.
To guide me along this path, I recently asked 8 of friends, all of whom are wicked talented 88 players from a diverse range of creative influences, to reflect on their relationships with the instrument. I posed a five questions to them to learn about how and why they connect to the piano.
Their responses were as varied and inspiring as the piano itself, and I’m honored to share my piano pals with you.
Well start with sweet, sweet Benjamin Rubloff, who I interviewed here and whose new book you should buy here. Benjamin enthusiastically recommends Bill Evans because, “his chord voicings and use of space are unlike anyone else. It's wide open.”
One piano song/composition I love: Dr. John, Tipitina
One Album Recommendation: Keith Jarrett, The Köln Concert
A word or a phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: Casual
The piano is special to me because it's a place I can go back to. Its familiar--the keys under fingers, the way the hand remembers so much--and in that way it’s like a memory palace...move this way and one set of patterns emerge, turn into that set of moves and something else happens.
-Benjamin Rubloff
Fun fact: I collect Benjamins. Teeming with Friendjamins, I have five (five!) wonderful Benjamins in my life. Thanks to Benjamin Lorch, I even have a Benjamin calendar on my office wall, replete with spicy photos of Benjamins in various states of (un)dress.
Ben Kim, who I interviewed here and who, less importantly I assure you, has earned rave reviews for his recent release of Mozart’s First Vienna Piano Concertos Nos. 11-12-13, enthusiastically recommends Leon Fleischer because, “Fleisher plays, as he liked to put it, as late as possible without playing too late, i.e. in time.”
One piano song/composition I love: Bach Goldberg Variations (Gould 1981)
One Album: Brahms Piano Concertos (Fleisher 1958)
A word or phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: It's Easy To Hate What You Love Most
The piano is special to me because the keys are the extension of my inner ears, the windows to the soul, forget eyes.
-Ben Kim
I also collect Brians. It’s a smaller, but no less distinguished assemblage. Brian Trahan (who I interviewed here and who produced my last album) enthusiastically recommends his former university classmate Matt Endahl because, “he has such a beautiful tone and thorough comprehension of jazz. Matt makes the piano really sing, like Bill Evans or McCoy Tyner. There is something about the possibility of singing melodically on the instrument that is particularly magical. That combined with the confidence of harmonic and rhythmic fluency is rare and beautiful, something to aspire to.”
One piano song/composition I love: Beethoven Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28
One Album: Nils Frahm, My Friend, The Forest
A word or phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: Intimate and profound
The piano is special to me because it allows the performer to play many voices simultaneously, it can be percussive as well as smooth and tender. The more you listen (while playing), the more you can discover inside a piece or performance. The infinite possibilities within the constraints of 12 specific tones and 10 independent fingers. Because humans are amazing, and my imagination is somewhat free with the instrument. Because there is always more to discover, we are always at the beginning of infinity.
-Brian Trahan
Though he probably doesn’t know it, Brian Swislow, as much as anyone else, inspired me to return to the piano after I quit at age 12. Dude is a vibe machine. Contagious effervescence. Brian enthusiastically endorses Stevie Wonder because, “his ability to compose is second to none. Stevie’s songwriting and sensibility for arrangements makes it easy to listen to, especially for someone not yet in love with the piano.”
One piano song/composition I love: Thelonious Monk, Round Midnight
One Album: Keith Jarrett, The Köln Concert (that’s two for Keith, if you’re keeping score)
A word or phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: A core element of my life since early childhood
The piano is special to me because it guides my creativity and allows for the music in my mind to be released.
-Brian Swislow
I don’t collect Sophias. That would be weird. Sophia Schnauck enthusiastically recommends Yuja Wang because, “her passion for the piano and the energy she exudes during her performances is always breathtaking. Her love for her instrument is evident and it inspires her audience.”
One piano song/composition I love: Chopin, Ballade No. 1
One Album: Erroll Garner, Concert By The Sea
A word or phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: The piano is my refuge.
The piano is special to me because playing a piece just for myself brings me peace of mind at the end of a stressful day, in a way that few other things can. Improving my skills and learning challenging pieces is rewarding in a way fundamentally different to me from other achievements in my day to day life. The piano provides space for serenity in a hectic city.
-Sophia Schnauck
The first fella I met in Berlin, Felix Meinhold enthusiastically recommends Billy Preston because, “when I was a teenager, I listened to a lot of classic rock and whenever he was impressed by a keyboard solo, I later found out it was Billy Preston’s.”
One piano song/composition I love: Alexander Scriabin, Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op.9. He injured his right hand and so he wrote pieces for his left hand only. Listening to the piece you can’t tell it’s one hand. And it’s beautiful music.
One Album: Ben Folds Five, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
A word or phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: It’s complicated
The piano is special to me because playing piano calms me down when I am anxious.
-Felix Meinhold
Felix introduced me to Matt Hutchinson, a bona fide jazz cat. The real deal. Legit. Hutch enthusiastically endorses James Booker because, “he’s a wonderfully eccentric genius New Orleans Piano player. A lot of fun, but also deep and virtuosic.”
One piano song/composition I love: Claude Debussy, La Cathédrale Engloutie ("The Sunken Cathedral”) which defines impressionism and is a gorgeous example of encapsulating imagery with music.
One Album: Keith Jarrett, The Melody at Night With You. The lore of this album was that it wasn't meant for public release. It was recordings made for his wife as he was first starting to play again after several years of being unable to because of chronic illness. The sound of a master/genius learning to walk again, as a musical love letter.
A word or a phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: My muse
The piano is special to me because it has been the one consistent interest in my life. It provides me with a source for creative engagement, work and income that hopefully can be sustained throughout life. Its depth is endless.
-Hutch
Eric Pan (who I interviewed here and for whom Brian Trahan and I composed this piece) urges you to listen to Erroll Garner because, “his joy is infectious. I love his sense of rhythm and melody, played purely from the heart. I highly recommend watching videos of his live concerts.”
One piano song/composition I love: Cyrus Chestnut, Proverbial Lament
One Album: James Blake, Overgrown
A word or phrase that describes my relationship to the piano: Infinity
The piano is special to me because it’s as if the piano resides inside my heart, ready to speak poetry at any time. It took me a long time to realize this, but the piano is a portal to the cosmos.
-Eric Pan
All of these people are special to me. They all reside in my heart, ready to speak poetry at any time. It took me a long time to find them. I hope you make time to take their carefully curated suggestions. I’ve crafted this playlist of their recommendations to facilitate your explorations. I’ve also taken the liberty to add some of my favorite piano tracks.
Big thanks to Benjamins, Brians, Schnaucky, FeFe, Swiz, and Pandelic for their contribution to this post.
Love,
DL