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YOUNG CHILD IS INSPIRED AS GREEN PLAYS PIANO AT THE RITZ IN WASHINGTON DC
I had a free evening while shopping for colleges with my teenage daughter. The Georgetown waterfront bar waitress answered, “Well, we used to have a piano here. There’s a nice one around the corner at the Ritz Carlton.” It was an ebony Steinway in the corner of a large plush living room.
I eased on to its quilted leather bench, quietly tossed a motif into the room just below the conversation level, and waited to see if anyone approached to arrest me. Soon Abraham’s Theme filled the space, then some George Winston, Will Ackerman and Easy which I wrote with David Field. A concierge stopped doing busywork to listen; the room changed energetically.
While I was playing, a young African boy left his family gathering at the fireplace, approached the piano, watched the hammers striking the strings, and contemplated my sounds for some time. In an interlude, he asked sweetly, "How did you learn to do this?"
I reflected a bit and then said, "I don't really know. I have something like this at home, and I put my hands on it often." He reached out and gently stroked the strings. I joined in, played with him. We made music together for a while. His family was watching. It was a very lovely moment. Later I thought that someday this kid will become a musician, and I played an encouraging role in his musical life.
After playing the better part of an hour, I said good night to the doorman and walked alone into the nightlife, amidst the sidewalk café’s. I felt a tingling in my feet. I just played The Ritz in Washington DC. (Sonoma County Gazette, Nov/2011) Read on further....
 Ani Weaver photos of Jerry at |
 Green Music Center, Sonoma State U. |
Feedback Piano: Somatic Attunement by Jerry Green
Jerry discovered the use of piano as biofeedback training for unwinding tensions associated with a congenital spasticity. His physical limitations led to improvisational curiosity with simple harmonic fifths, which he then heard in new age and classical themes, enabling him to discover his own musicality and develop his listening abilities. His once mostly private feedback studies have gained appreciation at contact-improv dance gatherings, restaurants, churches and special events. He plays at Coffee Catz in Sebastopol and the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa.
Original improvisations on themes by George Winston, William Ackerman, Vangellis, Bach, Beethoven, Schuman, Eric Satie, Ralph Towner and Arvo Part.
"I compare my music to white light which produces all colors. Only a prism can divide the colors and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener.” Arvo Part
We play to explore the silent space within ourselves, beneath the sounds we hear, perhaps in the measured spaces between the notes and beats.
"Splendiferous!" Hosanna Bauer "euphoric!" Mark Feldman "Beautiful piano ... lifting my spirits ... bringing immediate joy ... thank you so much." Yael Raff Peskin "It's so lovely to move to." Zuza Engler, Soul-Motion Teacher “Mysterious and calming....Your piano playing is all that, and more..... Smooth, rich, velvety...like warmed dark chocolate.......” Shoshana Geller ”Your music makes me feel like a deep reflecting pool.” Chance Massaro
“Professional musicians sometimes forget why we were originally drawn to music. Jerry began playing piano as a bio-feedback tool to unwind tensions. His story and remarkable ability to listen and produce mysterious sounds through original improvisations on popular and classical themes seem to help people rediscover their desire to listen.” Seth Montfort, Concert Pianist.
For Jerry's personal story, see: INSPIRED BY MY OWN LIMITATIONS
Feedback Piano has been performed at these venues:
The Love Choir Sebastopol
Center for the Arts Sebastopol
Coffee Catz Sebastopol
Brown Street Grill Sebastopol
The Jenner Inn Jenner
Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa
Congregation Rodef Shalom San Rafael
Eastbay Jewish Community Center Berkeley
Congregation Kol HaEmek Ukiah
The Ritz Carlton Washington DC
Your event could be next....
Guitar and piano for special events.
Currently Performing @ Coffee Catz (Listen)
New Windham Hill Music
Original improvisations on themes by George Winston,
William Ackerman, Vangellis, Part, Bach, Beethoven
and Eric Satie for your inner-listening enjoyment.
Winding Down Hour @ Coffee Catz
Four February Tuesdays, 4:30PM (no cover)
2/7 Jerry Green, solo piano
2/14 Jerry Green & David Field, piano & guitar
2/21 David Field, solo guitar
Arrangements of favorites by Kate Wolf, John Denver Paul Simon and more.
Good food, refreshing drinks, inspiring company and a few laughs…
Coffee Catz, Sebastopol (707) 829-6600 www.coffeecatz.com
Abraham’s Theme by Vangellis (from Chariots of Fire) is featured in my coming out medley that includes my improvisations on themes by George Winston (Thanksgiving, DECEMBER,) William Ackerman (Processional, RETURNING,) and Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. (Recorded live Center for Spiritual Living, Jan/'11)
ARVO PART'S ALINA AND YITZAK'S NIGGUN <Listen Link>
Arvo Part’s compositions draw us into the space between dynamic intervals with grace and beauty, reaching far beyond the notes themselves. He builds a jewel-like tapestry of sound in which we can abide and simply feel. Alina is the seminal work in Part’s original style of composition, called “tintinabuli,” or little bells, chimes. Alina is built on the notes B and F#, which are also the main tones in my composition, Yitzak’s Niggun. (Recorded live Center for Spiritual Living, Jan/'11)
“Jerry goes straight to the heart and soul of the music. He's an astounding person to play music with, and completely unique.
I welcome our future collaborations and his contributions to the musical world.”
David Field, Recording Artist.
The improvisation I’m playing now represents many levels of inner-listening. Poland’s Oskar Schindler clearly listen to the beat of his own drummer in the most troubling of times. John Williams told Spielberg, "You need a better composer than I am for this film." Spielberg replied, "I know. But they're all dead!"
But Williams tuned in past the mortal boundaries of his own abilities, and he listened for all the spirits lost to their own callings. There the music is timeless and beyond the reach of nationality and religion. By listening to the harmonies in this theme, I can feel sounds emanating from the vast silence of not knowing. (recorded January 2012 at Mesa Recording Studio.)
Sound engineering by David Field, a true poet of the guitar, able to finger-tip through the tulips, scattering sunlight into its many colours.
Discover his sound at: http://www.davidfieldguitar.com/
jerry@greenermediations.net