Keyboardobit: Ralph Sharon

Ralph Sharon, pianist, has died.

Born in Britain, Sharon spent time working with British band leaders including the legendary Ted Heath. He told the US National Jazz Archive:

My first professional job was with the Ted Heath orchestra and I always say: I worked my way down from there!

It would be America, though, which made his name. Sharon's mother was a US citizen; he travelled in the opposite direction because, of course, music:

My main thing in going to the States was a musical reason; I was so wrapped up in it that I just wanted to be at the source of it all. [...]

I went out there on spec, as you might say; I just took off, and landed there with a bag. And luckily Tony Scott, a very great clarinet player, who also played alto with Duke Ellington for a while, took me in. I just moved in with him until I managed to get a union card, so that I could start working. I’d had a couple of albums out over here, and I had those with me; so I was able to go to an agency.

A call from Tony Bennett led to a four decade partnership between the two:

“When I look back and review my recordings,” Bennett told the Hartford Courant in 2005, “I see that the best singing I do is when there’s a great jazz artist around, like Stan Getz or Bill Evans, or when Ralph Sharon was playing piano for me.”

It would be a successful partnership - everything from Grammys to an MTV Unplugged album. Which also won a Grammy.

And there was this:


After retiring as Bennett's musical director in 2002, Sharon settled in Colorado. He continued to gig up until the turn of the year.

Ralph Sharon was 91; he died March 31st in Boulder.

Too soon, George

He really has done it. What last month was a slightly tasteless joke, watching the coverage of the Virginia Tech murders and thinking "wonder if George Michael will take the Lennon piano of peace there, then?" has now become reality. A community struggling to cope with still-raw grief and loss is having to make room for the insulting piano photo-op.

He hasn't actually started forcing the bereaved to gather round the piano to sing Imagine, but it's probably only a matter of time.

David, don't worry

Fame Acadmey winner David Sneddon is worried the nation hates him. Don't worry, David, most of the nation have no idea who you are. He told the Sun:

"A lot of people hate me because they think I'm just another Gareth Gates, but I'm a different breed. I've written an album and I know it's good. I can't wait to ram it down people's throats.

"I found out Elton John is quite a fan. He knows it's rare to be a piano-playing songwriter.

"I don't care if everyone hates me - so long as Elton likes me."

Righto. Well, that's lucky. And, yes, David - it's really rare to be a piano-playing songwriter. There's just you and Elton. Oh, and Tori Amos, of course. Martin Gore from Depeche Mode. Mozart and Beethoven. And...

Still. Looking forward to ramming your album down our throats, eh? I'm no expert on subtext, but...