One day I'm going to write a post about my Mom but for now, take my word for it she could have made it easily as a concert pianist. I grew up listening to her and it took many years before I had the ability to understand just how incredible she was. For now let me say that her playing taught me the one sure thing I could find with great pianists......their sense of "touch."

A piano is a percussion instrument and unlike it's forebear the dulcimer, the sound is created through a multi-piece mechanism. This makes it easy to play badly and loudly. But when you find someone who has learned to overcome this drawback and make the instrument capable of a variety of differing sound levels and can make those changes between them without effort but with feeling, you've found a great pianist. And when you find one with a passion for traditional tunes, dance tunes, pop tunes............well for one thing, you may have stumbled upon Jackie Schwab.

You might know her even if you don't. Have you noticed all the piano work in the soundtracks of almost every Ken Burns documentary? Or did you miss it because it flowed in and out and around and through and above and below without any sense of being obtrusive? That is touch and that is Jacqueline Schwab. Here are two YouTube videos using her for the music. Have a listen........

Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier

Battle Cry of Freedom

Now take your simpleass bullshit opinions that pianos have no place in folk/trad and toddle off somewhere else.   

Spaw