Crate Digging is a recurring feature where we delve into a genre and pull out a few albums that all music fans should know about. In this episode, singer, songwriter and bandleader Ben Folds shares his favorite piano albums.
Ben Folds absolutely knows how to play the piano. It has been his instrument of choice for over 40 years, and his mastery of the key is evident in every note he plays.
But where exactly did his vast knowledge begin? What motivated him to continually develop his skills as a pianist and songwriter? One, like thousands of musicians, it comes from jazz.On Zoom, Folds tells us result he played ramsay lewis go latin “Until the grooves are completely white, until they are scabbed and ruined,” he early on identified Duke Ellington’s masterpiece The album is truly a masterpiece.
Of course, Folds finds inspiration in such iconic pianists as Randy Newman and Elton John, but he prefers their live albums to their studio recordings. “It’s just a moment in time, so you get an event,” said Folds of Randy Newman’s 1971 live album, Randy Newman Live. “It’s really honest…you get a glimpse not only of creativity, but of an event. I think that’s often lost on recordings.”
The music in Ben Folds’ life has played a big role in his identity and his new album, what is most important (out June 2), seems to acknowledge these classic artists in a heartfelt way.Even though this is his first solo album in eight years, Folds is confident in the purity of the project and the long road ahead for touring (Get Ben Folds Tickets here). “I have an album coming out that I don’t hate,” he said result Rather sarcastically, “That’s good, because usually, by this point I’ve found a lot of problems!”
In discussing each of the 10 records, Folds is as enthusiastic as ever and seems to put a real, unwavering sense of creative freedom at the forefront.He may enjoy classic interpretations of composers like Mozart and Beethoven, but he also finds himself drawn to the raucous grotesques of albums like James Booker Junke partner (“It’s crazy,” Folds says of the record). For Folds, these albums defined piano recordings, all of contrasting styles but valuable files for songwriters to extract maximum value from their instruments.
Read on for Ben Folds’ list of the 10 piano albums everyone should own.