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VIDEOThe good news is that the public piano that had been cordoned off under guard due to the Chinese Communists acting like authoritarians because British pianist Brendan Kavanaugh would not comply with their outrageous demand to remove his video has been liberated (for now). The bad news, as exposed by Kavanaugh during his piano liberation speech, is that it appears that YouTube is following CCP censorship orders since a YouTube channel featuring Hong Kong people showing support for Kavanaugh has been taken down. And in light of recent pandemic history that is not the only example of YouTube censorship at...

In London these days, if you’re lucky enough not to be hounded on the street by mobs of virulent pro-Hamas protesters, you just might find yourself assaulted by a gaggle of arrogant Chinese Communists. At least, that is, if you make your living by playing boogie-woogie on public pianos. That’s what happened the other day to British piano man Brendan Kavanagh, whose YouTube channel has 2.4 million subscribers. Until this dustup occurred, I was unfamiliar with him. He comes off as a totally easygoing type, a middle-aged bloke who enjoys his music, loves sharing it online, and doesn’t take himself...

A video capturing the moment a group of individuals waving Chinese flags insisted that a pianist stop filming during a lighthearted performance has triggered outrage after it went viral. Brendan Kavanagh, a YouTuber, shared a video on his channel, showcasing him playing the piano at London's St Pancras International station amid bustling commuters. Raw video of incident: Police Called To Stop Filming During Piano Livestream

VIDEOBritish YouTuber Brendan Kavanaugh has a channel in which he livestreams himself playing Boogie Woogie music on public pianos at various locations. A few days ago, Brendan was merrily playing a piano at a shopping area when he was interrupted by a group from Communist China. The CCP handler of the group then informed Mr. Kavanaugh that he is not permitted to broadcast his video because the CCP group could be seen among the many bystanders watching him play in a public area. What you see here is the resulting confrontation which basically pitted a totalitarian thug against a free...

VIDEOA few days ago I posted a video which showed British pianist Brendan Kavanaugh in a dispute with Communist Chinese who demanded he remove the video showing them even though he was playing a piano in a public space. At the time it seemed that Kavanaugh, whose story was publicized worldwide, had triumphed in his support for freedom as opposed to CCP thuggery. However, as you can see, this apparent victory for freedom came DESPITE one of the cops who tried to get Kavanaugh to cave to the Communist Chinese. At one point you can see a look of smug...

Some random notes

The Pittsburgh-born jazz pianist known for introducing the world to a softer side of bebop has passed away.Ahmad Jamal, the Pittsburgh-born jazz pianist known for introducing the world to a softer side of bebop, has passed away at the age of 92. He died on Sunday (April 16) at his home in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, after succumbing to prostate cancer, his daughter, Sumayah Jamal, confirmed to The New York Times. Renowned for his supremely delicate touch, Jamal developed a distinctive playing style that combined sparkling melodies with dreamy, gossamer chords. Compared to flamboyantly virtuosic modern jazz contemporaries like Erroll Garner...

(A Retrospective Playlist) Today I play the piano for my past self who was working hard in long haul trucking to earn the time and place to be musical. These songs were learned by ear and arranged for piano my myself. The truck recording is from 2015. The piano performance is from 2023 and was recorded with a '90's Korg synthesizer. Songs performed so far in this list: Mad Max - Intro The Abyss Blue Stinger - Ending Everyone Says I Love You - From Horse Feathers The Fuller Brush Man - ??? Gankutsuou - We Were Lovers The Ghost...

41% of Ukrainian territory is now under Russian control, and with massive electricity and internet outages across the rest of the country. But don’t worry, Ukraine President and former comedian Vladimir Zelensky is filming a Netflix programme with US talk show host David Letterman.Letterman is the latest A-List celebrity to have booked a space in the Ukrainian President’s diary, which appears to have a lot of available space in it for photo-ops considering the country is on the brink of total destruction, according to all independent military experts. Letterman was in Kiev for the filming of the episode for his...

The go-to Nashville session player passed away on Sunday (Jan. 30), the Country Music Hall of Fame confirmed.Hargus “Pig” Robbins, a Country Music Hall of Fame member and renowned session pianist who played with the likes of George Jones, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and many more, has died. He was 84. Robbins passed away on Sunday (Jan. 30), the Country Music Hall of Fame confirmed. In a statement from the Country Music Association, CEO Sarah Trahern wrote, “Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins was a defining sound for so much of the historic music out of Nashville. His talent spoke for itself through...

While arranging travel for senior Air Force officials, a Maryland man bought a baby grand piano, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and pricey family vacations — all paid for with cash advances from a government credit card. Eddie Ray Johnson Jr., 60, of Brandywine, Maryland, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison Monday, Nov. 29, after pleading guilty to charges of theft of government property that totaled at least $1,157,540.69 — the amount he was also ordered to repay. Johnson spent 15 years working for the Air Force as a civilian, most recently as a travel coordinator in the secretary of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The White House has set aside a special seat for "honored guest" Peter Doocy of Fox News, Jen Psaki confirmed Monday. Doocy was concerned, however, when he realized the "seat of honor" was positioned directly under a precariously dangling piano. "Um, Press Secretary Psaki, do you think I could get a different seat?" Doocy asked, looking up worriedly. "I'm pretty sure there is a massive grand piano directly above me." A smiling Psaki assured him there was no piano and that he was "perfectly safe." "We'll circle back to your question," she said while making a "cutting" motion with...

`Linus and Lucy’ and other music he created for the Charlie Brown TV Specials reverberate forever in the American heart It’s great music to hear anytime, but especially this time of year. It’s the late jazz composer Vince Guaraldi’s joyful music for the Charlie Brown TV specials. His song, “Linus and Lucy” has become the main theme of all the Charlie Brown specials, though it was first used in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Nobody had ever used a soundtrack of hip piano jazz for an animated feature before this. Composers such as the great Carl Stalling did compose tremendously...

Lyle Mays, a keyboardist, composer and orchestrator who helped carve a new channel for contemporary jazz with The Pat Metheny Group, died on Monday in Los Angeles. He was 66. His niece, jazz vocalist Aubrey Johnson, announced his death on social media, noting that he passed away “surrounded by loved ones, after a long battle with a recurring illness.” Metheny, the guitarist, composer and NEA Jazz Master with whom Mays had his deepest musical bond, issued a statement remembering him as “one of the greatest musicians I have ever known.” As core members of The Pat Metheny Group, Mays and...

(CNN) — An extremely rare, $194,000 grand piano was smashed when movers dropped it while taking it out of a recording studio, Canadian virtuoso Angela Hewitt has revealed. Hewitt, one of the world's leading classical pianists, said in a Facebook post that she had just finished recording Beethoven's piano variations in Berlin when the movers entered the studio control room to tell her they had dropped her handmade Fazioli piano. The pianist said it had taken her 10 days to share the "very sad piece of news" because it "has been such a shock to me that I didn't immediately...

Hello friends, this is my debut Piano Composition; the Song is called "Erased". The song was inspired by reminiscing memories that were very fond but now far away and in a place dreaming of the reminisced feeling. I hope you all enjoy, thank you.

The U.S Department of Energy has disclosed it shipped a large amount of weapon-grade plutonium to Nevada without the state’s knowledge. used to be test site still has craters Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons In November, Nevada filed a request in a Reno federal court for an injunction to block a shipment of plutonium from South Carolina to the Nevada National Security Site, which is often referred to by its former name, the Nevada Test Site. Turns out, the shipment had already happened.

"Butterfly Dance" from Joseph Blanchard's album "Morning Light." Recorded in the hospital lobby where he volunteers. Note the lack of music on the piano. Joe can't read music, and composes and then remembers. Usually. May someone always be there to record him. http://www.joeblanchard.com

Beethovenhaus Baden has launched a campaign to restore a grand piano once played by Ludwig van Beethoven. The instrument in question was made by Conrad Graf between 1811 and 1818 and is an early example of his celebrated grand pianos. Unfortunately, the piano has suffered considerable damage over the years and is now unplayable. Beethovenhaus Baden has embarked on an ambitious project to restore the instrument to its original glory in time for 2020—the 250th Anniversary of the composer’s birth. The piano will then once more be available for concerts.

Wandering thru a hospital lobby some months ago I was drawn to the most marvelous music. Following the sounds, I discovered Joe Blanchard, one of the good people who walk this earth. He composes and plays with no knowledge of musical notation, hoping that he'll remember what he's just created. He's remembered enough to have 3 albums out. This piece, currently called "Intrigue", will probably end up on his next album. I love his music, and I love his good heart. And FINALLY, yesterday, it occurred to me to pull out my phone and capture some of the peaceful experience....