I can think of no better way to have a conversation with my many musical friends, from here and from all over the world, than to play together and the duet setting is the most intimate way. The idea came to me because I was visiting many of my friends (and making new ones) over the past year, here and abroad, and what I wanted to do was to play a selection that represents them, their culture and our friendship. Maybe their composition or arrangement or a tune that we both like, run it down once and then record on video, just using my iPhone, to be as spontaneous as possible – a real ‘Conversation’ in that moment. I then realized that I had had ‘Conversations’ like this over the years and included them within this collection. It was all great fun.
Following are my ‘Conversations’ with musicians from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Finland, France, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Russia and throughout the United States. More coming….
BODY and SOUL – Johnny Green
February 16, 2023
Recorded @ UofL School of Music
Playing with Harry Pickens is always a special musical experience. Harry is, without question, the consummate accompanist, someone who has your ‘musical back’ at all times. This and the next three videos are from a concert we presented. It is obvious that Harry is a true musical partner!
TRISTE – Antonio Carlos Jobim
February 16, 2023
Recorded @ UofL School of Music
Great fun playing Brazilian music with Harry. We had to have at least one Jobim tune.
ALFONSINA y EL MAR – Félix Luna & Ariel Ramírez
February 16, 2023
Recorded @ UofL School of Music
What a fantastic melody with a wonderful story about lost love, disappointment and pain. Harry and I recorded this on ‘Conversations‘ and finally got an opportunity to play it live. I’d do again and again …
IF I COULD HOLD YOU WHEN YOU CRY – Harry Pickens
February 16, 2023
Recorded @ UofL School of Music
When recording our CD ‘Conversations‘, we felt like we needed one more tune and found that we could not settle on the right one. Harry said wait a minute, more like 15 minutes, and he came up with this beautiful and meaningful melody. It was the right one.