# What solo piano piece do you listen to most? Guitar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845 "2008-07-09T15:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/1 "2008-07-09T15:58:48Z")
For me – I listen to George Winston’s “Winter” piano CD all year long. As for guitar, I seem to listen to Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas” as played by Tommy Emmanuel a lot. But I don’t own a lot of instrumental music, so I’m eager to hear responses. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/2 "2008-07-09T17:37:03Z")
Don’t have much of this in my collection, either. But check out “Dee” on Ozzy Osbourne’s/Randy Rhoads’ live album _Tribute_. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/3 "2008-07-09T17:48:26Z")
I seek out solo piano pieces by jazz players like **Art Tatum** , \*\*Red Garland \*\* and \*\*Thelonious Monk \*\* - don’t have the song names off the top of my head. Guitar - have you seen \*\*Brian Setzer \*\* do Sleepwalk? Most efficient guitarist with is picking hand I have ever seen - alternating between finger and flatpicking…oh, and the music is sublime… Link here: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZuHREUIVz8&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZuHREUIVz8&feature=related) - starts with rockabilly/country picking then slides into Sleepwalk… ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/4 "2008-07-09T18:03:59Z")
I never get tired of Beethoven’s piano sonatas. I know the Moonlight is a cliche, but I don’t care - still love it. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/5 "2008-07-09T18:21:18Z")
Piano - Chopin, Ballade in g minor, op. 23, with honourable mentions to Lizst Years of Pilgrimage - Switzerland, the Brahms solo piano music recorded by Radu Lupu, and Earl Hines plays Ellington. (Hey, if you got to list a whole CD, why can’t I mention more than one? Do you have a favourite child?) Guitar - this is killing me! _Cherokee_ played by Joe Pass on ‘Sophisticated Lady’, though I could mention just about anything else by him, by Bucky Pizzarelli, George Van Eps or Gene Bertoncini. And classically, Manuel Barrueco playing anything by Leo Brouwer (particularly ‘Cancion de Cuna’) or Villa-Lobos. Sorry, but that’s as much narrowing down as I can manage. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/6 "2008-07-09T18:46:12Z")
Piano: Variations on the canon by Johann Pachelbel on George Winston’s December CD. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/7 "2008-07-09T18:49:36Z")
I collect different versions of “Round Midnight,” so that would be my answer for both. Monk recorded the song several times, and I have a couple of him on solo piano, and my favorite solo guitar piece is Wes Montgomery’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/8 "2008-07-09T18:52:55Z")
Piano: Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Complete Piano Rags by Scott Joplin, Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Piano Music, and Liszt Masterpieces for Solo Piano. Guitar: I’m with Le Ministre on Bucky Pizzarelli (and his boy John), Albert Lee, and Frank Vignola. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/9 "2008-07-09T19:10:29Z")
I like a lot of the early Windham Hill piano stuff, including George Winston’s. If you like him, check out Scott Cossu and Jim Brickman; William Ackerman has a lot of great Windham Hill guitar tunes. Erik Satie’s _Three Gymnopedies_ is an elegant, spare piano composition that’s long been a favorite of mine. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/10 "2008-07-09T19:11:36Z")
[QUOTE=Le Ministre de l’au-delà] Guitar - this is killing me! _Cherokee_ played by Joe Pass on ‘Sophisticated Lady’, though I could mention just about anything else by him, [/QUOTE] Good lord, yes - I have Virtuoso #3 by Joe Pass (an album of solo guitar pieces by him) and am :smack:'ing myself for not thinking to mention it earlier. Amazing, amazing stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/11 "2008-07-09T19:16:54Z")
Faves: Fats Waller, _Handful of Keys_; Dick McDonough, _Honeysuckle Rose_. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/12 "2008-07-09T19:20:41Z")
Guitar: Pierre Bensusan, “Reels: The Pure Drop/Flax in Bloom” Two Irish pieces played in DADGAD tuning, just lovely. Piano: Thelonious Monk, “Ruby My Dear” Or, just as good, “I’m Confessin’” and “Round Midnight.” I love Monk’s ballad playing, and don’t really own much solo piano jazz. Glenn Gould rates an honorable mention but the listening is spread out over a lot of pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/13 "2008-07-09T19:43:36Z")
No single song, but I like [_Monk Alone_](http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=2947) quite a bit. Guitar is harder to narrow down but there’s a John Williams album called _Echoes of London_ that I like a lot, especially his rendition of “Streets of London.” ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/14 "2008-07-09T20:08:42Z")
Piano: I haven’t listened to it in a while, but I always enjoy Mozart’s _Alla Turca_. I just love how it runs all over the piano. Guitar: Lately, I’ve found myself listening a lot to Andy McKee’s [Drifting](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddn4MGaS3N4). ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/15 "2008-07-09T20:15:16Z")
Love Scott Joplin’s ragtime music. Also love Chopin’s works, especially Fantaisie Impromptu. Beethoven’s piano concerto number 5 “Emperor”, is an enchanting piece of musical genius. ---
**Author:** ![Pithy\_Moniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Pithy\_Moniker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithy_Moniker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/16 "2008-07-09T20:21:20Z")
For piano I really like _Little Sister_ by Matthew Tavis Johnson. I can set up one of his albums on continuous play on my iPod and listen all day. For guitar, my favorite is called _Rain into Snow_. I can’t remember the artist’s name on this one but if I ever become a good guitar player, I will learn to play this song. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/17 "2008-07-09T21:59:02Z")
Bach’s _Goldberg Variations_. Glenn Gould’s 1990 recording. Mussorgsky’s _Pictures at an Exhibition_. Byron Janis, piano. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/18 "2008-07-09T22:27:20Z")
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 And like **LilShieste** , I’m an Any McKee fan also. My favs are [Rylynn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsD6uEZsIsU) and [Art of Motion](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmE3QaGetn4&feature=related)🆒 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/19 "2008-07-09T22:36:06Z")
[QUOTE=Kizarvexius] Bach’s _Goldberg Variations_. Glenn Gould’s 1990 recording [/QUOTE] I’d love to hear that, recorded posthumously 😉 There’s two recordings by him, done in 1955 and 1981. The latter is the longer, more luxorious one and the one I prefer (and is perhaps the one you are referring to), the earlier one has a strong drive and insistency which is also absolutely riveting. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845/20 "2008-07-09T22:45:51Z")
Chopin’s Nocturnes, particularly Op 9 No 1 & 2, and particularly Yundi Li’s and Arthur Rubenstein’s interpretations. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-solo-piano-piece-do-you-listen-to-most-guitar/455845.md?page=2)