Frederick Hodges at the piano with a Cole Porter Medley

[MizTeaparty]

Hello to RWD! and RagJazzT! Love these improvisations as Frederick does them here, especially to Begin the Beguine and Night and Day- wow! Thanks Tom for catching this on video so that we can enjoy them! Gosh, with not knowing about Ragtime Festivals until Fall 2009- what I've been missing! Thank goodness for your videos!

[tdub1941]

Hello again MizTeaparty,

Thanks for the nice comment. Yes, this is a gem! I've enjoyed listening to it many times.

[rwdowling]

Amazing how he combined Gershwin's Second Prelude with Porter's What is This Thing Called Love. Brilliant genius Frederick is!

[tdub1941]

Howdy RW!

Yup, and he's a smart feller too!

Way too much  fun seeing you in action at The West Coast Ragtime Festival 2009!

[EtrofOnaip]

Thanks for Filming ! It's a pity (and a Shame) that some people HAVE to talk through somebody's Art..

[tdub1941]

This was an afterglow dinner party not a concert.

Many folks were sitting around their dinner tables  visiting while others were circled around near the piano and enjoying the music. It is that way every year and it is normal and not unexpected.

[strausss]

I fall in love with medley every time I hear it. Hodges has the amazing ability to wisk me off to a completely different time and place with his music, a talent which few performers have.

[tdub1941]

Hi strausss!

Yep, Frederick is a treasure!

I love to hear him perform and enjoy his friendly personality.

He is a real mushroom.

[waynegabi]

Frederick is an awesome charismatic, fun, performer. I never miss his appearances at Old Town Music Hall. Wayne

[bearcub410]

just wonderful thanks so much

[BigIronOnHipMan]

No, thank YOU td for tasting so good! ... I mean your GOOD TASTE!

[BigIronOnHipMan]

Eat your heart out ~~~~~~~~~ Oscar Levant !

[tdub1941]

Hi BigIronOnHipMan!

Thanks for watching and for your clever comment!

RagJazzMonkey

[Huckabeezer]

Oh Tom....forgot to mention, I'm Lee Grayson from Portland. Judge and lawyer by day, piano and player piano fan since childhood. And I'm trying to play a little. Nice meeting you. I'm really indebted to you for showing me Hodges and Asaro....I wasn't acquainted with either before YouTube. Oh....and for what it's worth, I like your nice sound level on the recordings. There are way too many others that come in too soft on here. See ya later...Lee

[tdub1941]

Howdy Judge!

Great to hear from you again. I love it when I hear from others that are as much in love with this music as I am. I'm glad you found these.

Yes this music is Brilliantly Delicious!

RagJazzMonkey Tom

[Huckabeezer]

Nice hearing from you Tom...you must be having a blast going to all these things. I'm more than a little envious, but the videos are the next best thing. Eventually I will see all of them and maybe get to a live show...I am up here in Oregon, a long ways from most of these things.

[Huckabeezer]

I hope people appreciate this one...it's a tiny window into the world of probably America's greatest living pianist. As an avocation, I've been on the trail of different pianists from the eras that Hodges has chosen for better than 40 years now, and have yet to hear or see anyone else as good. This is such a find.

[tdub1941]

Hi Huckabeezer!

Glad you enjoyed this one. There are many more of Frederick Hodges right here on my channel and from other YouTubers also.

Thanks for watching!

RagJazzMonkey Tom

[Bobchai]

Frederick Hodges shines Carmen Cavallero, Eddy Duchin and Frankie Carle. This is the greatest pianist I've ever heard, and thanks for meeting him, and you, in Sacramento last weekend!

[tdub1941]

Hi Bobby!

Yup this Frederick Fellow is Fenomenal!

It was a pleasure meeting up with you and I'm tickled that you had a good time at the festival.

RJMonkey

[tdub1941]

Hey, California is real close to Georgia compared to Japan or Germany. Hop a jet and you can Watch the master in action at the upcoming West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento in just about 8 days from right now! I'll look for you!

Thanks again for watching!

RagJazzMonkey

[hdksr2]

Slipping in that Gershwin prelude was a nice touch, and as a Southern boy I liked the little snip of "Dixie". Dr. Hodges is straight out of the Roaring Twenties. If he ever comes near Georgia I'll be there to hear him.

[harbottle99]

Does anyone know the title of the last piece in Fredericks cole porter medley? He ended with a short excerpt of a rag I think...What is it called?

PS Fantastic playing....Frederick should be seen by more people, he's the best!!

[tdub1941]

The list of all the tunes he plays in this video is in the writeup to the right of the video. Click on "(more info)"

Thanks for watching.

RJMonkey

[harbottle99]

Thanks for that. It's called Buffoon! I must try and get the music! Thanks so much.

[harbottle99]

Absolutely brilliant playing from Frederick, as usual. Does anyone know what the last piece of music that he ended on was called? I think it's a rag but have been trying to find the name of this piece for years!

[dmcII]

Don't know what you folks are talking about. the volume seems fine to me. No different than most other vids here. Great playing & nice camera work too !

[tdub1941]

Yep, I agree with you about the volume! Thanks for your nice comment!

[valvetrom]

Look when you put something out it should be compatible with most stuff on the tube, Some are too dark and too soft. You just happen to be on the loud side. I give that as a friendly commentary, you might follow it or not.So take it or ingore me. I still like your piano playing quite a bit.

[tdub1941]

#1. The guy at the piano is Frederick Hodges.

#2. The guy that filmed this was Tom Warner, that's me, the RagJazzmonkey behind the camera, and you can't usually see the guy behind the camera. I am the one that posted this video here on YouTube.

I would rather have it always to loud than not loud enough.

Did you ever discover if you had a volume control on your computer?

[valvetrom]

My hearing(as a muso) is not the best anymore, but your track is toooo loud

[tdub1941]

Have not been able to find a volume control on your computer? Most people can adjust their volume easily to the level they desire. It's kind of like when you are hitting your thumb with a big hammer and it hurst real bad. If you switch to a lighter hammer it doesn't hurt nearly as much, and especially if you swing the hammer in a shorter arc with less force you notice less pain as well. Gosh it is amazing what the mind can do when given half a chance. You might try a large styrofoam box also.

[valvetrom]

Still loud, I turned my volume down

[tdub1941]

Howdy!

Yes, isn't it great that all this new technology actually includes a volume control that lets people control how loud they want their music! I suppose some folks want more volume and so they turn their volume up louder. Amazing , fantastic! Aren't you glad?

RJmonkey

[valvetrom]

Miles too loud

[tdub1941]

Most people have a little round knob or other mechanism that permits them to adjust their volume. Have you ever explored that possibility?

Then there is always the chance that you could just back away from the speakers or put cotton in your ears.

[valvetrom]

Yes, but your sound track is MILES to loud, I usually have to turn the little knob louder. But your grand is well recorded, I am not blaming you, rathes the You Tube crowd to get all the volume abit more even. Pictures are mostly too dark. So there you are, its still brilliant music, is Dream Dancing part of yourrepertoire.

[tdub1941]

I am just the video guy, not the piano player.

I would far rather have audio that is too loud and I can reduce the volume than to have audio that is too weak and not a damned thing I can do about it!

TW

[valvetrom]

I totally agree, so all the other 50000 videos are not really loud enuff??

[tdub1941]

I haven't developed any statistics, but now & then I run across a video that I just can't get the volume I want even when I max out my controls. I also have a pretty darn good system and speakers, so I not be pulling your leg!

Tom

[valvetrom]

I was listening to a Bavarian cabaret, which was so loud that I had to put the tube slider95% to the left. Then I checked your Pianist Hodges . he is still louder, you win!! but the bass is sure lovely.

[Keeper1st]

Don't know what you're talking about. I need no adjustment compared to any other videos I've been watching. This was recorded three feet from an enormous grand piano with the lid open. Y'know what? That's a pretty loud place to be (I was standing right behind Tom as he recorded this, in fact). But it's not too loud on this video. It's not full of clipping distortion or anything. The loudest bits are as loud as the spikes on any other piano recording; this just sounds very FULL due to proximity.

[ragtimefan1]

He is a fabulous musician. This is what he does best.

[STANLIZ4]

Father Christmas:

"All I want for Christmas is a pair of hands like these, please". (P.S. Dont worry about the piano,Ive got one)

[tdub1941]

Me too! Plus the brain all loaded up with the songs and information to coordinate all of it so it sounds just like Frederick Hodges at the piano!

Tom

[STANLIZ4]

Father Christmas: Excuse me, you dont seem to you understand, we're talking the whole package here. I dont mind having to look at the keys while playing, does that help?

[tdub1941]

Nope! I want it all, including that great looking blond hair and hair cut!

Tom

[STANLIZ4]

Some people! embarrassing! just plain greedy! Anyway, the wifes given me the haircut; hasn't improved the playing though! Stan

[KawhackitaRag]

This is fantastic!

[tdub1941]

Thanks for your comment. I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time, and Frederick's piano playing makes for a fantastic show!

Tom Warner

[tdub1941]

To enjoy music like this is the ultimate purpose of life.

RagJazzMonkey

Tom Warner

[STANLIZ4]

Just discovered this guy, he's fantastic, shouldnt the World be aware of him?