Jordan Rudess ist Klaviervirtuose mit perfektem Gehör, spielt die Tasten bei Dream Theater und hat offenbar nicht viel Interesse an Popmusik. Auf jeden Fall gibt er für dieses Format hier an, vorher nie Jay-Z and Alicia Key’s “Empire State of Mind” gehört zu haben. Dieses wird ihm erst ohne die Piano-Line vorgespielt, während er am Piano steht und sich Gedanken darüber macht, was er damit dazu wohl machen könnte. Dann groovt er sich da irgendwie rein und spielt zum Original.
His remarkable versatility spans across synthesizers, pianos, and MIDI controllers, allowing him to effortlessly weave together classical, jazz, and rock influences into his music, setting him apart as a true master of the keys🎹
In this video, you will notice how effortlessly he starts to jam along Jay-Z and Alicia Key’s “Empire State of Mind” without even knowing the song, and surprises us once more with his incredible keyboard skills. Random fact, he also has perfect pitch.
Die wundervolle Alicia Keys spielt für NPR ein Tiny Desk Concert – und ich habe instant Gänsehaut. Wie verdammt gut sie ist. Und die Band. Und der Rahmen dafür. Alter! <3
This performance was recorded on Feb. 12, 2020. We will continue releasing Tiny Desk videos of shows that had already been taped. In light of current events, NPR is postponing new live tapings of Tiny Desk Concerts. In the meantime, check out Tiny Desk (home) concerts! They’re recorded by the artists in their home. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.
June 17, 2020 | Abby O’Neill — On a brisk February morning, Alicia Keys, full of effervescence, entered NPR through the loading dock wearing a canary yellow faux fur coat. During our ride to the fourth floor, she joked about how she hadn’t been invited to play at the Tiny Desk. That, of course, wasn’t exactly true. We worked on and off for years to make this moment happen, and I can say wholeheartedly that it was worth the wait.
Alicia Keys has an aura that you can sense the second she enters a room, or in my case, an elevator. She radiates compassion and kindness. This spirit is the key to Keys’s songwriting, which is rooted in introspection and mindfulness.
As she approached her piano, a bit surprised at the amount of people in the room, she smiled and remarked over her shoulder, “Gee, the Tiny Desk is tiny!” She kicked off the set with an uncanny ode to combat the darkness of this moment in American history: “Show Me Love,” a single she released in 2019. No one could have predicted then how much her lyrics and musical healing would be crucial during this emotionally fraught time of unprecedented political and racial unrest, heightened by three months of quarantine due to a global pandemic.
The stand-out moment during her Tiny Desk was the premiere of “Gramercy Park”, a song from her upcoming self-titled album, ALICIA, which is set to be released this fall. It’s one of those timeless songs that will transcend radio formats and genres, with lyrics that address how utter selflessness and worrying about making everyone happy but yourself can throw your own center askew. The song’s spiritual refrain is sure to be a sing-along moment for the rest of Keys’s career.
