John Sheard Plays Vinyl Cafe Theme 10 Ways

I heard this a while ago on Vinyl Cafe, and thought it was a really eye opening and entertaining intro to different piano playing styles. Can’t say I’m really into pianos in a big way. Obviously lots of great pieces of music have been played on them, and lots of stuff I like features them. But I had never consciously given much thought between different piano playing styles. John Sheard is an obviously gifted musician and this intro to various piano playing styles, not only shows off his versatility, but also the amazing range that can be achieved with this venerable percussion instrument.

John Sheard plays the Vinyl Cafe theme in a variety of styles.

For those of you not in Canada, and not familiar with the Vinyl Cafe, it’s an hour long show that appears on CBC Radio. If it’s a live show, which many of them are, (tours all over the country, and into the US, bringing the show to small towns, are a staple feature), the host, Stuart McLean will wax melodic about the town and its history, and the last half of the show always features a Dave and Morley story, describing the zany misadventures of a fictional family, and in between, the show features and highlights Canadian musical talent, often of the up and coming variety, and usually in a bit of a folky/country/bluesy/rootsy vein. Both humorous and often wistfully nostalgic, I can’t help but like the show, and Stuart McLean is always engaging.