Charles Anderson G70

I know some do not like when we post videos not of our own.
If so, you may skip this post

Here are two of the latest of Carles Anderson from Tom's River NJ
playing the good ol' Roland G70... still sounding good


Just The Way You Look Tonight


Fields Of Gold

Man, that ancient G-70 still sounds pretty good even today, Larry.

It's like our recent birthday boy, Fran...there's still life in the old lad yet.

I think he's playing along with a SMF in the first one...of course, the second he's using strictly a guitar voice, which sounds pretty good too.

Nicely done videos, both of them.

It would be nice to see a video or two like this with, the now elder SZ statesman, Fran on his G-70?

Ian

I agree, a Fran G70 updated video would be cool. I'm not sure if he's even around, as so far, he hasn't even "attended" his Happy Birthday Post.

And I agree on the above videos, Charles is definitely "faking" using a midi. To the average viewer, they wouldn't notice, but it's obvious to arranger players, he's just not good at the 'cover up' That being said they are nice videos, and Charles has a good voice, without any help from a vocalizer.

Similar, smooth, relaxing tenor voice, similar to Scott Yee.

why is that faking? he's playing over a smf so what?...arranger styles are nothing more then smf also....any form of automatic accompiament is a form of controlling the music NOT playing it....unless your playing a solo instrument by itself.....who are we kidding? This style playing purist attitude is what keeps people away from a honest discussion. Arranger KBs can do so many different things...that's why all the features are included to use in any way the player wants. styles , smf, mp3, who cares I personally use them all to make music...so what?

I just listened to PA3X and T4, and i think the good old G70 is finally showing its age... Still sounds good, espescially when played by a good performer, but it can't compete anymopre with the latest TOTL arrangers.

Yes, I can hear the parallels to Scott's style of delivery.

I didn't mind him faking it, as he didn't really say he was actually using or not using a style.

I like using a style for it's far better flexibility, but, to each their own.

Yes, Fran didn't even get any cake...perhaps he's too busy putting together a solo video performance to showcase the old, but still pretty good, G-70?

Ian

IMO, he was not playing OVER a midi, he pretended he was playing both right and left hand while a recorded midi was playing in the background. Pay close attention to both his right and left hand, I see someone who was totally winging it while a pre-recorded midi did all the work for him. Not necessarily a bad thing, but jeeezzzz, try to fake it a little better please.

When you use styles, you change chords, and that means your using your left hand. It's obvious, he was not using his left hand to play chords, or his right hand to play melody.

So I'm not kidding, anyone who pretends to be playing while using neither right or left hand is faking.

I agree with Ian, I prefer styles, and using midi's is not a bad thing, but again if your going to use a full pre-recorded midi, just try and fake it... just a little better.

Yes, he was doing the "keyboard karaoke" for sure, now that I watch it closer.

We had a guy who did that around my district...once he was found out, he was fired, and isn't getting much work.

It's people like this that give legitimate arranger players a bad rap.

Otherwise, the guy in the video can sing very well, and we have to give credit where it's due.

Ian

he probably recorded the backing tracks himself as he is a good player judging by his band videos on YT

http://www.youtube.com/user/chuckeys123#p/u/15/aWyInb_d6ew

http://www.youtube.com/user/chuckeys123#p/u/13/VWkhCjwfZ1I

.....so what?..and now he's singing over them so what?, nothing new there..it's done everywhere, on big venues too done to backing tracks also like Disneyland shows etc, etc, .... this way every show & performance is exactly the same every time...so what you change the chords and the AUTOMATIC accmp does all the work for you what a novel idea !
All that matters is when you close your eyes what does it sound good?

Yes, but at Disney World and other big venues, you KNOW there are backing tracks. They don't try and HIDE it. There is no band in sight.

This guy and other arranger keyboard players who pretend to play are trying to hide the fact that they are not playing. I'm not saying faking is a bad thing...I'm just saying "he's not playing".

Playing Chords is a LITTLE more than playing nothing.

To each his own...as my father grew old, he lost the ablity to play live, and used Midi files to entertain himself and others. He knew it, and we knew it, but we acted like we didn't. He was happy. Of course for most of his life, he played live, and didn't have to fool anybody. I just wanted to point that out, that midis have a place and purpose.

Use what makes you and others happy.

Exactly, Larry...it's one thing to make people aware, and another to hide it. That's when it's a bad fake, in my opinion.

And yes, playing chords is certainly a LITTLE more than playing nothing...that is exactly why I prefer styles over using an SMF.

I direct the flow of the music, I choose the type of style, I decide what chord substitutions to use, I decide when to increase the dynamics of the arrangement, and I do this while playing "live". Far and away, more flexible than SMF, in my opinion, and that's exactly why I use it.

Anderson may have pre-recorded the performance on the keyboard, and mimed playing over it...nothing wrong with that, but, truth be told, and, as you originally have pointed out, he is not playing in that video.

Ian