The Biggest Piano in Town

Grand Pianoramax | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 19, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: ObliqSound
• ASIN: B0012CJMFO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,621 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Showdown - Grand Pianoramax / Mike Ladd

2. Ride 1: the Race

3. Blue Gold - Grand Pianoramax / Invincible

4. The Hook Introduction

5. The Hook - Celena Glenn / Grand Pianoramax / Spleen

6. Ride Ll: Driftin'

7. Nikola Tesla

8. In the Lab

9. Tempest

10. Showdown

Editorial Reviews

The evolution of Grand Pianoramax continues with Leo Tardin's sophomore release The Biggest Piano In Town on ObliqSound. On this followup to the group's self-titled debut album from 2005, the latest disc blends phuture funk, spoken word, hip-hop and the music of one of the most creative pianists on the scene today.

Tardin brings a new cast of characters to bear on The Biggest Piano in Town, among them from the New York scene drummers Deantoni Parks (Kudu & sideman of Tom Waits, Me'shell Ndegéocello), Adam Deitch (John Scofield), American poets/MCs Mike Ladd, Celena Glenn (Coco Rosie), Invincible (Platinum Pied Pipers), and French folk/rap artist Spleen.

Tardin, the premiere winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival International Piano Solo Competition, has toured around the world with Grand Pianoramax. Primarily an all-live keyboards/drums duo with occasional guest MCs and vocalists, the group blends Minimoog-synth bass, syncopated keys, organic drumming and freestyle spoken word improv/slam.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Jazzy Pseudo-electronica with Mediocre Spoken Word Poetry, September 21, 2008

By 

DJ Outro (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Biggest Piano in Town (Audio CD)

It takes some gumption to go by the name of Grand Pianoramax (the artist's real name is Leo Tardin) but this guy's sound is all about big bold statements. His instrument of choice is a beefed up electric keyboard (see the album cover) and is accompanied only by drums and occasionally spoken word voice-overs and hip-hop stylings. It's almost like an electronic album at times, but he breaks into improvisational modes with a Medeski Martin & Wood type of feel to remind us that he's still closer to the modern jazz tradition than the electronic. These make for the best tracks on the album, in my opinion, especially Ride I: The Race (tk 2) and The Tempest (tk 9). The needlessly weird spoken word poetry on the hyped single "The Hook" detracts from the otherwise interesting beat. A mixed bag.