The Piano Accompanist
By Ron Gill

Some of you may not have noticed, or missed the news that Frank Sinatra's longtime piano accompanist, Bill
Miller, passed away at 91 while on the road last week with Frank Sinatra, Jr. It crossed my mind how many musicians playing that role are ignored by the general listener, and what an important role they play when playing behind important singers. I remember when I started to perform as a singer I read A Down Beat article interviewing Carmen McRae, where she stated flatly that it was important to her to have her own trio, thus also meaning she had a piano player who was constantly a part of her group that she could count on to provide important interpretations of her repertoire.

The difference between one piano player and another for a singer depends on what the two bring to the table for each other. In Carmen's case let's take for example her early accompanist, Norman Simmons. I cannot speak specifically what may have transpired between the two of them in planning how they would work together, but I can comment on the result of their association. Carmen's work on just two recordings speaks volumes on what Norman brought to the table; Carmen McRae sings Billie Holiday on Columbia, in 1961, and a later recording, Carmen McRae Alive, on Columbia, but orignally on Mainstream Records. Listen to the way Carmen sings with Norman at the helm, especially on the classic, Lover Man, on the Billie Holiday tribute, and several approaches taken on a select group of songs on the 'Alive' recording. There are more examples on other recordings, but my point is, the comping that Norman executes in support of her singing on these recordings is priceless.

Listen to his tinkling accompianment on the entrance to Woman Talk. He's not laying down chords for her,
but is comfortable with her ability to open the song in the fashion she does, to lay down the essence of
the material before getting into the meaty part of the arrangement when the other musicians join them as they
proceed to get down to the tempo change. Norman's intro to Lover Man on the Holiday effort is superb,
giving McRae the opportunity to lead into the opening with her exquisite uncanny personal phrasing..."I
don't know why" making the song her own...by replacing the original notation with her own notes. One more
recording I have to comment on with her and Norman that makes my point is his fine comping behind her on
the 'Live at Sugar Hill in San Francisco' in this same timeframe, particularly on the song, 'Sunday'.

Tony Bennett as we all know depended on the support of Ralph Sharon, who with his knowledge of jazz phrasings and material helped to bring Tony's accomplishments more in line to his jazz leanings as a singer. Ralph apparently was responsible for many of the songs Tony added to his repertoire, specifically, I Left My Heart In San Francisco. One song for me stands out from all the rest, and that is Ralph's great assistance to Tony on the arrangement and accompianment, I've Got Just About Everything, on the Columbia recording, When Lights are Low, with Ralph Sharon Trio. Tony never sounded better on this recording at that time.

Ella changed piano players a lot it seemed until she settled in with Tommy Flanagan. But, Paul Smith with
Ella in Berlin stands out, as did Lou Levy with her in her 'Ella in Rome, Birthday Concert". Listening to
these players behind Ella indicates to me that Ella liked everything in it's place. And, even though
Carmen has written in articles, no surprises, she seemed to be able to handle less a need for conventional chord changes. Her peer of course was Betty Carter, who took more chances, and required strong accompianists. Her recording with the late, John Hicks when he was with her, particuarly, the Live at the American Muisic Hall, stands high among her finast. When an artist, say like Sarah Vaughan, settles in with one pianist, as she did with Carl Schroader, something important happens. The singer and the pianist understands clearly the direction they want the material to go. A sort of joined at the hip mentally begins to take place. When a singer does not maintain this kind of relationship with one accompianist, a sense of direction and ideas is lost. But when they join together and work as one they learn where their strengths lie, as does Kurt Elling with Laurence Hobgood and Tierny Sutton with Christian Jacobson.

There are other piano players who stand out on recordings with singers. I always find it a pleasure to hear what Oscar Peterson does accompanying Louis Armstrong, specifically on, Just one of Those Things, or with Ella of course, but especially with Billie Holiday. He seems to transform her. Another great pianist was Jimmy Rowles, who understood his responsibility as an accompianist for singers. Because of the nature in which Sinatra worked, usually with large orchestras and big bands, Bill Miller usually did not get the credit he deserved, except in a few liner notes , especially on Only The Lonely, when he accompanies Frank on the classic, One For My Baby. I'm not sure, but he might have been the pianist of choice in the movie Frank did with Doris Day, Young At Heart. The point is, Miller brought a special thing to Frank, and the association lasted years.

As in my own personal case, my pianist and I celebrate 40 plus years to our musical relationship. What makes it what it is, is our understanding, knowledge and history of the music we do that we brought to each other at the beginning of our relationship. The choices we make musically are transformed into songs that become personal and associated with us alone. I'm sure many of singers in this situation understand clearly what this brings to the performance.