Harold O’Neal’s Marvelous Fantasy
A few hundred years ago, classical pianists would impress audiences by improvising cadenzas in the middle of a concerto – riffing, we would say today. Now improvisation is firmly in the realm of jazz. But a new record called Marvelous Fantasy explores the connection between jazz and classical improvisation. It’s by the 30-year-old jazz pianist Harold O’Neal.
Not many people have a resume like O’Neal’s: the Kansas City native is a kickboxer, karate teacher, and breakdancer (he performed in a Jay-Z video) as well as a student of Romantic piano music. O’Neal got turned on to music as a kid watching the Donald & Daffy Duck dueling pianos scene in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. “They’re playing ‘Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.’ and I said ‘wow, that’s amazing, what is that? I want to learn that.'”
On his new record O’Neal looks to French impressionist composers like Maurice Ravel. “My gut was saying take these classical pieces that I like and just analyze them – harmonically, structurally, the mechanics of what they’re doing technically and break it down and turn it into a drill,” he explains to Kurt Andersen. “Basically I run the drill enough until it becomes second nature and I just throw it in the bag of improvisation.”
Video: “Marvelous Fantasy”
Video: Harold O’Neal breakdances in the studio
Video: “The Lovers”
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!