Here’s part two of my piano desert island discs – five more pieces that have inspired me, stuck with me, or made me want to practise a lot more. A mix again of styles, approaches and eras, but all united by the same thing – they moved me in some way.
(adobe express please insert groovy AI image of piano on desert island – take a look at the seat…is it even a seat? looks a little challenging to balance on on the sand – especially for someone of my build!)
1. Hania Rani – Live from Studio S2
An amazing solo performance that combines acoustic piano with subtle electronics in a really beautiful way. It’s affecting and impressive in equal measure – the kind of performance that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. There’s technical virtuosity here, yes, but it always serves the music. One of the best examples of how modern piano can expand in all directions while still feeling deeply human.
🎧 Watch here
2. Brad Mehldau – Blackbird
This live version, filmed at the Steinway showroom in Hamburg, is a total gem. There’s such economy and clarity in his playing, but also so much feeling. He builds the whole thing around a repeated G note, with everything else moving around it – like the world shifting while one thread stays steady. I was blown away by the structure of this performance – it develops so naturally, the increasing complexity drawing you in until you realise it’s taken you somewhere completely new. A quiet masterclass.
🎧 Watch here
3. Ludovico Einaudi – I Giorni
This piece has become really popular with piano students in the last decade or so. There’s a version filmed at Steinway Hall in New York that’s well worth a watch. Einaudi himself said: “I was among the first of a new generation to create and to write music that was, let’s say, playable and contemporary… I think the music that I started to create was, in a way, filling the space left open and abandoned by composers.”
He was classically trained, studied with Luciano Berio, and had all the tools for a big career in the classical world – but instead chose to carve out his own musical path. He gets criticised for the simplicity of his music, but I’ve said it before – simplicity is not a weakness. The communication is direct and honest, and there’s a beautiful blend of melancholy and hope in this piece that I find really moving.
🎧 Watch here
4. Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) – Mac’s Boogie
This was on heavy rotation on cassette when I was a student in the late ’80s. Technically, I was supposed to be studying classical music – in reality I spent most of those three years trying to play blues and boogie woogie in C major, and this was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to emulate. It’s got everything – driving rhythm, complex runs, turnarounds, and that wild energy that makes boogie piano such a joy to listen to and play. Built on a simple 12-bar blues form, but packed with invention and flair.
🎧 Watch here
5. Ben Crosland – Oceans Apart
Ben’s a fellow pianist, teacher and composer based in Worcestershire. Some of you might remember we were due to play together in Newcastle in 2020 – a concert also featuring Canadian pianist Nathan Shubert – but it had to be moved online because of the lockdowns.
Oceans Apart was the track that really brought Ben to wider attention – it ended up on Spotify’s Peaceful Piano playlist and has now had more than 83 million streams. And deservedly so. His work across the board – composing, performing, recording, producing – is consistently excellent. This track is just one of many examples. Beautiful, understated, and full of feeling.
🎧 Watch here
That’s part two. Hope you find something new to love here – or rediscover something you’d forgotten.
Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day.
Steve
PS: My next live performance is inside the incredible Victoria Tunnel in Newcastle on Friday 19th September 2025 at 7.30pm. A solo piano concert in one of the most atmospheric venues around.
🎟️ Tickets available here
