Phineas Newborn, Jr. levittshellarchive video #26 Memphis Music Memories.mov

[@bodiesofdistinction3361]

He was only 58 years old when he passed, and sadly, the music world never fully appreciated his true musical genius until after his passing, which happens so often with those sensitive souls who are often ahead of their time. Rest in Peace, and hopefully know there are those of us who realize your gift to the world and appreciate the legacy you left behind in recordings.

[@mrfester42]

I heard him for the first time here on line yesterday and was immediately struck by the depth of his expression. Today I purchased a CD of his "A World of Piano" album. Can't wait to hear it.

[@bradgarrison7256]

Man I swear people don't know what music is...it is an expression of the truth in he hands of a master...the truth happened to involve his condition at this point in time, but that doesn't take anything away from his artistry...This is a great performance if you ask me.

[@phineashenshaw]

It is honor that my father named me after him. Although this video does his earlier playing no justice. I am glad I was able to meet him in person before he passed.

[@thejazztherapyjesse]

Amazing! Thank you so much for this video and to all the folks who commented sharing stories about Mr.Newborn Jr. His virtuosity is stunning 🎉

[@derrickjackson5808]

Phineas Newborn Jr was in my opinion one of several great pianist but to me one of 3 greatest jazz pianist of the 20th century, & people down the years have compared these 3 great music minds frequently time after time, their similar techniques & finger speed amongst other qualities, & that is of Art Tatum & Oscar Peterson. There were others but those other 2 stand out in my mind. His mind & stuff that he heard & did may have been the most genuis of the three in his prime. Anyone who followed & knew of his life's path milestones & struggles knew that in the prime of his life, his playing ability came across like something out of this world. His gift was definitely one of the "finest" GOD ever bestowed on a human being.

[@HansSchmidt2006]

信じられないこんなキャリア最後の映像が残っていたなんて。ただ聞き入りました。Thank you。

[@markbaxter4613]

I know some think it was lacking but man I had tears when I stumbled on to this. Adore Phineas…just a brilliant man. ❤❤❤

[@drwood1962]

My God! I was at this performance. Are there more videos, and can you please post them? It was my only time to witness this genius, one of the top five jazz pianists in my opinion, and I'm Ahmad Jamal's cousin!

[@rds1882]

I think he is a genius. Best piano player I’ve ever heard.

[@phyllishinton9377]

Well tuned piano, puts a little ELLINGTON in Lush Life and takes his time lots of Love here!

[@guitboot]

He stayed a few days in a hotel where I was a member of the house band so I spent some time with him.I think he liked the fact that I knew of his brother,guitarist Calvin.It was a privilege to talk with him and though he was a bit"odd" in his behavior he was very straight forward when discussing music.What a great artist. One for the ages.

[@ocnoreen]

Hamp Hawes introduced me to Phineas at Donte's when Phineas was recording for Contemporary and I took Phineas to the Baked Potato so he could play. He was a fine gentleman and played incredibly well. He is playing great here.

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

What about Lou Levy, Feldman .. knew em 2 oer

[@HowardJacksongroover]

Thanks to Wayne McConnell and The Sussex Jazz Mag for bringing this wonderful and very underrated pianist to every ones attention. Simply sublime music.

[@gregshell]

How lovely. Full of emotion.he even makes the piano sound like a harp at times. I'm off now to investigate all his earlier stuff.

[@donroberts1420]

You would have found some gems. Lucky you.

[@bodiesofdistinction3361]

This piece is full of grace, beauty, deep feelings and true passion. Thank you for posting and sharing it with us.

[@carlomorena9759]

This video makes eveyone of us very,very sad.RIP.

[@charold3]

Great to see this, this supremely talented man near the end of a hard life, part self-inflicted, part God knows. Flashes of brilliance here. (I wonder what he saw when he looked at the audience.)

[@thesomei]

フィニアスは終わりまでピアニストだった。彼は彼のスタイルを一切変えずに。最後に聴かしてくれたラッシュライフ、忘れません。ありがとう。

[@madbebopper]

This genius of the piano never got his full due. I always loved Phineas, one of the many unique giants from memphis along with George Coleman, Harold Mabern, Jamil Nasser and Frank Strozier. All giants, in my humble opinion.

[@dr.brianjudedelimaphd743]

Genius genius genius genius.......

[@Musicnostic4U2]

The Greatest musicians producing town on the Planet. Memphis,Tn. No matter what genre of music. Memphis it always produces the most unusual,creative,strangely different musicians the world has seen. Phineas Newborn,James Williams, Mulgrew Miller, Kirk Whalum, Eric Gales, Shawn Lane, Larry Lee the Bar-kays Al Green, Issac Hayes all the Stax artist ,Big Star. Goddam no music town like it on Earth but it has not ever got the recognition it deserves. WTF !!!

[@osiruskat]

Don't forget Maurice White of Earth, Wind, and Fire.

[@Musicnostic4U2]

Right for sure! I live in Chicago and they are always trying to claim EWF as a Chicago band which is not true. They may have got together and launched from here but Maurice White and Verdine are from Memphis. He was a drummer at Stax for a little while until his parents moved him at a early age to Chi-town! It goes on and on in terms of Memphis musicians. Both Koko Taylor and Junior Wells are born and bred in Memphis and Chicago claims to be the home of the Blues. WTF. I remember BB King giving a interview years ago in the Chicago press and they asking him is Chicago the home of the Blues. His response was some what funny when he said "as far "as I Know Memphis Tn" is the real Home of The Blues. LOL........

[@TheLemon333]

And dancers.

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

D.D. Bridgewater

[@holyburn]

Phineas was wonderful...had a hard time near the end.

[@MrEdium]

When he was younger he was hands down One of the Greatest Pianists that has Ever Lived....... He did the impossible by combining the Bebop Genius of Bud Powell with the piano style of Oscar Peterson {dbl. octaves & block chords} at unreal speeds.........Amazing............

[@postmodernmusicalsophist2503]

MrEdium and turning this Ravel masterpiece into diamond.

[@johnlindstrom9994]

Extremely touching version!

[@doraysmith]

This breaks my heart...for those of us who knew what he was 50 years earlier...

[@076657]

A baby?

[@gregtheos9309]

Gold.

[@memphismusic-universityofm46]

We were on the show with him . .The Brewers opened the show!

[@joelcaffey3579]

Why compare his last performance with his earlier ones during his prime? Yes, it's unfortunate how his life turned out..very sad... but we can all agree this man had an extraordinary talent until the day he died...!

[@TheLemon333]

Nicely put. Our culture puts to much emphasis on peak performance instead of the WHOLE story. Sweeping away the old and dying in to the back wards of institutions. If you can really appreciate his "prime" than this performance can be appreciated as another part of THAT and not relegated as lesser than.

[@robinhodejesusrobinson6263]

He still had his technique even though what ever happened happened, but if he was well he would have only been better than his prime in my opinion, he was, to me, more technically facilitated than art Tatum, that’s my opinion and I love art tatum’s music

[@guitboot]

The article was in the village voice and I kept a copy but have been unable to find it at my home or online.it was shortly after his death and if anyone has access to the files of the Village Voice it would be great to see it online.

[@kennethhodges3187]

Sad to see such a great talent in obvious decline!

[@michelmorioux6869]

In every note I can see and listen to a tortured man.

[@hremdldw]

Now,go,back,and,listen,when,this,fantastic,musician,had,all.had,,all,of,his,chops!,The,CD,Lush,Life.,The,poor,man,was,just,a,shell,of.what,he,was.

[@kenhodges7262]

I got this information from a cutting someone sent me, and I think it was from a Canadian jazz magazine. This was when I was doing some research for an article on Phineas which was eventually published in the 'Jazz Journal' in 1986. I think it was in September of that year but I can't be sure

[@crayon2323]

you guys are all crazy, he is playing his ass off.

[@thesomei]

弾きたいように弾いた。弾けた。弾ける。５７になって。聴く甲斐がある。かれの音は。

[@friskylamar]

Wow!

[@leslieackerman4189]

Phi ness Newborn Jr died on May 26, 1989. That means merely 41 days after this. I don’t think this is the way we want to remember him.

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

@leslieackerman4189 =The Swan Song of a genius who probably had inadvertently made the faustian packt ...read BOOTH, Stanley : Rhythm Oil, has a 30pp. bio article on his tuff fate ...by a diff writer, Peter Guralnick.

[@thesomei]

フィニアスはこれが最後で死んだ。と、理解します。you　tubeはたいしたものです。フィニアス最後の動画まで聴くことができるのですから。

[@thesomei]

じいじが、最後の力を見せ付けた。じいじ、よかったね。

[@rotten53]

見た目は、じじいだけど当事は５７歳だったようだよ。

[@kenhodges7262]

I have not been able yet to find a copy of my own personal article, but if you go into 'google' and put in Phineas Newborn biography you will find plenty of information there. There is one particular site I spotted but I was not allowed to paste in the web site here.

[@lubben3]

They couldn't even be bothered to tune the damn piano for the man. Is this the worst piano in Memphis? He plays like he's simultaneously discovering and remembering a beautiful nearly lost secret from his youth.

[@yawnjones]

Warren Lubline Yeah he's really taking his time!! I kinda like it especially because it's slow enough to transcribe lol in his heyday he played this at breakneck speed👍👍🙂

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

​@@yawnjones LUSH LIFE not a racetrack cut even if played by another troubled alcoholic soul besides its composer ...HARTMAN & TRANE honored it thru their smoke-filled cancerous magic. It s one of the loftiest compositions in jazz.

[@thesomei]

そうすか。りょうかい。おれと、おないとしだ。

[@kenhodges7262]

I felt very sad watching this video. I have a number of recordings made by Phineas in his prime, but unfortunately what we have here is a man who is a shadow of his former self. Phineas was dogged with mental health problems for much of his career, and he was periodically off the scene. Then towards the end he was beaten up and damage was inflicted to his hands. It was remoured that this was the work of the 'Mafia' Viewers here should compare this with the 1962 Jazz Scene video on this site.

[@charsibaba6960]

In the article in the voice they even showed xrays of the shattered bones in his hands. Was that your article @ken hodges ? If so I may still have it in a box of old jazz journals .

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

GATHER the beating took place already in mid 60s Memphis thru a staged drug bust by a racist cop. Source : BOOTH, Stanley : Rhythm Oil ...has a 30 pp article on the cursed genius.

[@dancelli714]

Mental illness took over his fingers here. In the 50's and 60's he was one of the greatest, but not here. Bud Powell in later years was mentally ill and the playing wasn't the same just like here. You play LUSH LIFE on some of his earlier Cd's, you'll hear the difference.

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

Manic depressives are treated w shock "therapy". But is it really a therapy or a mutilation of the finesse departments of the frontal lobe ...(?). Bird definitively was NOT "relaxing @ Camarillo" ...