At the Katrina benefit held by the avant-jazz Vision Fest last night, I eagerly awaited a solo piano set by the great Muhal Richard Abrams. After taking to the bench, Abrams played three or four notes, got up and told the audience, “I don’t play out-of-tune pianos. It’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to you.” Dismay and disappointment spread through the room, but Abrams wasn’t budging. “I don’t play out-of-tune pianos,” he repeated. “I can’t hear what I need to hear.” He did go out of his way to praise the Vision organization for its efforts. A bit diva-ish, but hey, it was a solo piano set. A bad instrument is kind of a deal-breaker.
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