{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Variety Show","title":"Perfect pitch, Hugh Laurie and uniting against AI with Harry the Piano","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2420,"description":"To stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:TikTokInstagramYouTubeIf you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email info@thevarietyshowpodcast.co.ukArtist bioHarry the Piano is a West London–born pianist, improviser, and musical director known for his virtuosic, genre-blending live performances. Raised in Shepherd’s Bush in a vicarage household with no television, he began playing piano at four after an upright was donated to his family. Classically trained to Grade 8 by 14, Harry developed a parallel obsession with improvisation and jazz, inspired by Oscar Peterson. Over a varied career he has performed with artists including David Bowie, Will Smith, and Beyoncé, appeared as a resident pianist on major UK television shows including The Big Breakfast and Johnny Vaughan Tonight, and built a reputation for spontaneous audience-request performances that fuse classical, jazz, pop, and film music in any style. His YouTube channel has attracted millions of views, and he regularly works as a composer, arranger, and educator in schools.Episode summaryIn this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg sits down with pianist and improviser Harry the Piano to explore a career built on spontaneity, skill, and versatility. Harry reflects on growing up in Shepherd’s Bush with no television, discovering the piano at four, and developing perfect pitch while balancing classical training with a love of jazz improvisation. He shares how early gigs in West End restaurants and clubs led to television work, performing alongside global stars, and becoming a resident pianist on major chat shows.Harry explains how his signature live act evolved from club performances where guests would challenge him to play any tune in any style, a format that became the foundation of his theatre shows. The conversation moves through encounters with Hugh Laurie and Dame Edna, the realities of fame, and why he prefers a creative life without celebrity...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/JHRDqil-H1p__PcBxkFKeWgvmzANKXqZzhsKiqUP0gc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mODc5/NmZkY2I4Nzk5OWNi/MjFiNDFhNzY5MTNi/NzI1Ni5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}