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Judy Carmichael

Grammy nominated pianist/radio host, Judy Carmichael is one of the world’s leading interpreters of stride piano and swing.

About Me

“Judy Carmichael is a great entertainer. Her playing is masterly and her linking material show her to be a raconteur in the Ustinov mold.”



BBC Radio

“Judy is a one-woman force for good; more to the point, she’s a player of extraordinary accomplishment who has made stride piano relevant again.



London Times

“ . . . astounding, flawless, captivating.”



NY Times

Judy Carmichael's new memoir is, Swinger! A Jazz Girl's Adventures From Hollywood To Harlem, available on Amazon.com, www.judycarmichael.com and at your local bookstore.

Grammy nominated pianist Judy Carmichael is one of the world’s leading interpreters of stride piano and swing. Count Basie nicknamed her “Stride”, acknowledging the command with which she plays this technically and physically demanding jazz piano style. Judy’s CD “I Love Being Here With You” is her first all-vocal CD, exploring her love of witty lyrics, juicy ballads and Broadway Standards.

America’s Jazz Times Magazine says: “Judy Carmichael exhibits a truly remarkable ability to channel Peggy Lee's breathy invitingness and her befogged insouciance. (She also) echoes the intense perspicacity of the solo albums of Annie Ross. In other words, she winningly blends two of the all-time finest, most intuitive jazz singers.”

In May 2016 Judy released her first CD of originals, Can You Love Once More? Judy & Harry Play Carmichael & Allen. Tenor saxophone great Harry Allen is Judy’s writing partner, providing music to Judy’s lyrics.

Judy Carmichael has played the major concert halls and festivals around the world from Carnegie Hall to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice (the first concert ever presented by the museum) to programs with Jools Holland, Melissa Etheridge, Leslie Garrett, Joel Grey, Michael Feinstein, Steve Ross and the Smothers Brothers. In addition, Ms. Carmichael has done comic skits and performed her music on radio and TV (Jo Soares in Brazil, Entertainment Tonight in the U.S. and others) and performed private recitals for everyone from Rod Stewart and Robert Redford to President Clinton and Gianni Agnelli.

Ms. Carmichael has appeared frequently on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, Entertainment Tonight, CBS' Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt and with Charles Osgood, Mornings With Margaret Throsby for the Australia Broadcast Corporation and the BBC’s Loose Ends, In Tune, Up All Night, Woman’s Hour and numerous other shows.

2018 marks the 18th anniversary of Judy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired, the popular Podcast, SiriusXM and NPR show, which Ms. Carmichael produces and hosts, talking with everyone from Tony Bennett to Seth MacFarlane about their love of jazz and how it inspires them. Ms. Carmichael also produced and hosted the 15-part series Pet Style Radio with Judy Carmichael.

Judy Carmichael’s Grammy-nominated recording Two Handed Stride teamed her with four giants of jazz, bassist Red Callender, drummer Harold Jones, guitarist Freddie Green and saxophonist Marshall Royal. She has written two books on stride piano and numerous articles on the subject of jazz. Her memoir, Swinger! A Jazz Girl’s Adventure From Hollywood To Harlem was published in January 2018.

Judy Carmichael has served on a variety of music panels at the National Endowment for the Arts, spoken before the Presidentially appointed National Council on the Arts advocating for individual fellowship grants, and is one of the few jazz pianists honored as a Steinway Artist

Ms. Carmichael is included in “The Encyclopedia of Jazz” “Madame Jazz: Contemporary Women Instrumentalists”, “Who's Who in the East”, “Who's Who in Finance and Industry in America”, “Who's Who in American Woman”, “American Women in Jazz”, “Who's Who in the World” as well as the “Encyclopedia of Jazz.”

Her recordings and music books are available at www.judycarmichael.com and iTunes. Judy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired can be downloaded free from iTunes or streamed from www.jazzinspired.com.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because of the joy. I was first exposed to jazz in old movies on TV. I met loads of inspiring musicians who helped my early career: Benny Carter, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Green and others. The best show I ever attended was one of Basie's with Sinatra. The first jazz record I bought was one of Fats Waller's. My advice to new listeners is, if you don't like the first jazz you hear, give it a second chance. Jazz is many things and if you keep exploring, you'll find something you love. I'm blessed to make my living as a jazz musician.