Articles

Richie Beirach: Exploring Who Matters Most Among the Jazz Pianists

By Victor L. Schermer

[The following is a commentary on pianist Richie Beirach's 2020 e-book The Historical Lineage of Modern Jazz Piano: The 10 Essential Players (Conversations between Richie Beirach and Michael Lake), downloadable for free here.] Jazz piano has always garnered (no intended reference to Erroll Garner) special interest among the instruments because it is truly an orchestra in itself. Its keys cover the full range from low bass to highest soprano, and it is tailored (no allusion to Dr. Billy ...

Richie Beirach: Indelible Memories and Thought-Provoking Reflections on a Life in Jazz, Part 2

By Victor L. Schermer

Part 1 | Part 2 Richie Beirach hovers somewhat mysteriously in the pantheon of the great modern jazz pianists. Some of the others in that category from his generation (coming up in the 1960s/'70s), like Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Kenny Barron have greater celebrity, but Beirach easily qualifies alongside them as one of the most accomplished masters. While the aforementioned have developed a signature style, emotional power, and virtuosic technique, Beirach, above and beyond those ...

Richie Beirach: Indelible Memories and Thought-Provoking Reflections on a Life in Jazz, Part 1

By Victor L. Schermer

Part 1 | Part 2 Richie Beirach hovers somewhat mysteriously in the pantheon of the great modern jazz pianists. Some of the others in that category from his generation (coming up in the 1960s/'70s), like Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Kenny Barron have greater celebrity, but Beirach easily qualifies alongside them as one of the most accomplished masters. While the aforementioned have developed a signature style, emotional power, and virtuosic technique, Beirach, above and beyond those ...

Richie Beirach-Gregor Huebner Duo and the WDR Big Band: Crossing Borders

By Jack Bowers

The “borders" that are earmarked to be crossed in this new album by pianist Richie Bierach, violinist Gregor Huebner and Germany's superb WDR Big Band are both geographic and musical. The collaborative effort is intended, on the one hand, to bridge the gap between people of various ethnicities and backgrounds and help bring them together, and, on the other, to minimize the borders between classical music and jazz by allowing ample room for both genres to be heard, cross-referenced and ...

Richie Beirach-Gregor Huebner Duo & The WDR Big Band: Crossing Borders

By Dan Bilawsky

Richie Beirach, Gregor Huebner and the WDR Big Band. Now there's a triumvirate that speaks to enormity and nonconformity. On Crossing Borders, the revered pianist, the style-skirting violinist and the boundary-pushing large ensemble join forces for a program that's both crafty and dynamic, playing to past glories and present tense all at once. Tied to no single space or school, the album is wholly reflective of its title. Highlighting the compositional strokes of two vastly different composers, ...

Richie Beirach Trio: Manhattan Reverie

By Laurel Gross

It was all in the eyes. They say peek into someone's eyes if you really want to see what they're about and how they're feeling. From the looks of things at a performance to celebrate his sixtieth birthday at Birdland at the end of August 2007, it seemed that Richie Beirach was feeling good. Sounded tops, too. This classically-trained veteran pianist was marking his sixth decade on earth with a little help from his friends--trio band mates, ...

Richie Beirach & Laurie Antonioli: The Duo Session

By Jim Santella

Recorded in 1992 in San Francisco, this session of piano/vocal duets features a silky-smooth singer in performance with an expressive pianist. Their warm, endearing approach brings you into their circle with open arms and a heartfelt embrace. Together, the two artists interpret moody standards, hip reflections, and searing originals with candor.

Laurie Antonioli's clear alto voice and extensive vocal range allow her to express ideas and emotions freely and accurately. What she's thinking is what comes out naturally. ...