Results for "Jazz piano"

James Austin, Jr.

Jazz Pianist James Austin Jr. Debuts Plunging Heart First into the Bedrock Book of Wonder - Stevie Wonder

Blissful Songs in the Key of Wonder Brilliantly Covers Motown Legend’s Prolific Mid-`60s to Mid-`80s Heyday in Straight Ahead and Latin Veins

Pianist James Austin Jr. traveled from his hometown of Chicago to New York City to tackle Jazz on its highest level after surprising himself as a semifinalist in the 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. That day, James met many prestigious icons – Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and George Duke. But it is Stevie Wonder that left the most indelible impression on James – before, during and after that day. And it is Stevie Wonder’s incomparable songbook that Austin salutes on his debut as a leader: the scintillating, self-released 10-song set, Songs in the Key of Wonder.

Peter Hostage

Born: June 5, 1957

Peter Hostage is a jazz/blues pianist/vocalist from New Hampshire, USA. He cites Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Dr. John, Bill Evans, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner and Louis Jordan among his major influences. Mr. Hostage taught himself guitar and piano starting at the age of 10. The Beatles and Bob Dylan were his first major influences, but he was soon taken with the blues of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, Paul Butterfield, Robert Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt. Peter started gigging in his early teens as a solo guitarist/vocalist playing country blues at coffeehouses and house parties

Evan Blair Whitfield

Born: May 25, 1976

Evan Whitfield is a pianist, keyboardist and composer of styles ranging from jazz to experimental new-age to contemporary improvisation. Evan began his musical education at the age of seven, studying classical piano and brass. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Evan was raised in a musical family from the very beginning and remembers listening to Vivaldi’s The Seasons, The Beatles‘ album Sergeant Pepper‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Glen Gould playing Bach, and attending Kenny Rogers concerts. As soon as he was proficient at the early stages of classical piano, he chose to study another instrument, the tuba

George Freeman

Born: November 19, 1980

As a musical director, George Freeman is well versed in selecting players, communicating concepts and orchestrating powerful shows. His solo full-length debut, Make It Happen, reveals a musical crossroads of jazz, pop, R&B, gospel and neo-soul. Slow burning grooves underscore supple melodies, articulate arpeggios and dynamic keyboard dexterity as the keyboardist, producer and bandleader who plays behind a celebrated roster of musical luminaries steps into the spotlight to showcase his own artistry. Songs from Make It Happen, like "Tengo Un Amor", "Two Step" and others currently play on both national and international jazz radio and internet stations

Wendy Kirkland

Born: April 17

Wendy’s musical career began at age 10, when she started taking piano lessons. She won a scholarship to have all her lessons paid for by Derbyshire Music, and continued to take her ABRSM piano grades.

Switching to jazz in her late teens, Wendy continued her playing career as a dance class pianist, accompanist to singers and as a keyboardist in club bands.

After being persuaded to sing by a great friend and guitarist, Bill McCreath, Wendy learned to reach people who are perhaps turned off by instrumental jazz, as she learnt to communicate with the audience through the songs. Wendy’s voice has been likened to Blossom Dearie with hints of Diana Krall.

Her influences range from Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald through Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly to Chick Corea, Eliane Elias and Michel Petrucciani.

Current projects include Piano Divas, a tribute to the female pianist singers of jazz; hammond organ jazz outfit Organik Fource featuring Pat Sprakes on guitar and guest saxophonist; Organik Trio Goes To The Movies and The Organik Cookbook celebrating the early soul-jazz albums of George Benson.

Wendy is married to jazz guitarist and bass player Pat Sprakes

Fred Haas

Born: July, 1951

Fred Haas, a Dartmouth graduate ('73), teaches Saxophone, Jazz Piano, Improvisation, Jazz History and Music Theory at Dartmouth College. He lives in Hartland, Vermont, and travels throughout New England and beyond performing and recording with a variety of musicians. Fred brings to each of his performances and workshops a depth of experience and knowledge from over thirty-five years as a jazz musician and educator. His goal is to communicate a broad range of emotions through music as well as share information about the history of jazz and the art of jazz improvisation. In 1997 Fred founded Interplay Jazz Camp, which provides an opportunity for musicians of all ages to participate in a relaxed and supportive learning environment with an experienced faculty that focuses on key aspects of the improvisational art of jazz

Johanna Pitkänen

Born: June 8, 1982

Johanna Pitkänen is a pianist and composer from Helsinki. She has explored the musical globe from Scandinavia to Cuba and from different parts of Africa to Spain. Pitkänen writes music by commission and performs on solo piano and with duos and trios. Her oldest ongoing group is Kokko Quartet, a Finnish jazz group using world music influences in their music. The group has released two albums, their latest release is Orient Express from 2016. Pitkänen also writes music for film. In 2019 she released electronic music together with producer Satu Nieminen Pitkänen graduated from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences with a Bachelor’s degree in Pop and Jazz Music

Abdullah Ibrahim

Born: October 9, 1934

Abdullah Ibrahim’s new solo program transcends category, combining the intimate and the universal in a unique way that is hinted at in its title. SENZO means “Ancestor” in both Chinese and Japanese. SENZO also echoes the name of Abdullah Ibrahim’s Sotho father, in whose language the word translates as “Creator”. Abdullah Ibrahim, South Africa’s most distinguished pianist and a world-respected master musician, was born in 1934 in Cape Town and baptized Adolph Johannes Brand. His early musical memories were of traditional African Khoi-san songs and the Christian hymns, gospel tunes and spirituals that he heard from his grandmother, who was pianist for the local African Methodist Episcopalian church, and his mother, who led the choir

Eyran Katsenelenbogen

Born: July, 1965

Eyran Katsenelenbogen is a pianist who has performed throughout the world. In 2019, he released his latest solo album, titled Outstandards, with a concert tour that included venues in the U.S., Europe and Israel. Katsenelenbogen's recordings have been reviewed by jazz publications such as Jazziz, JazzTimes, Jazz Journal International and All About Jazz, which stated in its recent review of Eyran’s previous release: "88 Fingers is truly a virtuoso's work. Perhaps Katsenelenbogen is most in league with Art Tatum for this fact: he sets the bar towards which other pianists must strive." A classically trained pianist with a jazz style, Katsenelenbogen has performed and recorded in venues such as the Iridium Jazz Club, New York; Teatro di Marcello, Rome; the Tel-Aviv Jazz & Blues Festival; the Bechstein Centrum, Hamburg; Mirrors Hall, Saint Petersburg; Scullers Jazz Club, Boston; Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, MA; Saint Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, UK; and the Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto

Igor Gehenot

The pianist Igor Gehenot started classical piano studies from an early age. At 13 he enters the jazz section of the royal academy of Liège and at 19 the conservatory of Maastricht. He enters the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in 2009 for two years, where he studies among others with Eric Legnini, and starts his own trio with Sam Gerstmans on double bass and drummer Teun Verbruggen. The trio led by Igor Gehenot won the Sabam’s youth jazz award in 2011. The recognition was justified. The pianist, born in 1989, has progressively established himself as a major talent on the Belgian and European scenes. After recording the first album «Road Story» (Igloo New talents, 2012), Igor toured extensively in Belgium and elsewhere (Jazz A Vienne, Mexico Festival…). In 2014, he presented the new album «Motion», still featuring Verbruggen on drums but with Philippe Aerts as the new partner on double bass