Results for "piano"

John Law

John Law started classical piano aged four and performed first in public at six. After winning an Open Scholarship he studied piano and composition at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he won prizes for piano playing. Despite then winning an Austrian government scholarship to study in Vienna with the pianist Badura-Skoda, and receiving encouragement from an early classical influence, pianist Alfred Brendel, he turned to jazz in 1986, forming his first group ATLAS, a mainly freely-improvising trio with Paul Rogers, bass and Mark Sanders, drums.

From 1986 to 1996 John concentrated more on the experimental end of jazz, particularly in his association with the South African drummer Louis Moholo, with the Jon Lloyd Quartet and with his own quartet. The John Law/Louis Moholo Duo recorded the acclaimed CD em>The Boat Is Sinking, Apartheid Is Sinking (Impetus 19322), appeared on British radio and toured extensively in the UK, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France and Canada, appearing at many major festivals. The Jon Lloyd Quartet appeared on British radio, made three acclaimed CDs, the last for Hat Hut called By Confusion, and played at festivals, including the 1995 FMP Festival, Berlin. With his own small groups John recorded and toured in the UK, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Russia, Lithuania and Belarus, including many festivals. A later quartet, formed 1993, with Paul Dunmall (saxophones), Barry Guy (double-bass) and Louis Moholo, called Extremely Quartet, toured the UK and appeared to great acclaim at the 1998 Nickelsdorf Festival, Austria. They released the CD Extremely Quartet (Hat Hut CD6199) in 1997. John was also involved occasionally during this period with the Evan Parker Quartet. One-off collaborations also included the Dedication Orchestra, a duo performance with the pianist Keith Tippett and a London Festival concert in a septet with David Murray and Chico Freeman.

While John Law was exploring the more radical and freely improvised areas of jazz he also began a series of solo CDs which were to lead him back to an exploration of his classical roots. The four-CD series Chants (Cornucopia, 1993), Talitha Cumi (FMR, 1994), Pentecost (FMR, 1996) and The Hours (FMR, 1997) Thanatos (FMR, 1997) was based on plainchant and, as well as jazz, explored the history and techniques associated with classical piano as well as introducing certain harmonic elements derived from early and mediaeval music. The CDs received outstanding reviews around the world. Concentrating on this music, John gave concerts in the UK in concert halls, churches and universities, and appeared at major festivals in London, Le Mans and Clusone.

From 1996, moving away from the freer end of jazz, John Law began to be more involved with straighter jazz and composition. He formed the trio with Tim Wells (bass) and Paul Clarvis (drums, percussion). This group recorded four critically-acclaimed CDs, one of them, The Onliest, exploring the music of Thelonious Monk. They toured the UK and appeared at festivals in England and France. Later, the drummer Dave Wickins came into the trio and this group gave concerts in the UK and Germany.

In 2000 John created the project Abacus, featuring US drummer Gerry Hemingway and, with Jon Lloyd and Tim Wells also included, this group became the continuation of the Jon Lloyd Quartet, performing both John Law's more radical compositions as well as material by Jon Lloyd. This quartet recorded the acclaimed CD Abacus (hatOLOGY) which received two awards from the French magazine Jazzman, one awarded for the year 2001. The group toured the UK in 2000, appearing at the Bath International Festival.

In 2001, continuing to develop his own approach to the jazz language, John Law formed The Moment Band with his trio and featuring the British saxophonist Tim Garland. The quartet recorded the outstandingly acclaimed CD The Moment (FMR) and toured the UK in 2001. With his trio (with Dave Wickins and now Alec Dankworth on bass) and with featured soloists (Julian Siegel, Martin Speake, Julian Nicholas) John Law undertook, in 2002, the Monk 'n' Junk Tour in the UK, contrasting the compositions of Thelonious Monk with the standard repertoire. A CD of this material appeared on the label ASC in 2006.

2002/3 saw John working in two completely different areas. Returning to more radical, open music, John started a collaboration with the German drummer Klaus Kugel, appearing together at the International Vilnius Festival with the Lithuanian soprano saxophonist Petras Vysniauskas in a triumphant concert to a packed Vilnius Philharmonic Hall and later touring the UK with him in a European quintet including Jon Lloyd and the bass clarinetist Michel Pilz, as well as appearing with him in a quartet at the Portuguese festival in Coimbra. At the same time, moving in the opposite direction into more accessible territory, John worked in two new duos: Songs, with the alto saxophonist Martin Speake, exploring some of their favorite compositions by other people, including arrangements of classical pieces by Ravel, Tchaikovsky and Mahler and in a two piano duo with the pianist Jason Rebello, opening their concerts with Bach and closing with Ravel's Bolero.

Nellie McKay

Since her audacious double��"album debut Get Away From Me, Nellie McKay has been a creative dynamo, releasing Pretty Little Head and Obligatory Villagers, making her Broadway debut (as Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera), performing onscreen (in PS I Love You) and currently writing music and lyrics for the premiere production of Election: The Musical.

Since her emergence on the scene, McKay has been known as an outspoken and fierce advocate for animal rights, feminism, civil rights and other deeply felt progressive ideals. But at first glance the choice of material on Normal as Blueberry Pie is devoid of pointed statements. However, as McKay notes, “There are so many ways to be an advocate.” And while the messages are subtle, they’re certainly present

Josh Moshier

Dana Reason

Dana Reason is a composer, improviser, keyboardist, conceptual artist, producer, and researcher, with a Ph.D. in Critical Studies and Experimental Practices from the University of California, San Diego. Her focus is on performance, improvisation, composition, scoring, and research in new and emergent musical fields.

As a performing artist working at the intersections of twentieth and twenty-first-century musical genres and intermedia practices, she moves easily between genres encompassing a dynamic stylistic range and repertoire. 

She has been featured on more than 17 commercially released recordings, including as a member of The Space Between Trio with American electronic arts pioneer Pauline Oliveros.

David Arner

Born: November 4, 1951

Pianist, percussionist and composer David Arner is a long time proponent of innovative music and spontaneous composition. A resident of New York’s Mid-Hudson valley, the Woodstock Times has hailed him as “one of the Valley’s most consistently inventive and stimulating musical improvisors.” Arner released his 1st CD, Solo Piano (Dogstar), in 2002. The album documents Arner’s ongoing series of spontaneous compositions for solo piano, both in concert and in the studio, applying his characteristic piano wizardry to a wide array of themes from mythology to the blues. Paul Elisha of Northeast Public Radio said of this CD that Arner “holds and transports listeners through the incredible maze of his seemingly unflagging imagination.” David Arner’s 2nd CD, Live from the Center (Dogstar 2005), features his solo piano music from one of his annual concerts at The Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck

Espen Berg

Born: June 30, 1983

Norwegian pianist and composer Espen Berg (b. 1983) is a modern day impressionist, seamlessly blending figurative and non-figurative styles in his spontaneously composed music, with an unsurpassed virtuosity and flow. His solo albums have been praised by audience and critics all over the world, earning top ratings in All About Jazz, UK Vibe, VG and Nettavisen, and an Editor’s Choice remark in Jazzwise, with Stuart Nicholson writing that «if the solo piano concert lost its main storyteller in recent times, then there is a voice in Norway that offers a different, but equally compelling narrative».

Rasmus Ehlers

After 7 years, pianist Rasmus Ehlers, is finally back with the follow-up to his debut from 2002. Trinity is a quiet, thoughtfull and intense trio-album, recorded with two of the people that mean the most to him. Since Rasmus Ehlers (b. 1971) has stayed and played in New York for longer periods. Furthermore, he has toured in a.o. France and Japan, and haz played with a series of great jazzers, a.o. Leroy Jones, Marc Mommas, Bob Mintzer and Bent Jädig. In 2007 he recieved the Sonning Grant, given to young musicians in Denmark and the North. Rasmus didn't get his musicality from strangers. His father, Poul Ehlers played with greats such as Dexter Gordon and Yusuf Lateef, founded the cult-group ”Blue Sun” and was voted Danish Jazzmusician of the Year in 1970

Emanuel Ruffler

Born: May 5, 1975

Mr Ruffler has been working in a variety of styles and settings since his arrival in New York from his native Germany.  The wider public was first introduced to his musical aesthetics at the 1998 Thelonious Monk Composers Competition - Ruffler's winning composition "Lava" was performed to a full house at the Smithsonian. The music had a uniqueness which the Times dubbed "a sign of the state of jazz". But his compositions found an interest far beyond the Jazz audience: In 2003 Meshell Ndegeocello released "Aquarium" which Ruffler wrote with Sabina Sciubba of the "Brazilian Girls". Just one year earlier his sound design for "Flex City" was  placed in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Darlene Miller

It doesn't take long for those who have recently discovered the incredible talent of Darlene Miller to become a fan of this very gifted concert pianist. Darlene plays with her entire heart and soul . She creates that strong emotional connection that immediately draws you into the music. Her technical mastery of the piano is evident in her flawless technique and incredible control over her dynamics. Darlene seems to feel every note, and the music seems to flow out of her like an endless refreshing spring. Darlene is extremely versatile, and flawlessly performs sophisticated compositions from classical to jazz with tremendous heart, soul and emotion. Expect to see a lot more of Darlene Miller, as she is poised to become one of the most visible and influential pianists in modern times. Darlene has grown up playing the piano, since she was a very tender age

Roy Suter

Born: January 9, 1953

Roy is primarily a jazz pianist & composer, although he has performed in many different styles throughout his career. His diverse playing credits include Mercury funk artists, Creation; and Mercury acid-rock group, Sir Lord Baltimore; as well as Pickwick-Delite disco group, Zakariah. He’s played with such varied artists as Phyllis Hyman, Bill Frisell, T.M. Stevens, Steinar Gregertsen, Frank Fontaine and Claudio Roditi. He’s also recorded music for Brunswick Records and composed music for nationally syndicated television shows.