Results for "piano"

Jeff Kaye

Born: 1951

Jeff Kaye was born in the Bronx in 1951. At a young age, his family moved to the Washington DC area, shuffling back and forth between DC and the Bronx for thirteen years and finally settling in DC, which today is still Kaye’s hometown. Kaye started playing piano at the age of 10. While in high school he played in a local rock and roll band, “The Immortals.” The band got a chance to perform at the Steel Pier where Kaye was able to see Gene Krupa play live in a venue adjacent to their performing area. This was his first exposure to jazz. When he expressed an interest in jazz, his father took him to a local jazz venue in DC, “The Villa Rosa” to see Jimmy Smith

Ben Tankard

Without ever taking a lesson or learning to read a note, composer and keyboardist Ben Tankard has, over the course of 18 years and 16 best selling recordings, used his God-given musical talent to share the hope of the Gospel that changed his life. Widely renowned by his millions of fans as the "Godfather of Gospel Jazz" and "The Quincy Jones Of Gospel" for his three-time Grammy nominated work as a producer, Tankard-who along with his wife Jewel pastors the Destiny Center, a fast growing church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (near Nashville) -has earned 15 gold and 6 platinum albums, nine Stellar Awards, six Dove nominations and three Gospel Music Hall of Fame Awards. On his latest Sony/BMG/Zomba/Verity release Let's Get Quiet: The Smooth Jazz Experience, the multi-talented musician quiets his heart and taps into the gentler side of gospel, getting in touch with what millions of the faithful call the "still small voice" of God

Tommy Muellner

Born: January 25

Tommy Muellner is a highly respected Chicago born jazz pianist and composer. He has received critical acclaim from aficionados and statesmen throughout the jazz world for his piano acumen and creativity. He has an uncanny understanding of harmonic movement, improvisation and musical interplay. Playboy magazine critic Neil Tesser cites Tommy as “a pianist and tunesmith of stellar magnitude.” Mike Drew of the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal says, “Like the late keyboard master Bill Evans, Tom finds classic gems, and creates lyrical variations.” And this from Hammond organ master Joey DeFrancesco, “Tommy swings, grooves, is soulful, and in total command of his instrument, plus I love him, he’s one of my favorites!” As a bandleader, Tommy has performed for large concert venues as well as many prestigious jazz clubs

Mamiko Watanabe

Born: September 26, 1980

With exposure to the different styles such Jazz, Funk, Latin, Gospel and inspired from being surrounded by unique melodies and rhythm while working with Brazilian and African decent, pianist Mamiko Watanabe is trying to create uniquely her own sound and give "good vibration" to people through music. Mamiko Watanabe was born in Fukuoka, Japan and began studying piano at age four at the Yamaha Music School. In 1999 she revived a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music and studied Jazz piano, Improvisation and Composition. She was a semi-finalist at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition in Montreux, Switzerland both in 2002 and 2003

Frank Hewitt

Born: October 23, 1935

Frank Hewitt was a fixture on the New York jazz scene since the mid-fifties. Over the years he played regularly with Cecil Payne, Howard McGhee, Charles Davis, and the late saxophone legend Clarence "C" Sharpe. He was the featured artist at Smalls for over eight years until his passing on September 5th, 2002 at age 66. He appeared in the Living Theater's landmark production of "The Connection," and played with Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, John Coltrane, among a long list of notables. Musicians acknowledge him as a master, and the most under-recognized bebop pianist of his generation

Alessandro Carabelli

A jazz pianist and composer with strong background in the fields of classical music, jazz music, music history, harmony and composition, Alessandro Carabelli has over 25 years experience as a performer in international jazz events. After M.S. in Economics from Milan University, Alessandro Carabelli received a solid musical training, obtaining his Diploma in jazz piano, harmony and composition from the Milan Jazz School, and he has attended of seminars in harmony and composition led by major musicians: Ennio Morricone, Chick Corea, Lee Konitz, Barney Kessel, Marco Detto. Between 1987 and 1993 he earned important awards in the field of piano improvisation, taking part in international competitions in Stresa (Italy). After an experience in NYC at Juilliard School of Music, he performed in international concerts and festivals in Europe as in Wien, Luzern, Lugano, Utrecht, Dortmund, Monaco, Menton, Roma, Sanremo, Milano, Orvieto, Varese, Castellanza, Piacenza, Tourin and in the most prestigious clubs touring the U.S

Nishlyn Ramanna

Pianist and composer Nishlyn Ramanna first became interested in jazz on hearing an album with Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass in his last years of high school. He enrolled in a BMus course in jazz at the University of Natal, Durban, where he took piano lessons with Darius Brubeck. Ramanna became a founding member of the intercultural improvisation group Mosaic - a quintet of flute, piano, guitar, bass and tabla - which drew together aspects of mainstream jazz, African music and western classical music. Many of the pieces on 'A Thought' were originally written for Mosaic. Highlights of the band's nine-year career (1991 to 1999) included performances at various classical, folk, and jazz festivals and venues in South Africa, several appearances on national television, and at functions at which Presidents Mandela and Mbeki were present

Pedro de Alcantara

Born: March 1, 1974

Pedro de Alcantara was born in Vitoria—ES—(BRAZIL) on March, 1st, 1974. Professional musician since he was 16, working with a great number of artists from his hometown, producing, arranging, recording and performing. His most important performances include several shows at the legendary CAVERN CLUB (Liverpool / England), as a guest musician with Clube Big Beatles Band, during the Merseybeatle Festival (1996/1997). Recently, playing the guitar, he joined Carlos Bernardo in the release of his latest album “Eau Neuve/Agua Nova”. The artist has also been awarded for his works with publicity

Roberta Piket

Born: August 9

The daughter of a European composer and a Great American Songbook singer, native New Yorker Roberta Piket is a pianist who loves to swing while exploring the more adventurous harmonic possibilities of jazz and improvised music. Roberta’s father was the Austrian composer Frederick Piket, whose works were performed by the New York Philharmonic under famed conductor Dimtri Metropolis. (The elder Piket, who passed away when Roberta was eight, is also renowned for his significant contribution to the musical liturgy of reform Judaism.) From her mother, Cynthia, Roberta learned by ear the tunes of Porter, Gershwin, Kern, Rodgers, and Berlin (as well as accompanying lyrics). In her early teens, a chance encounter with a classic LP rescued from a flea market changed the course of Roberta’s life

Rick Germanson

Rick Germanson has been a highly in-demand pianist on the New York City Jazz scene for nearly a decade now. Born May 29, 1972, Rick left his native Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the heels of winning the Grand Prize at The American Pianists' Association Jazz Piano Competition in 1996. His recent accomplishments have garnered much adoration from the media and led to him to being chosen as Best of New Talent in 2004 by All About Jazz.

The Rick Germanson Trio has performed at Smoke, Smalls, The Kitano and Fat Cat in N.Y.C., Blues Alley in D.C., The Indianapolis Jazz Festival and The Artists' Quarter in Minneapolis. Currently, the Rick Germanson Duo can be heard every Wednesday and Thursday evening at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Manhattan. As a solo pianist, Rick performed five nights a week during a year long residency at the acclaimed Four Seasons Restaurant in 2001, the only musician to ever do so.