Results for "piano"

Ron Thomas

Born: January 27, 1942

Somewhere around 1900, Eleazar Thomas migrated from Wales to settle in the coal-mining community of Dickson City, Pennsylvania where he met his wife Martha and had four children: Mary, Benjamin Llywellen, David Wesley, and, my father, “Buddy” (Arja Worthington) born in 1917. Buddy’s two older brothers, Ben and Wesley, had each begun to work in the mines at the age of nine but Martha refused to allow Buddy, her youngest son, to join them, or so goes the official family story. Martha took her children to her sister’s boarding house in Newark, New Jersey; Eleazar joined them sometime later

Bassini Piero

Nato nel 1952 a Codogno, dove risiede, Piero Bassini si è avvicinato alla musica molto giovane suonando la chitarra, l’organo e il pianoforte. Ha svolto attività professionale in vari gruppi rock e successivamente nei Rockys Fili, gruppo di rock progressivo che negli anni ’70 si esibiva come supporter degli Area. Dall’età di 22 anni si è dedicato esclusivamente al jazz, esordendo in un memorabile concerto per piano solo al Festival delle Nuove Tendenze del jazz italiano svoltosi nel 1975 presso l’Università Statale di Milano e suscitando l’entusiasmo di pubblico e critica per la tecnica e lo spessore della sua musica. Si è esibito nei maggiori festival jazz italiani: Umbria Jazz, Bergamo, Lovere, La Spezia, Ivrea, Acireale, ecc. Nel 1980 ha costituito con Attilio Zanchi e Giampiero Prina l’Open Form Trio, gruppo di punta del jazz italiano per molti anni, con cui ha inciso i dischi Old Memories, Appointment in Milano, premiato dal Sunday Times, Perpetual Groove e Round Trip (questi ultimi tre in collaborazione con Bobby Watson). Seguiranno In the Shadows (con Michele Bozza, Giampiero Prina, Gianni Grechi e Luis Agudo), Nostalgia (con Furio Di Castri e Giampiero Prina), e Intensity (con Luca Garlaschelli e Massimo Pintori)

Dan Turner

Born: April 7, 1953

Dan started out taking piano lessons in the early 60's and continued, studying with Charles Wade, Archie Mosley, Paul Mitchell, Don Reitan and Don Tweedy among others. He started playing "professionally" in the nightclubs and bars of Atlanta at an early age. Always hidden behind the bass player, drummer or an upright piano with a low stool, he continued these weekend gigs until the long arm of the law and the musicians union forced him out of the nightclubs at the tender age of 12. "Meeting the entertainers, musicians, comics and especially the exotic dancers made for a great 3 years...however, not having a drivers license made getting to the gigs a problem because I never wanted my mother to know." Depending solely on his father for the jobs, referrals and commute (Bud Turner owned a few clubs in Atlanta and was part of the nightclub circuit for many years) his father would drive back from Atlanta and call him out through a rear window and deliver him to the job

Michele Di Toro

Diplomato con il massimo dei voti, la lode e la menzione speciale al Conservatorio L. D’Annunzio di Pescara, si è perfezionato presso l’Ecole Normale de Musique A. Cortot di Parigi, ottenendo il diploma di esecuzione rilasciatogli all’unanimità; inoltre ha vinto il Premio per pianisti jazz F. Gulda, assegnato con una menzione speciale della giuria per la migliore esecuzione di un brano composto dallo stesso Gulda. In pochi anni si è esibito con numerosi jazzisti italiani, tra cui Paolo Fresu, Franco Cerri, Enrico Intra, Gianni Ferrio, Barbara Casini, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Franco Ambrosetti, Lino Patruno e Irio de Paula, e ricevendo gli apprezzamenti di illustri pianisti quali Maurizio Pollini e Antonio Ballista. Michele Di Toro ha sempre frequentato diversi ambiti musicali, eseguendo con la stessa passione il repertorio classico e jazz, e traendo maggiore ispirazione dalla musica afro-americana per creare un suo stile unico e trasversale

Chuchito Valdes

Born: October 10, 1966

Jesus "Chuchito" Valdés - (Pianist, arranger, composer, bandleader) Born in Havana Cuba, Chuchito Valdes comes from one of the most distinguished musical families in Cuba. He has recorded and performed piano with the world renown Cuban band, Irakere, which he led for 2 years. He has performed at festivals, clubs and concerts throughout the world: from Cuba and the Caribbean, across the United States and South America, and throughout Europe. Some of his worldwide appearances have included Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London and Green Dolphin Street in Chicago, The Jazz Festivals of Havana, Cancun and Merida, as well as a recent festival performance in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Music Festival

Marcus Reynolds

Born: March 16, 1976

Called by The Oregonian "...a fine pianist with an ear for avant-garde-leaning melodic sensibilities..." pianist and composer Marcus Reynolds has begun to make his mark on contemporary jazz as a solo pianist, leader of his own groups and as co-leader of the Farnell Newton-Marcus Reynolds Quartet. His high energy live performances are notable for his angular, rhythmic playing and dedication to presenting original music and contemporary, unique treatments of the standard jazz repertoire. Influenced by modern pianistic figures such as Herbie Hancock, Bud Powell, and Fred Hersch, Marcus is also informed as a composer by European 20th Century classical harmony and the Afro- Caribbean rhythmic tradition

Armen Nalbandian

Born: April 6, 1978

Armen Nalbandian (born April 6, 1978 in Manchester, England) is a jazz pianist, composer, author, and activist from Los Angeles, California. Highly influenced by Thelonious Monk, Nalbandian performs jazz, free & avant- garde jazz, improvised and experimental music. While his primary ensemble is the Armen Nalbandian Trio, he has led more than 30 different ensembles and composed over 1200 works ranging from music for string quartets, chamber music, orchestral music, electronic music, scores for theater, experimental hiphop, ‘Conduction’ pieces inspired by Butch Morris’ approach, new Japanese & Armenian inspired folk music, and John Zorn inspired "game pieces,” in addition to having performed a solo piano concert of Zorn’s Masada music with the encouragement and blessing of the composer

Carlos Cuevas

Carlos Cuevas has been enjoying a successful music career for nearly 30 years. His experience as pianist, keyboardist, composer, and arranger has allowed him to explore virtually every avenue of the music scene on-stage and in the recording studio worldwide. Born in England and raised in Valencia, Venezuela, Carlos holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and is currently finishing his Master of Music Degree at Queens College, City University of New York. His versatility has been put to work with the likes of the entire Laws family: NEA Jazz Master Hubert Laws (to whom Carlos has been performing and touring with for more than 10 years), Ronnie, Eloise, & Debra; as well as Bette Midler, Engelbert Humperdinck, Nestor Torres, The Los Angeles Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, New York's Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, drummer/composer Chris Parker, and hispanic artists José José, Gloria Trevi, Alejandro Fernandez, Julio Iglesias , Alvaro Torres, & Lucho Gatica, to name a few

Sam Dockery

Born: 1929

Although not a huge name in the jazz world, veteran hard bop pianist Sam Dockery has been well-respected on the Philadelphia jazz scene since the early '50s. Over the years, Dockery has enjoyed a reputation for being a very hard-swinging, straight- ahead player; Bud Powell is a major influence on Dockery, as are Thelonious Monk and Art Tatum. Dockery, who is originally from Lawnside, NJ but has spent much of his life in and around Philly, is perhaps best known for the year he was with Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. Dockery, a frequent visitor to New York City, was with drummer Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1956 and 1957; he was Blakey's pianist after Horace Silver and Kenny Drew Sr

Walter Clark

Born: February 7

Born in Brooklyn, New York

 With a repertoire of over 500 songs spanning multiple genres and decades he has been able to excite and satisfy listeners of varied backgrounds and maintain a career exclusively as a full-time performing artist since 1980. Unique and non- traditional in his approach to harmony and arrangement.  Sometimes called "the singer with the bedroom voice," he covers music that has a positive message timelessness and staying power. Through a wide variety of musical genres and original arrangements Walter imbues every performance with a jazz ambiance delivering relaxing renditions of ballads and love songs. Latest CD Night And Day,  a collection of recordings made from 2001-2020, some from old CDs live and studio recordings. lounge, new age, ethnic, jazz, rock, pop and gospel music.  Born in Brooklyn New York, he studied classical music for 10 years in Philadelphia, but took a U turn in his studies in the mid- sixties and decided to pursue more popular music, learning by ear some of his favorites by such greats as Ramsey Lewis, The Beatles, McCoy Tyner and Quincy Jones.