Results for "piano"

Howard Riley

Born: February 16, 1943

John Howard Riley (b. 16 February 1943, Huddersfield) is an English jazz pianist and composer. Riley began on piano at age six, and began playing jazz as early as age 13. He studied at the University of Wales (1961-66), Indiana University in America under Dave Baker (1966-67), and then at York University (1967-70). Alongside his studies he played jazz professionally, with Evan Parker (1966) and then with his own trio (1967-76), with Barry Guy on bass and Alan Jackson, Jon Hiseman, and Tony Oxley for periods on drums. Additionally he worked with John McLaughlin (1968), the London Jazz Composers Orchestra (1970-1980s), and with Oxley's ensemble (1972-81)

Charlie Palmieri

Born: November 21, 1927

He was an authoritative voice in Latin American piano styles, an accomplished classical player, a fine arranger, ensemble player, and an inspired soloist.. For those familiar with his work in the salsa world, the melodic and harmonic ideas explored distinguish Palmieri as one of the great creative Latino voices. His technical prowess is truly astounding, with a variety of styles represented, including tango, bolero, cha cha and of course mambo. He was affectionately known as "The Giant of the Keyboard," and he was that. Nine years senior to his famous brother Eddie Palmieri, Carlos Manuel Palmieri was born of Puerto Rican parentage in New York on November 12th 1927

Peter Martin

Born: August 17, 1970

Peter Martin is an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, arranger, educator and entrepreneur. His touring career has taken him to six continents numerous times and has played in the White House by invitation from The President several times. Peter Martin performed on and arranged Dianne Reeves’ Grammy®-winning release A Little Moonlight and appeared in George Clooney’s 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, as well as being the featured pianist and an arranger on the Grammy®-winning soundtrack. Peter has also performed, toured, and recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Chris Botti, Betty Carter, Christian McBride, and Joshua Redman, as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic

Norah Jones

Born: March 30, 1979

When Norah Jones released her debut disc, Come Away With Me, on Blue Note Records in February 2002, the then 22-year-old singer had no idea the album would be a best-seller. In fact, she kept her expectations low. “I like having low expectations, ‘cause then if something turns out well, you’re always surprised in a good way,” says Jones at Sear Studios in New York while doing the final mixes on her new album. As it turns out, Jones enjoyed an abundance of surprises. A runaway hit, Come Away With Me became a multi-Grammy winner, multi-platinum seller and opened the door for her to perform around the world with her band

Nikki Iles

Born: April 3

Over the last few years Bedfordshire born Nikki Iles has progressed into the front rank of British jazz musicians. From a musical family, she first became aware of jazz through her father's record collection, and began playing the harmonica and clarinet at her primary school. At eleven she won a Junior Exhibitioner's Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, studying piano and clarinet, and was soon a member of the Bedfordshire Youth Jazz Orchestra. It was at this time that the piano took over as Nikki's principal instrument.

During this period her involvement with jazz was deepening, prompting the decision to study at The Leeds College of Music between 1981-84 and eventually she settled in Yorkshire before finally moving back to London in September 1998.

The first platform for her own composing was the group Emanon, led by trumpeter Richard Iles, which also included the guitarist Mike Walker and saxophonist Iain Dixon

Sergio Mendes

Born: February 11, 1941

Sergio Mendes is the most internationally successful Brazilian artist of all time. From the mid-1960s to the late ‘70s, Mendes established his legend by taking numerous albums and singles, such as “Brasil 66,” “Mas Que Nada,” and “The Look of Love,” to the top of the pop charts. It was those Sergio classics that won the heart and mind of evolving musical legend will.i.am, chief producer and songwriter of the Black Eyed Peas. One of the most successful rap acts of this decade, the band’s 2005 album, Monkey Business, is the urban pop crossover phenomenon of the year. Will collaborates with Sergio on the iconic pianist’s upcoming Concord Records/Starbucks Hear Music album, Timeless, Mendes’ first new release in eight years.

Friedrich Gulda

Born: May 16, 1930

Born in Vienna as the son of a teacher, Gulda began learning to play the piano from Felix Pazofsky at the Wiener Volkskonservatorium, aged 7. In 1942, he entered the Vienna Music Academy, where he studied piano and musical theory under Bruno Seidlhofer and Joseph Marx. He won first prize at the Geneva International Music Competition in 1946. Initially, the jury preferred the Belgian pianist Lode Backx, but when the final vote was taken, Gulda was the winner. One of the jurors, Eileen Joyce, who favoured Backx, stormed out and claimed the other jurors were unfairly influenced by Gulda's supporters.[1] Gulda began to play concerts worldwide

Stu Goldberg

Born: July 10, 1954

Born in Malden, Massachusetts; raised in Seattle, Washington. Won Washington State composition award, age 15. Featured keyboard soloist at Monterey Jazz Festival, age 17. Graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah in Composition and Piano. Goldberg has had a diverse career composing for projects as varied as CBS TV's hit series, 9 time Emmy winning "The Amazing Race", "Rescue 911", hundreds of hours of episodic television as well as scores to over 40 films. As a jazz pianist and composer, Goldberg has toured and recorded worldwide with the legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Jack Bruce, Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter

Walter Davis Jr.

Born: September 2, 1932

Walter Davis, Jr.a superb jazz pianist who played with and was a respected peer of the founding fathers of bebop, was born September 2, 1932 in Richmond, Virginia, and was reared in East Orange, New Jersey. His mother sang gospel; his father and four uncles played church and stride piano. By the time he entered high school, Walter was clearly a gifted classical pianist, but hearing Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in the legendary Billy Eckstine big band changed his music and his life. In 1949, he played his first gig with Bird at the Apollo. It went so well that Bird asked Walter’s mother if he could go with him on a road tour

Gil Coggins

Born: August 23, 1928

Alvin Gilbert "Gil" Coggins was born to parents of West Indian heritage. His mother was a pianist and had her son start on piano from an early age. He attended school in New York City and the Barbados. In Harlem, New York City, he attended The High School of Music & Art. In 1946, Coggins met Miles Davis while stationed at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri. After his discharge he began playing piano professionally, working with Davis on several of his Blue Note and Prestige releases. Coggins also recorded with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Ray Draper, and Jackie McLean