Results for "piano"

Eddie Costa

Born: August 14, 1930

Eddie Costa was an American jazz pianist and vibraphonist born in Atlas, Pennsylvania, now based in Pittsburgh. He recorded on vibraphones with pianist Bill Evans. One notable recording with Bill Evans was "Guys and Dolls Like Vibes", now reissued as "Bill Evans and Eddie Costa, Complete Quartet" on CD.

Costa emerged from an unlikely background into a heralded — if too brief — career in jazz. Born in a rural coal mining town, Costa studied piano with his brother Bill and developed a taste for the swing greats; later, exposure to Bud Powell turned him to bop. Self-taught on vibes, Costa became known as an excellent sight reader, which produced a lot of studio work. On piano, his trademark sound was the emphasis of the middle and lower registers while nearly ignoring the top two octaves.

Johnny Costa

Born: January 17, 1922

Johnny Costa was called "a phenomenal pianist" (Dick Hyman), "the Mozart of jazz piano" (Leonardo Meledandri), and "the White Tatum" (Art Tatum). I called Johnny my most precious friend. Costa was admired by many jazz giants: Benny Carter, Dave Brubeck, Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Scott Hamilton, Dick Hyman, Jack Teagarden, Mel Torme, Teddy Wilson, among many others. During the final decade of Johnny's life, I traveled to Pittsburgh many times, spending as much time with him as his failing health permitted. I met his family and many of his friends, all of whom have been gracious to me, particularly Debbie Costa Elwood, his daughter, and Clara Nelson, his sister, both who became good friends. I will never forget observing the respect, love, and admiration extended to Johnny everywhere we went— waiters at restaurants, the butcher at the market, the sound engineer at Audiomation recording studio, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and hundreds of fans who attended his final concert in Harrisburg, PA, men and women who followed his career for decades. This website is dedicated to Johnny Costa, the man I love, an extraordinary person and nonpareil pianist

Chick Corea

Born: June 12, 1941

Chick Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was one of the most influential pianists, composers and bandleaders in the history of jazz. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he continually reinvented himself, moving effortlessly among acoustic jazz, avant-garde improvisation, jazz fusion, Latin jazz, chamber music and classical composition. A 27-time Grammy Award winner, Corea left behind a body of work that has become part of the modern jazz canon, with compositions such as "Spain," "La Fiesta," "500 Miles High," "Windows," "Armando's Rhumba," and "Crystal Silence" now regarded as contemporary standards.

Marc Copland

Born: May 27, 1948

Born 27 May 1948, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Copland was a part of the vibrant music scene in Philadelphia as a saxophonist before going to New York where he met John Abercrombie and also played with Chico Hamilton, and others. He experimented with the electric alto but gradually became dissatisfied with the direction his music was taking and, leaving New York, quit playing the sax in order to study piano. He was gone for almost a decade but upon his return to the jazz world in the mid-80s his piano playing was a revelation, his own vividly original style firmly in place. As a sideman he played with Bob Belden, Jane Ira Bloom, Joe Lovano, Tim Hagans, James Moody, Wallace Roney and many others. But his career as a sideman in the Apple was relatively short-lived; Copland began recording and touring in trio with Gary Peacock and Billy Hart (At Night/Sunnyside, Paradiso/Soul Note) In the nineties, his reputation spread owing to three legendary recordings with the Savoy label, which put him on the road in an All-Star quintet (Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, and Dennis Chambers), and later in quartet with guitarist John Abercrombie, Drew Gress, and drummer Hart. Copland has enthralled audiences not only in trio and as a solo pianist, but also as a duo partner without peer—as attested by his duo recordings with Greg Osby (Night Call, Round and Round/Nagel-Heyer) and Gary Peacock (What It Says/Sketch).

David Cook

Pianist, composer and Musical Director David Cook was born in San Diego to a musical family and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Now living in New York City, he has enjoyed a varied career of performing, recording and producing.

A graduate of the University of Michigan school of music, David has Music Directed and/or played for many notable artists, including 12-time Grammy Award-winner Taylor Swift, Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris, Emmy/Oscar/Tony winner Ben Platt, Shoshana Bean, Lizz Wright, EGOT-winner Jennifer Husdon, Kesha, Utada Hikaru, Halsey, NSYNC, Billy Porter, Joshua Bassett, Blu DeTiger, Laundry Day, Tei Shi and Shayna Steele

Harry Connick, Jr.

Born: September 11, 1967

Harry Connick, Jr.'s career has been studded with awards and recognition, including several multi-platinum and gold albums, Grammy and Emmy awards, a starring role in a Tony-winning Broadway musical and much more. A true American icon, there are few artists of Harry's stature, and fewer still with such a comprehensive span of the entire realm of entertainment. Harry grew up in New Orleans, and it is here you will find the roots of his love for music and performing. His early talent was shaped by study with such luminaries as James Booker and Ellis Marsalis, and he was but five years old when he began performing

Eric Comstock

Born: March 6

ERIC COMSTOCK , pianist, vocalist, arranger, writer, and raconteur, as been described as “suave, smart, funny, and utterly delightful ... an ingenious musical wit ... an ideal balance of swinging precision and good-humored warmth” by Stephen Holden of The New York Times and “an icon in the making” by The New Yorker. Recently Eric and his trio appeared at New York’s Metropolitan Room in “Manhattan Masters”, a series of four different shows in as many weeks, highlighting the careers of Charles Strouse, Yip Harburg, Jule Styne, and the saloon singers and songwriters of New York’s nightclub scene

Alice Coltrane

Born: August 27, 1937

Formore than five decades, the Coltrane name remains at theforefront ofmodern music. It is lauded throughout the United States aswell asinternationally where it has received great acclaim. Themusicalofferings cover an eclectic variety of artistic expressionsrecorded onABC Impulse, Warner Bros., and Impulse-Universal.

She was born and raised in the religious family ofSolon and Anne McLeod in Detroit, Michigan, once hailed as a major musical capitol.Alice became interested in music and began her study ofthe pianoat the age of seven. She consistently and diligentlypracticedand studied classical music. Subsequently, she enrolled ina moreadvanced study of the music of Rachmaninoff,Beethoven, Stravinsky and Tschaikowsky.She once said: "Classical music for me, was an extensive,technical study for many years. At that time, I discovered ittobe a truly profound music with a highly intellectual ambiance.Iwill always appreciate it with a kind remembrance and greatesteem.Subsequent to the completion of her studies, she said, "Theclassical artist must respectfully recreate the composer'smeaning.Although, with jazz music, you are allowed to develop yourowncreativity, improvisation and expression. This greatlyinspires me."

John Colianni

Born: January 7, 1966

PIANIST JOHN COLIANNI - BIOGRAPHY
John Colianni is a pianist-arranger-composer, based in Philadelphia and NYC. Raised in suburban Maryland, John was a pupil of Lester Karr, who imparted Classical technique with studies of the Matthay method. John duly came to the attention of Ella Fitzgerald's bassist Keter Betts, who guided the young pianist  - still a teen - to his first professonal gigs (1970s-80s).  There followed a three-year stint, touring internationally and recording, with Jazz great Lionel Hampton's orchestra.  Shortly thereafter, John was finalist and cash prize winner in the 1st Thelonus Monk Piano Competition

Frank Collett

Born: May 3, 1941

Joseph and Mary Taglieri became the proud parents of their first child, Frank. The family had a great appreciation for music, which they shared with Frank and their other two children, Johnny and Anna Marie. Frank's grandfather was an accomplished musician who worked woodwinds and performed with Arturo Toscanini. His father was an operatic tenor, who performed at the Hippodrome, Carnegie Hall, and The Academy of Music. His mother was a classical pianist who performed numerous recitals and accompanied various opera singers.

During Frank's formative years, he became enchanted by the sound of music as he listened to his mother play the piano. At age four, he began studying piano under his mother's tutelage. His parents soon discovered that in addition to his boundless enthusiasm for listening to music, their son also had perfect pitch. By age 7, he had debuted at Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Library, and performed on numerous live radio shows. He was considered a child prodigy.