Results for "piano"

Darius Brubeck

Born: June 14, 1947

In 1983, Darius Brubeck introduced the first Jazz Studies degree in Africa and he was the Director of the Centre for Jazz & Popular Music until 2006. He established an international reputation touring with South African musicians. His current bands include The Darius Brubeck Quartet, Gathering Forces and Brubecks Play Brubeck, with his brothers Chris and Dan, which is touring the UK in November/December. Creative highlights include “Commission 2004” (with Zim Ngqawana) for the inaugural season of Jazz at Lincoln Center and this was performed by Wynton Marsalis, Morgan Freeman and Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra

Dave Brubeck

Born: December 6, 1920

Brubeck's mother studied piano in England and intended to become a concert pianist; at home she taught piano for extra money. Brubeck was not particularly interested in learning by any particular method, but preferred to create his own melodies, and therefore avoided learning to read sheet music. In college Brubeck was nearly expelled when one of his professors discovered that he could not read sheet music. Several of his professors came forward arguing for his ability with counterpoint and harmony, but the school was still afraid that it would cause a scandal, and only agreed to let Brubeck graduate once he promised never to teach piano

Vernell Brown Jr.

Born: August 13, 1971

BIO Vernell Brown Jr is a virtuoso jazz pianist and multifaceted composer known for sparkling compositions and creative performances. He began as a child prodigy, playing at age 4. By his teens, Brown was discovered and signed with A&M Records, by legendary recording executive Jerry Moss. Over the years, Brown has collaborated with a litany of jazz greats: Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Sample, Marcus Miller, Ernie Andrews, Stix Hooper, Herb Alpert, Will Jennings and more. Recently, he has recorded and toured extensively with Ronnie Laws, and Gladys Knight, capping a career that has taken him from his birthplace in Los Angeles, across the United States, Europe and Asia, performing at the most prestigious venues worldwide. He's currently (2012) touring with Kenny Garrett, and has performed in France, Vienna, Norway, Italy, London & Israel Vernell Brown Jr's latest CD, "World Peace, New World" is scheduled for release November, 2012

Donald Brown

Born: March 28, 1954

Donald Ray Brown was born on March 28, 1954 in Desoto, Mississippi. At the age of two, Brown and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Donald came from a musical family, which instilled a love of music in the young boy. His first foray into music included early stints on the drums, baritone horn and tuba. In the ninth grade, he began to play the trumpet and showed a great deal of talent on the instrument, winning several awards for his abilities. Brown’s first musical mentors were his cousin Lloyd “Stan” Anderson, a gospel pianist and his sister Waddia, who was a gifted singer and pianist

Cleo Brown

Born: December 8, 1909

Cleo Brown - pianist, vocalist (1909 - 1995) Cleo Brown bears the distinction of being the first woman instrumentalist honored with the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship. Her family moved to Chicago in 1919 and four years later, at age 14, she started working professionally with a vaudeville show. Her brother Everett, who worked with "Pine Top" Smith, taught her the boogie woogie piano style that became her trademark. Brown performed in the Chicago area during the late 1920s. In 1935, she replaced Fats Waller on his New York radio series on WABC, and soon began recording. Her version of "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" was influential on pianists that came after her, and she is credited with being an early influence on Dave Brubeck, who played during the intermissions of her shows, and Marian McPartland, among others

Alan Broadbent

Born: April 23, 1947

Alan Broadbent was born in Auckland, New Zealand and in 1966, at the age of 19, received a Downbeat Magazine scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1969 he was asked to join Woody Herman's band as his pianist and arranger for 3 years. In 1972 he settled in Los Angeles, beginning a musical relationship with the legendary singer Irene Kral (no relation to Diana Krall). Soon he was also invited into the studio scene as a pianist for the great Nelson Riddle, David Rose and Johnny Mandel. In the early 90s he was asked to be a part of Natalie Cole's famous "Unforgettable" cd, at which time he toured as her pianist and, a little while later, as her conductor

Paul Broadnax

Born: January 27, 1926

The child of two well-known and influential Boston-area classical musicians, Mr. Broadnax was appreciating and performing music at an early age. His mother, Ellastine Lee Broadnax, was a legendary vocal and piano teacher. His school chums included Roy Haynes, Ray Perry, Alan Dawson, and other notables. Boston, at that time, resonated with the sound of jazz. After high school Paul served in the Air Force. While stationed at Shephard Field, Texas, he met his lifelong friend and musical director for the CD "Here's To Joe", Donn Trenner. After the Service, while earning an engineering degree, Paul did arranging for the Sabby Lewis Band, freelanced during the 50's, and performed with the Tom Kennedy and Buster Daniels bands

Herbie Brock

Igor Bril

Born: June 9, 1944

Igor Bril was born in 1944 in Moscow, Russia. Recognition came to him at a fairly young age after he and two of his fellow jazzmen, double-bass player Alexei Isplatovsky and drummer Vladimir Zhurvasky made a stunning showing at the 2nd Moscow Jazz Festival. Bril's brilliant virtuosity and rich improvisation fantasy, his subtle and witty arrangements of jazz classics, and his own jazz compositions ranked him among Russia's top jazz performers. In different times his partners were saxophonists Alexander Oseichuk, Alexei Kozlov and Igor Butman, guitarist Alexei Kuznetsov, trumpeter German Lukyanov and other jazz celebrities. Bril's twin sons, Dmitry and Alexander, are both sax players

John Wolf Brennan

Born: February 13, 1954

Celtic Roots and Swiss Watchmaker Exactness Pianist and composer John Wolf Brennan, born in Dublin, Ireland, has been widely acclaimed as an outstanding musician. His distinctive style, marked by a deep interest in contemporary archeology, a very personal quest for an adventurous avantgarde, an ongoing research of his Celtic roots and his "Swiss watchmaker exactness" ("The Wire") sets him apart. His compositions cover a wide spectrum of musical concepts and methods, ranging from piano pieces ("inside and outside" - prepared and unprepared) to vocal scores ("Night.Shift" - an opera after a libretto by Rudolph Straub, based on W.H.Auden's "The Age of Anxiety"; "Sculpted Sound", "Euratorium", "Bestiarium", "PaniConversations", works for choir), from chamber ("Epithalamium" after James Joyce's "Chamber Music"; "Alef Bet - an Ori-ental Peace Piece" for Israeli oboist Ori Meiraz; "A Golly Gal's Way to Galway Bay" for James Galway, "Nearly Charming") to orchestral works, both for classical and jazz ensembles, creating music rich in (a)tonal textures. Composition, Improvisation and..