Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock: "I pay you to practice on my bandstand."

Here's a great article about the innovative jazz pianist, Herbie Hancock. Sounds like a really interesting guy, and one who only began to shine once he played the way he wanted to play. Miles Davis encouraged him early in his career, and the rest, as they say, is history. Check out this update on Herbie, his family, his gadgets, and what makes him tick:



Technorati Tags: herbie hancock, herbie, hancock, jazz piano, jazz, piano

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A Great Blog Hub For Great Jazz

This awesome blog has some terrific links, reviews, news, etc., etc. It's a great place to get lost in jazz for a while...like I just was!

100 Greatest Jazz Albums

100 Greatest Jazz albums brings you the best in jazz, highlighting the great jazz albums, selecting the best of the jazz new releases.

Technorati Tags: jazz piano, jazz, music

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Oscar Peterson May Be Aging, But He's Alive And Well In This Detroit Piano Prodigy

Detroit JazzStage - Jazz Spotlite Channel

Here's a really nice brief interview with up-and-coming jazz pianist Steve Richko, followed by his beautiful title piece from his Oscar Peterson tribute album, the sales of which benefit the ALS Foundation (that's Lou Gerhig's disease). Here's a clip from the Jazz Spotlite website:

"Pianist Steve Richko lives in Dearborn, MI. He is a 27-year-old prodigy who fell in love with the music of Oscar Peterson at the age of 12. Since then, Steve has made a thorough study of Oscar's piano artistry and career. Today, Steve Richko is regarded as one the finest young pianists on the Detroit jazz scene. Steve's virtuosic piano technique is astounding and his understanding of ensemble playing and trio arranging makes for a spectacular presentation. He plays with great feeling and charisma, at once lush and rhapsodic, then bluesy and greasy, then lightning fast bebop! Steve Richko's musical star is just now rising and the sky is the limit for this amazing jazz sensation!"

Technorati Tags: jazz piano, oscar peterson, steve richko, jazz spotlite, podcast

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The Things You'll Find On The Internet...

Check out this 75-year-old cartoon about Tom and Jerry, the "Piano Tooners" (not the cat and mouse), which features a "jazz" piano performance near the end of the cartoon, after they remove a bad key on the piano like pulling a tooth.

Cute, and a fun little diversion down memory lane...although I don't remember this one!

Tom and Jerry (the human versions, not the cat and mouse) work as piano tuners. After seeing them at work and several creative ways of tuning a piano (such as removing the offending key and cutting the key itself to a shorter length), the two attend an opera singers performance. The singer passes out when the piano plays a wrong note, and Tom and Jerry are pressed into service to re-tune the piano. After pulling the offending key from the keyboard like a bad tooth, the two give the opera audience a jazz piano performance, with the now recovered opera singer joining in.

http://www.bibi.vlog.br/archive/2007/08/van_beurens_tom_and_jerry_iii.html

technorati tags:jazz, piano, tom, jerry, 1932, cartoon, humor

Excellent 1964 Jazz Piano Trio Music You've Never Heard

Here's something I think I may have to hunt down for my music collection...a piano trio recording from 1964 by Michael Garrick - "Moonscape".  Just the rarity of it intrigues me.  Check out this snippet from the New York Times:

But “Moonscape” out-rares them all; 99 copies were pressed by Mr. Garrick, a British pianist, after he formed what sounds like an excellent working band but before he became known at home. You’ve never heard it. It has just been issued on CD by Trunk Records. (Nobody could find the original tapes; it’s been mastered from the 10-inch vinyl.) Surprise: It’s another great example of jazz from that liminal period, its swing interrupted by abrupt interludes, streaking catchy melodies with dire, lemon-ice dissonance.

You can find the article and some other jazz news here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/arts/music/19play.html?_r=1&ref=music&oref=slogin

technorati tags:jazz, piano, garrick, 1964, trio

Nothing To Do? These Podcasts Will Keep You Busy For A While!

Check out this awesome list of jazz podcasts I found recently - better carve some time out of your schedule for these gems.  Enjoy...

Jazz Podcasts - A New Collection Begins

We've previously put you in touch with great classical music podcasts (here and here).Now it's time to focus on jazz. Today, we're highlighting 16 podcasts that will keep you current on today's jazz scene. You'll know what's happening in Chicago, Detroit, New York and beyond. You'll also find some podcasts that explore some jazz greats -- namely, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. This list will grow as we encounter more quality material. If you see that we're missing a good one, drop us a line. In the future, you'll be able to find these podcasts in our larger collection of Arts & Culture Podcasts. For all of our podcasts, click here.

http://www.oculture.com/weblog/2007/04/jazz_podcasts.html

technorati tags:jazz, podcasts, coltrane, sonny, rollins, pat, metheny, christian, mcbride

Go "Behind The Fingers" Of Jazz Great, Art Tatum

I should have posted this much earlier, since this series is just brilliant. Not sure when it was done, but Dick Hyman breaks down some of Art Tatum's harmonic devices and licks, making them very accessible, even for beginning-intermediate pianists.

Do yourself a favor and check this out, then study and practice it and see where it gets you. Enjoy!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OQoiTxx1mDM

technorati tags:jazz, piano, art, tatum, dick, hyman

Jazz Piano's Fountain of Youth - Marian McPartland

Man, this woman just keeps on going.  Marian McPartland may very well have performed with every major jazz musician of the last 75 years...I don't know.  Her NPR program continues to be brilliant and, according to this article, has guests booked for the next 2 years!

I'm sure this was a nice, cozy performance to see - I'll keep my eyes open for more.

Long live Marian1

Marian McPartland: Youthful Performer - Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot

Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot

Marian McPartland: Youthful Performer Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot, NY - 8 hours ago During the intermission Gudrun Kennedy said she regularly listens to Ms. McPartland's radio show "Piano Jazz" on Wednesdays, on NJ's WBGO, while driving ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, marian, mcpartland

FREE Sheet Music!

Well, look what I just found - FREE sheet music in PDF format!  There's a lot of classical stuff, and public domain music, along with some original compositions, and it's not just for piano - a number of instruments are represented - from bassoon to violoncello.

When I searched on jazz piano, I didn't get much besides a handful of compositions by some IT guy in the Netherlands, but it's a start.

I hope you find something useful there...I'll be digging through the archives myself a bit later.

http://www.free-scores.com/free-sheet-music.php

FREE SHEET MUSIC TO DOWNLOAD  
We are proud to participate to the transmission of free sheet music.
Our project is to distribute for free the most important choice of domain public free scores.
We feature 5372 piece of music to download in PDF format.

technorati tags:free, sheet, music, jazz, piano, scores, instruments

Chick on Chick

Sorry...no offense intended...it just came out funny after I wrote the headline and I decided to leave it anyway.

I discovered Chick Corea's website today, complete with some Q&A between Chick and his fans, and a chance to join him in writing a "collaborative" book.

Lots of Chick Corea info on the site - tours, albums, bios, etc. Definitely worth checking out:

From Chick

We've had so many interesting questions and wonderful suggestions, we thought why not write the next book as a collaborative project with Chick's fans!

http://www.chickcorea.com/from_chick.php

technorati tags:chick, corea, jazz, piano

How About A Chat With Andre Previn And Oscar Peterson?

I JUST discovered this awesome series of videos on YouTube - sort of a mutual interview between Oscar Peterson and Andre Previn.  I've just watched the first one, but will definitely make time for all the others, since I love to hear Oscar talk - his voice is so pleasant, and he's obviously a man of great intelligence and consideration.

There's a little bit of playing, and a lot of talking.  This first video focuses on one of Oscar's major influences (and good friends) - Art Tatum.  Enjoy.

About Jazz- Previn&Peterson part1

Dialogue between Andre Previn &Oscar Peterson about jazz.

Author: egrosz
Keywords: Piano Jazz Oscar Peterson Andre Previn
Added: February 28, 2007

technorati tags:jazz, piano, oscar, peterson, andre, previn, art, tatum

Piano All The Time

Just found out about this 24/7 internet radio station featuring all kinds of piano, all the time.  Might drive you nuts if you listen all day, but, hey, at least you've got the option, and they've got a real nice mix of stuff going on.

Click on the link below, then click on the Station Page link, then click the yellow Play button, which will open another window, and will then open your media player (whew!).

http://www.pianoworldradio.com/PianoWorldRadio.html

Welcome to the website of PianoWorldRadio, the webradio exclusively devoted to selections of great piano music from all genres, performed by the finest world-renowned artists of the past and the present as well as the most promising upcoming stars of tomorrow. You’ll enjoy the best of New Age, Classical, Jazz,, Ambient and much more in recordings featuring solo piano, piano duets, piano and keyboards, piano duo/trio/quartet, piano and big band, piano and orchestra…

technorati tags:jazz, piano, internet, radio

Scott LaFaro and Bill Evans - Musical Soul Mates With a Tragic Ending

What an effect the death of brilliant bassist Scott LaFaro had on Bill Evans - he quit playing publicly for nearly a year.  Who can blame him, if LaFaro was really his musical soul mate, and if Evans was already somewhat unstable?

This interesting article piqued my curiosity about Evans and LaFaro, and I did manage to find a little YouTube music of the two + drummer Paul Motian.  The video is actually meaningless, but the music is awesome, so have a listen, and enjoy the article, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw-mCFTEoTE

Forgotten Series: Bill Evans - The Complete Village Vanguard ... Blogcritics.org, OH - 7 hours ago If you care anything about bass (rock, jazz, or blues) you will find his recordings with Bill Evans at New York City's Village Vanguard... and you will ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, bill, evans, scott, lafaro

Chick Corea in a Blast-From-The-Past Video

This video appears to be from "Soundstage" in the 70's and features a collection of awesome musicians - Chick Corea, Bunny Brunel, Tom Breckline, Gayle Moran, and Al Jarreau - performing Chick Corea's "Spain."  Wow, these guys were young!  I hope you enjoy the clothes, music, and voices as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ipeQ5wXl7A

technorati tags:jazz, piano, chick, corea, al, jarreau, gayle, moran, gary, burton

Playing Outside the Box, If There Ever Was a Box to Begin With

I don't know much about Bela Fleck's work, except that it pushes the envelope.  However, I'm a big fan of Chick Corea, with not nearly as many of his albums as I'd like.  Here's an awesome sample of his acoustic work, courtesy of YouTube.  Watch how he reaches inside the piano while he plays - wild.  I almost feel a connection to him, since his Akoustic Band drummer, Dave Weckl, is a St. Louis guy.  I heard him perform here with Tom and Ray Kennedy (which was AWESOME) years ago.  I met Tom a few months back playing at a local hotel, and he's a friend of my former piano teacher.  Six degrees?  Maybe.

Anyway, this little track will get your blood moving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NeIj1NwKvA

...and here's more info about Bela and Chick's current tour.  I'm sad to say I don't think I'll be able to make it out to see them, but perhaps you can catch it yourself.  Here are the dates:

http://www.belafleck.com/tourdates.html

...and here's the article that got me on this whole entry in the first place:

Béla Fleck catches up with his musical idol - City Pulse

City Pulse

Béla Fleck catches up with his musical idol City Pulse, MI - 2 hours ago “And if you’re going to play with a rhythmic jazz piano player, there’s no better one in the world than Chick.” In December 2006, Fleck and Corea finally ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, chick, corea, bela, fleck

Is Boogie Woogie Really "Jazz"?

Some may argue whether boogie woogie (or Dixieland, for that matter, which is the central music of many local "Jazz" clubs [member organizations, that is...too many nested parens now...]) is actually jazz. Well, I feel like it's just one more piece of the large foundation of jazz music as we know it today, and well worth any musician's respect.

I've only heard Ammons play once on a Smithsonian recording a while ago, I believe, but here's a chance to honor one of the boogie woogie greats - throughout the country this year.

Centennial Celebration for Boogie Woogie Legend Albert Ammons - Jazz Police

Jazz Police

Centennial Celebration for Boogie Woogie Legend Albert Ammons Jazz Police, MN - 3 hours ago A leading practitioner of boogie woogie piano, Albert Ammons would have been 100 years old in September 2007. To mark the centennial of this legend of ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, boogie, woogie, albert, ammons

Two Artists At Their Peak

Man oh man...this will get your blood moving.  I know this is the Jazz Piano blog, but when you toss Ella in the mix, it's just an added treat.  This number swings like nobody's business.  How long did they rehearse this, I wonder?  The sign of a truly great artist is making the near-impossible look unbelievably easy...they hardly look like they're even trying (except for Oscar wiping his brow), which just reinforces the perfection of this performance.

You HAVE to check this one out!

Ella Fitzgerald sings "Stomping at the Savoy", UK 1961

Ella Fitzgerald sings "Stomping at the Savoy", UK 1961 - Oscar Peterson Trio

Author: chico75pi
Keywords: ella fitzgerald john dankworth oscar peterson live jazz savoy
Added: February 16, 2007

technorati tags:oscar, peterson, ella, fitzgerald, stompin, savoy, jazz, piano

Jazz Piano Great, Bill Evans - A Great Listener

This is a really interesting article about a journalist who had kind of a "reverse interview" with Bill Evans one night.  It's kind of a personal insight into Bill Evans, the man.  I don't know, something about this article touched me somehow...

On this night, I talked while Bill Evans listened

In my early teens, I had an unusual hobby. Whenever the urge grew strong enough to overcome my basic diffidence, and whenever I didn't think it would show up too badly on my parent's phone bill, I used to make long - distance calls to different jazz musicians I admired.

technorati tags:jazz, piano, bill, evans

A Magazine You Can Play!

Here's a nice magazine with a little something for all tastes, including music that you can play in each issue.  Granted, there are only 4 issues per year, but it reminds me of the old Keyboard Magazine, or Jazz Pianist, or something like that that I used to subscribe to.

In fact, I just subscribed myself!  Check it out:

http://www.pianotoday.com/

For pianists with an interest in Classical Music and Jazz, our publication is filled with intriguing things to play: great pieces from all eras and styles, jazz arrangements by today's top artists, inside stories, lessons and playing tips, and a whole section just for beginning level. It's a masterpiece of a magazine!

technorati tags:jazz, piano, magazine

This Crazy Italian Guy Seems To Be Making A Splash!

I keep seeing Stefano Bollani's name in the news and watched is "Maple Leaf Rag" video that was in a previous article posted.  I must say that I may have to buy his CD.  I wish I could have seen the performance talked about in this NY Times article.  Sounds like he's gonna cause some trouble for the pop and jazz purists by "playing outside the box."

From Italy, a Pianistic Palette With Playful Dashes of Humor

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/08/arts/music/08boll.html?_r=1&ref=music&oref=slogin

American jazz audiences best know Stefano Bollani as the pianist of choice for the trumpeter Enrico Rava, Italy’s most accomplished jazz musician. In Italy Mr. Bollani is considerably more: a novelist, a media personality, almost a comedic brand. His first ECM album as a leader, “Piano Solo,” arrived in the United States this week; when it was released in his own country six months ago, it breached the Top 20 on the pop charts.

technorati tags:jazz, piano, stefano, bollani

Reviving the Classics...Rebuilding a City

Review: Connick's memories inspire `Nola' - Albuquerque Tribune

I'm kind of an on-again-off-again fan of Harry Connick, Jr.  The guy can certainly play a mean piano, but I've always found his vocals to be a bit flat, stylized as they may be.  At any rate, this new album (Oh My Nola) has some tasty treats on it.  You can check out some pretty short clips at Amazon, along with a video of "Yes We Can Can" that supports the New Orleans Habitat Musicians Village.

Here's the Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.com/Oh-Nola-Harry-Connick-Jr/dp/B000I2KNU2/sr=8-1/qid=1170884503/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8336954-9796850?ie=UTF8&s=music

and here's the link to the Musicians Village page:

http://www.habitat-nola.org/projects/musicians_village.php

Review: Connick's memories inspire `Nola' Albuquerque Tribune, NM - 2 hours ago ... Connick's often overlooked jazz big band that boasts some scintillating ensemble playing, a powerful rhythm section, Connick's economical piano solos, ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, harry, connick, new, orleans, habitat, nola, musicians, village

If This Doesn't Move You, Check Your Pulse

To say that I love to see and hear Oscar play is an understatement. Words cannot express it - just listen, that's all.

BUT...I also really enjoy listening to him talk. He's obviously careful about what he says and how he says it, and I think his warmth and intelligence are obvious, not only in his playing, but also in his speech.

OK, enough said...just listen to this gem...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqhoV0T9C3M

technorati tags:jazz, piano, oscar, peterson

A Personal (Re-)Discovery of a Smooth, Brazilian Pianist/Singer/Songwriter

I know I've heard this woman play and sing before, but I guess it never stuck in the front of my brain for very long.  She has such a smooth, rich, rhythmic sound.  Might not be your cup of tea, and it's not always mine, but every now and then I like to take a musical vacation, if only for a minute or two.  Eliane's music will certainly do that for you.

From her website bio:

Pianist / singer / songwriter, Eliane Elias is known for her distinctive and immediately recognizable musical style which blends her Brazilian roots, her sensuous, alluring voice with her impressive instrumental jazz, classical and compositional skills. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Eliane Elias' musical talents began to show at an early age. She started studying piano at age seven and at age twelve was transcribing solos from the great jazz masters. By the time she was fifteen she was teaching piano and improvisation at one of Brazil' s most prestigious schools of music. Her performing career began in Brazil at age seventeen, working with Brazilian singer/songwriter Toquinho and the great poet Vinicius de Moraes who was also Antonio Carlos Jobim's co-writer/lyricist. In 1981 she headed for New York and in 1982 landed a spot in the acclaimed group Steps Ahead...

http://www.elianeelias.com/biography.html

technorati tags:jazz, piano, eliane, elias, brazil, steps, ahead

The Song Sinatra Gave Up On

More about Billy Strayhorn and his wonderful, biographical tune, "Lush Life,' in this article and audio from NPR's Morning Edition.  Strayhorn wrote this piece when he was still a teenager, which is amazing, when you consider the songs longevity, poignancy, and musical compexity.  Was he predicting his own future in the song, or did he feel somehow compelled to live out the "Lush Life" that he was obviously already thinking about when he wrote this?

A nice piece from NPR, with complete audio and accompanying audio performances of "Lush Life" by various artists, including Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, Joe Henderson, and Strayhorn himself.

'Lush Life,' a Self-Portrait in Song

Songwriting genius Billy Strayhorn is the subject of a new documentary, as well as a fine companion CD. Both are titled Lush Life, after Strayhorn's enduring composition.

technorati tags:jazz, piano, billy, trayhorn, nancy, wilson, nat, king, cole, joe, henderson

Speaking of Eubie...Here's an Oldie But Goodie!

Eubie Blake and his Orchestra 1932

VERY dated, but a treat nonetheless.  Man, I love YouTube - all these great old recordings coming back to life again.

Eubie Blake on piano and his band play "Memories Of You" and accompany the fabulous Nina Mae McKinney when she sings "Everything I Got Belongs To You" with lots of Louis Armstrong timing!

Author: harryoakley
Keywords: jazz thirties swing bigband dixieland vocal dance bix
Added: February 6, 2007

technorati tags:jazz, piano, eubie, blake

One of LA's Best Kept Secrets - Keep an Eye on This Pianist

Gaea Schell CD Release Celebrations in Los Angeles - Jazz Police

Gaea's vocals are very clean and direct, with a very unique style, and her piano playing is also clean, uncluttered, and technically very smooth, from the small sound samples I heard at CD Baby.  Her voice reminds me a bit of Astrud Gilberto.  Hopefully, her new recording will have a smoother, less harsh piano recording.

Jazz Police

Gaea Schell CD Release Celebrations in Los Angeles Jazz Police, MN - 1 hour ago But jazz piano was not Gaea’s first musical direction. Growing up in Alberta, Canada, she started piano at five, but went on to study a variety of ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, gaea, schell

This New Jazz Pianist Might Rock Your World a Little...

Stefano Bollani Piano Solo - PopMatters

Wow. I may have to pick up this recording, just from watching the video that accompanies this article.  It's Stefano Bollani's take on "Maple Leaf Rag," and I must say it's both a little arresting and refreshing at the same time.  I'm not sure what to say about it, or even if I totally like all of it, but this guy definitely has something to say, something unique and worth a listen.

PopMatters

Stefano Bollani Piano Solo PopMatters, IL - 8 hours ago Last fall, young Italian jazz pianist Stefano Bollani released his first solo piano record in Europe, calling it Piano Solo. It has now been released here ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, stefano, bollani

I Guess 100 Years Was All He Needed

Eubie Blake - Baltimore Sun

When I think of the song, "I'm Just Wild About Harry," I immediately think of a cartoon I once saw, but I just learned it was written by Eubie Blake, an amazing pianist born to former slave parents in 1883 who received the Medal of Freedom from President Reagan in 1981 and was honored by having his name on the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center in Baltimore.

An amazing man.

Thanks to writer Paul McCardell for reminding us:

Eubie Blake Baltimore Sun, MD - 4 hours ago He began playing tunes on a parlor organ at the age of six and soon after was taking piano lessons from a neighbor named Margaret Marshall. ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, eubie, blake

'Things Ain't The Way They Used to Be' ... Right On!

Seems Ramsey Lewis is enjoying what his son refers to as his Third Coming.  This is the second or third article I've seen about him this week.  You gotta admit - whether you like the guy's playing or not...he's had some kind of influence on music.

Check out this nice article by Charles Leroux:

http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/6/music/20070206092729&sec=music

technorati tags:jazz, piano, ramsey, lewis

Fats Waller - The 'Clown Prince' of Jazz

Here's a brief biographical sketch by Karen Grigsby Bates (NPR) about the great Fats Waller.  He died so young, but left such a legacy, even to this day.

The article also includes some audio clips.

A comic showman who delighted crowds with his playful stage antics, Fats Waller was the beloved "clown prince" of jazz during a golden era of the genre, leading up to World War II.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6156065

technorati tags:jazz, piano, fats, waller

My One And Only Chance to (not) Hear and See the Great Oscar Peterson

Music Review: Oscar Peterson - Perfect Peterson: The Best of the ... - Blogcritics.org

Years ago, I had tickets to see one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time - Oscar Peterson - perform in Cincinnati.  A last-minute illness kept him from performing, and Hubert Laws filled in - not a bad concert, but NOT Oscar.  I should have done more to track down his performances later, but, sadly, I did not.

What a man, teacher, and performer.  The guy is nearly a god to me.

Looks like I'll need to check out this new compilation of some of his work, along with his recently released book.  More info at his website at:

http://www.oscarpeterson.com/

Music Review: Oscar Peterson - Perfect Peterson: The Best of the ... Blogcritics.org, OH - 3 hours ago Somewhere on the 88-key continuum between the frenetic intensity of Art Tatum and the artful emotion of Bill Evans lies the perfect jazz pianist. ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, oscar, peterson

What I Wouldn't Give to See This...

Celluloid hero - San Diego Union Tribune

Man, I would give my right arm to see this performance/lecture this weekend.  I'm actually going to be in San Fran on business, too!  Say what you might, but I love Williams' music, and I think this benefit in San Diego, CA sounds totally cool.

Oh well...maybe in my next life...

San Diego Union Tribune

Celluloid hero San Diego Union Tribune, CA - 1 hour ago ... courses in piano and composition at UCLA, classes with Juilliard master teacher Rosina Lhevinne, and work at New York jazz clubs and recording studios. ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, john, williams

I'm Psychic - I Swear I Was Just Thinking of Monk Last Night...

Play ‘Monk’ to bring to life jazz legend - U Of L News

Weird.  I was just checking out a video of Monk playing 'Blue Monk' last night. Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxrXUxhTj80

If you're in the Louisville, KY area this coming weekend, sounds like this performance at the University of Louisville might be worth checking out - the price is right, too!

Play ‘Monk’ to bring to life jazz legend U Of L News, KY - 1 hour ago Say the name and those who know his work hear the dissonant harmony of his fingers attacking the piano, his playing punctuated with pauses and stops. ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, thelonious, monk

Online Jazz Piano Chords and Scales Tool

Here's a nifty little tool for you intermediate-advanced players: an online chord builder that displays advanced jazz chords on a graphical piano keyboard.

The page also discusses which scales are applicaple for improvisation over specified chords.

Lots more good stuff at this site, too - modes, blues, progressions...enjoy!

http://www.apassion4jazz.net/keys.html

technorati tags:jazz, piano, chords, scales, improvisation

Marian McPartland, a Living Jazz Piano Legend - 89 and Going Strong!

I was fortunate enough to hear and meet Marian years ago in the St. Louis area and was blown away.  Such a kind, intelligent, TALENTED, interesting woman who has met and performed with virtually anybody who IS anybody in jazz.  I don't get to hear her NPR show nearly as often as I'd like, but I highly recommend you find it in your area, or check it out on her website - there are a few streaming episodes there now.

Better yet, see her live - still performing regularly!

http://www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/marian_sked.html

technorati tags:jazz, piano, marian, mcpartland

Ramsey Lewis: Brilliant, Pop "Sellout" or Both?!

A CAREER IN FULL - Chicago Tribune

Here's an interesting article about Ramsey Lewis, whose jazz reputation may have suffered at the hands of his early pop success with "The In Crowd." However, no one can argue that his jazz playing is top notch, and if you haven't seen his PBS show "Legends of Jazz" on the tube or DVD/CD yet, it is a must for any serious fan/student of jazz.

A CAREER IN FULL Chicago Tribune, IL - 53 minutes ago This combination of a rock-solid technique and a propulsive ability to swing evokes a long line of jazz-piano gods, from Art Tatum (the greatest of all) to ... RAMSEY'S RHYTHMS Chicago Tribune all 2 news articles

technorati tags:jazz, piano, ramsey, lewis

Jazz Piano Intros, Comping Patterns, and Endings

Here are several very nice jazz piano licks, including an intro, some comping patterns, and a few classic endings. Some great, easy tools to add to your arsenal.

http://www.melbay.com/creativekeyboard/oct04/tricks.html

technorati tags:jazz, piano, tricks, intros, comping, endings, ellington, ray, charles, bossa, pedal

Billy Strayhorn Remembered on PBS' Independent Lens Beginning 2/6/2007

My first thought upon seeing this article was that I don't care if the guy was gay, straight, black, white, short, tall, or an alien, he wrote some of the most memorable, interesting, beautiful music of all time.  "Satin Doll," "Take the 'A' Train," "Lush Life," I mean REALLY!

After reading the article about the upcoming PBS program on his life, I began to realize that the discrimination he may have faced (actual and/or perceived) may have helped evoke some of that music.

Definitely worth checking out on "Independent Lens" on PBS Feb. 6

Philadelphia Gay News

Living lushly: Gay jazz great remembered Philadelphia Gay News, PA - 8 hours ago An astonishing number of Ellington’s most famous songs — songs that are quintessential jazz and piano bar standards, songs we all know the melodies of even ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, billy, strayhorn, ellington, duke, composer, satin doll, lush life, a train

Kenny Barron - One of jazz piano's true "go-to" players

I'm not very familiar with Kenny Barron's playing, but with such stellar references, it sounds like it's high time I listen to some of his "pictures." Maybe someone else out there is more familiar with his work...?

Bend Weekly

Pop Talk: Barron's goal is to 'paint pictures when I'm playing' Bend Weekly, OR - 19 hours ago Kenny Barron is held in such high esteem by some of the legends of jazz that it's surprising this veteran pianist, composer, bandleader and sideman is not ...

technorati tags:jazz, piano, kenny, barron

Hello Jazz Piano Enthusiasts

Hello Everyone - I look forward to bringing you all the latest jazz piano news, tips, and information.

Talk to you soon!

Bill