Piano Archives -

Music Jazz Jazz By Instrument Archive by category "Piano"

Cyrus Chestnut – Soul Food – 6/11/23 – Random Album

So occassionally I use a random number generator to pick an album to listen to that evening. I did just that tonight I counted the albums on the top shelf of my jazz albums, Then, I used a random number generator to select an album. The number generator result was 21, which led me to Soul Food from jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut. I am enjoying the album as I am writing this post. Here’s a little biographical back ground about Cyrus.

Cyrus Chestnut was born in Baltimore , Maryland on January 17, 1963. His father McDonald was a retired post-office employee and church pianist. Mother Flossie was a city social services worker and church choir director, By the age of nine, he was studying classical music at the Peabody Institute. In 1985, Chestnut earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging from Boston’s Berklee College of Music read more

Aaron Diehl – Space Time Continuum

Aaron Diehl Joins Generations on Space Time Continuum

When I first started to listen to jazz it was mostly the guitar of Wes Montgomery and the Hammond B3 of Jimmy Smith, but through the years I started adding other artists. Pianist like Thelonious Monk and Oscar Peterson were added to my music library, along with Miles, Gary Burton and Milt Jackson. One night a few years ago I put on The Bespoke Man’s Narrative from Aaron Diehl, while I was reading. After a few minutes I stopped reading and listened to some unbelievable piano! Along with Diehl’s piano on that album I also loved the vibraphone of Warren Wolf on the album. Anyway, a few weeks ago Diehl’s new album Space,Time, Continuum joined my music rotation and it’s another outstanding outing from a great pianist. What surprised me was the presence of some fine saxophone and trumpet, which I hadn’t heard on Diehl’s previous albums. read more

Jaki Byard – Extraordinary Solo Jazz Piano!

Jaki Byard – Piano – (June 15, 1922 – February 11, 1999)

2015 Update:I discovered the music of Jaki Byard in August of 2014 at that time the album The Late Show: An Evening with Jaki Byard: Live at the Keystone Korner, Vol. 3 , which had been released on Hightone in June was on the JazzWeek charts.The album is the third release that consists of live music from Jacki’s regular dates at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco, CA. . The music on the album was taken from performances from his appearance from 08/09/79 though 08/12/1979, So today ion the 93 anniversary of Jacki’s birth I am reposting that original post, which appeared in Me, Myself, Music and Mysteries.….on August 23, 2014…. read more

Brian Lynch and Emmet Cohen – Question Answered.

One of my favorite albums over the last month or two is the latest release from Grammy-winning trumpeter, Brian Lynch, Questioned Answered. Actually, I should say the latest from Brian Lynch and up and coming jazz pianist Emmet Cohen. While I love Lynch’s trumpet on this album, its Cohen’s piano, that at least for me, makes this album special. Here’s what Brian Lynch says about his meeting and connection with Emmet Cohen…..

I first had the pleasure of making Emmet Cohen’s acquaintance in January 2011 on that year’s Jazz Cruise, where I was playing as a soloist and he was showcased with his trio from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he was then a student. I was really impressed with his playing, and I dug the young man’s personality, enthusiasm and knowledge of the jazz tradition. Fast forward a few months, and I found myself in Miami as the new Professor of Jazz Trumpet at Frost (through a series of events precipitated on that cruise, a story for another time), and in proximity to Emmet on a daily basis as he finished his last year of undergraduate work. We were able to take advantage of the educational environment to schedule weekly playing sessions (“lessons”) where we could explore a lot of music in a duo format; at the same time I was more fully exposed to the breadth of his talent as a player and composer through frequent sessions and performance situations. He checked out my music and picked up a few tips from me at the same time. Read More read more

Larry Fuller’s – Larry Fuller – fine jazz piano!

Throughout his career, Larry Fuller has been the consummate sideman. Fuller’s career began, when he was 13 years old and was given a paying gig by Floyd “Candy” Johnson, an ex-member of both the Count Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras. Johnson also became a mentor for Fuller.

As a sideman, Fuller has performed with a who’s who of jazz, including the likes of: Harry “Sweets” Edison, Stanley Turrentine, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Herb Ellis, Marlena Shaw, Kevin Mahogany, John Clayton, John Heard, Bennie Golson, Emily Remler, Jimmy Witherspoon, Eddie Harris, Anita O’Day, Steve Allen, Regina Carter, Nicholas Payton, and John Legend. read more

Exploring the Music of Jazz Pianist McCoy Tyner

Today Jazz Piano great McCoy Tyner celebrates his 76 th birthday, Happy Birthday, McCoy. So let’s celebrate his birthday by exploring the music of this great jazz pianist McCoy Tyner! From his biography at Facebook,

It is not an overstatement to say that modern jazz has been shaped by the music of McCoy Tyner. His blues-based piano style, replete with sophisticated chords and an explosively percussive left hand has transcended conventional styles to become one of the most identifiable sounds in improvised music. His harmonic contributions and dramatic rhythmic devices form the vocabulary of a majority of jazz pianists. read more

“Into the Morning” with Kenny Barron and Dave Holland Part 1 – “Billie’s Bounce”

So over the last few days, I have listened to the new album from Kenny Barron and Dave Holland The Art of Conversation and I will try to write about it tomorrow. But for now let’s go “into the morning” with a video of Kenny and Dave performing “Billie’s Bounce” and for folks like me, here’s a little about the song… from Wikipedia…

“Billie’s Bounce” (also known as “Bill’s Bounce”) is a jazz composition written in 1945 by Charlie Parker in the form of a 12 bar F blues. It was dedicated to Billy Shaw by the Yardbird. The original recording by Charlie Parker and His Re-Boppers was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.[1] Copyright 1945 by Atlantic Music Corp. Copyright renewed and assigned 1973 to Atlantic Music Corp. read more

Exploring the Latest Release from Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio – We’re Back

To create the latest release from Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio, you start with drummer Gerry Gibbs, son of vibraphonist Terry Gibbs. Then you add some bass from legendary bassist Ron Carter, and finally you let pianist Kenny Barron loose to weave his way in and around the deep grooves laid down by his mates. You then mix in some fantastic covers of some big hits from the 60s and 70s, and when it all comes together you call it We’re Back, the latest release form Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio! Their first album was self-titled and released about a year ago and spent a number of weeks atop the JazzWeek Charts, their lastet release We’re Back, hit the shelves in September and has been number 1 on the JazzWeek Chart for the last six weeks!! read more

Exploring the Jazz Piano of Eric Reed on his Smoke Session Records – Groovewise!

Many of the 2014 jazz albums that I have explored this year have been released on the Smoke Sessions label, from Vincent Herring’s Uptown Shuffle to Orrin Evans Liberation Blues, with albums from Javon Jackson, Cyrus Chestnut and David Hazeltine in between! The latest Smoke Session Records release that has spent extended time in my music rotation is Groovewise from pianist Eric Reed.

After doing a little exploring at both Reed’s website where I read….

When I was 4, my Aunt Barbara gave me an inch high stack of used vinyl records that she purchased for about 25 cents from a flea market. Included in that stack was Dave Brubeck’s “Time Further Out”, recorded May/June 1961. When I put on the first track, “It’s a Raggy Waltz”, it struck a chord with the funny, adventurous side of my “old soul.” Read More read more

Orrin Evans – Live at Smoke – Liberation Blues – check it out!

I have heard Orrin Evans’ piano on a variety of albums over the last years but Liberation Blues on the Smoke Session label is really the first Evans album that his been in my rotation for any length of time. I can tell you it won’t be the last, and since his recording career includes 20 plus albums recorded as a leader since it began in 1994, I have a lot more music to explore!

Evans was born in Trenton, NJ and raised in the jazz rich city of Philadelphia, where he attended the Girard Academic Music Program. He continued his education at the Mason School of Arts at Rutgers University. Along the way, he studied informally with the likes of Shirley Scott and formally with Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen. In addition to being pianist, Evans is also an accomplished composer, band leader, teacher, producer and arranger., Ralph Bowen and Ted Dunbar read more

Category: Piano