Stealing Apples Pianist John Albert “Johnny” Guarnieri was born March 23, 1917 in New York City. Guarnieri started taking classical piano lessons when he was ten, but Inspired by Count Basie and Art Tatum, soon switched to jazz. In 1939 he joined Benny Goodman’s orchestra, and also toured with Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge, Louis Armstrong, […]

Pianist Tommy Flanagan was born on March 16, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan. Although he started playing clarinet when he was six, Flanagan switched to piano a few years later; originally inspired by Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum, Flanagan was influenced by Bud Powell as a teenager. He was part of the fertile Detroit jazz scene […]

A tribute to the versatile pianist Pianist Margaret Marian Turner (Marian McPartland) was born March 20, 1918 in Slough, United Kingdom. She originally learned piano by ear (not having lessons until she was 16) although she had formal lessons as a violinist and singer, neither of which she pursued. Although during her studies at the […]

A tribute to the influential pianist and teacher Pianist and educator Leonard “Lennie” Tristano was born on March 19, 1919 in Chicago, Illinois. Born with weak eyesight that was completely gone by the time he was nine, he had classical piano lessons starting when he was eight and played several instruments in his early days […]

Joey Alexander Trio (Joey:piano, Barry Likumahuwa:bass and Sandy Winarta:drums) performed song of John Coltrane in JJF(Java Jazz Festival) at PRJ (JIExpo), Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia on March 2nd, 2014. Joey Alexander, who is now 19, is no longer a child prodigy and is simply a brilliant jazz pianist. Self-taught at the age of six, Alexander had […]

Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was one of the most dazzling pianists of the 20th century, and it would not be an overstatement to say that no other pianist could outswing him. This 1991 documentary (which was filmed a few years before a major stroke hurt his playing) does a masterful job of summing up Peterson’s life […]

Pianist and composer Keith Jarrett was born on May 8, 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Recognized as a musical prodigy, he appeared at age five on a televised talent program hosted by swing bandleader Paul Whiteman. Trained as a classical pianist, Jarrett developed an interest in jazz as a teenager. Art Blakey hired him for the […]

John Coltrane — tenor saxophone, bandleader Paul Chambers — double bass Kenny Drew — piano Curtis Fuller — trombone Philly Joe Jones — drums Lee Morgan — trumpet Studio album by John Coltrane Released 1957 Recorded September 15, 1957 Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack Label Blue Note Records BLP 1577 Producer Alfred Lion