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Jazz Piano?

Alright, a few months ago I would have told you that I hate Jazz. I'm 24, I'm not supposed to like it. Problem is, my wife loves the stuff. So I'm watching MTV one day, and hear an interview with Jamie Cullum. I think, "Hey, here's something my wife will like, and something I could probably get into as well."

Turns out I love jazz piano. I've tried to listen to brass and guitar leads, but nothing hits me like piano does. Problem is, I don't have much of a collection-- none would be the more appropriate term. I need more.

So where should I start?
themadmilkman

Showing 3 responses by pragmatist

pragmatist
336 posts
 
Early Jazz: Jelly Roll Morton,James P. Johnson
Swing: Duke Ellington,Count Basie,**ART TATUM**
Bop: Bud Powell
Hard Bop:McCoy Tyner
Modern: Oscar Peterson,Bill Evans,Horace Silver,Herbie Hancock

Mark Gridley's one volume jazz text is a good read and a good introduction to jazz.
pragmatist
336 posts
 
Art Tatum's piano teacher was his mother-who was classiclly trained.

At the risk of putting too fine a point on it,Tatum can be broken down into three periods. His third period is over my head but I listen to his second period stuff with my mouth opened in amazement.(See volume three of John Mehigan's JAZZ IMPROVISATION series for more.)

If you Google "Art Tatum"---"I feel lucky" ,you'll connect to a site of a private individual who will sell you an anthology disk(s). It sounds like a remaster of 50 to 60 year old recordings,but that's ok. The artistic merit of the work justifies it.
pragmatist
336 posts
 
http://www.alevy.com/tatum.htm
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