CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
Hiromi
Kenny Barron
Roger Kellaway

Zankel Hall
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 8:30 PM

Hiromi, Piano
Kenny Barron, Piano
Roger Kellaway, Piano

Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with George Wein.

This concert and Just Jazz: The Joyce Wein Series are sponsored by the Joyce and George Wein Foundation in memory of Joyce Wein.

Program Notes:

BOB GOLDEN on
OSCAR PETERSON

It is generally recognized that the two most significant jazz pianists in the history of the art form were Art Tatum (1909–1956) and his undisputed musical heir Oscar Peterson (1925–2007).

Tatum, a Toledo, Ohio, native who was born with both severe visual impairments and perfect pitch, was a largely self-taught musical genius who was the first jazz piano master to grasp the orchestral potentials of his instrument. Tatum’s monumental keyboard technique was soon the envy of every major classical and jazz pianist of his era, and his ceaselessly adventurous harmonic prowess was admired by improvising musicians everywhere.

It was, however, the Montreal-born and classically trained Oscar Peterson who would first combine all of the virtuosic elements of his primary inspiration and eventual mentor, Art Tatum, with the musical language of such newer jazz innovators as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to create the imperishable style and career that would define the art of jazz piano for all generations to follow.

During the 1940s, Peterson was already a ubiquitous Canadian radio and concert star. After hearing him on a broadcast in 1949, Norman Granz—the legendary jazz impresario, record producer, and personal manager—arranged a Carnegie Hall debut appearance for the pianist as an unannounced "surprise guest" with master bassist Ray Brown during one of the Granz all-star Jazz at the Philharmonic evenings. With such jazz giants as Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Roy Eldridge in attendance, and numerous standing ovations from the alternately mesmerized and cheering audience, Peterson was instantly catapulted to international prominence.

For the next quarter-century, Peterson and Brown would together form two of the most important and definitive trios in jazz history with guitarist Herb Ellis (from 1953 to ‘58) and drummer Ed Thigpen (from 1959 to ‘65). Oscar would also be installed as the "house pianist" for the various Granz record labels to produce a classic discography of collaborations with Fitzgerald, Lester Young, Gillespie, Parker, Buddy Rich, and Count Basie, as well as hundreds of subsequently best-selling, and critically applauded albums under his own name.

One of the most recorded jazz pianists, and a distinguished composer and educator (with many Montreal landmarks and scholastic institutions now renamed in his honor), Oscar Peterson was among the most perseveringly popular and acclaimed concert attractions in the world. His performances distinctively and seamlessly blended his signature technical mastery with encyclopedic celebrations of all jazz styles. Moreover, Peterson’s colossal pianism could effortlessly produce an immense sound spectrum that ranged from sublime pin-drop intimacies to symphonic fortissimos that would inevitably transport audiences and other musicians into awe-struck euphoria. Among his countless awards are seven Grammys, the Toronto Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Glenn Gould Prize, election to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and a 1997 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Now, 60 years since his seismic Carnegie Hall debut, three of Peterson’s more notable acolytes—a dazzling new star (Hiromi) and two world-esteemed veterans (Kenny Barron and Roger Kellaway)—return to the venue in celebration of his life. It is an abundantly well-timed tribute to a musician who not only influenced every important jazz pianist that succeeded him, but who became an unsurpassable definition of jazz piano at its pinnacle of artistic accomplishment.

© 2009 The Carnegie Hall Corporation

Bob Golden is a music industry veteran who is currently Vice President of Marketing at Carlin America, a major multinational music publishing corporation.

More Information:

A musical summit conference brings together three stars of the jazz piano world for a tribute to their great predecessor, Oscar Peterson. And they’re a wonderfully varied trio. Kenny Barron towers over the jazz mainstream. Roger Kellaway expands jazz into a wider arena through his work in film and TV, and with pop stars. Hiromi, smart and brilliantly rhythmic, represents a rising new generation.

Hiromi, Piano
HIROMI

Hiromi first mesmerized the jazz community with her 2003 Telarc debut, Another Mind, which created a buzz that spread all the way back to her native Japan. In her home country, the album was certified gold and received the Recording Industry Association of Japan's (RIAJ) Jazz Album of the Year award. Her critically acclaimed second release, Brain, caught the attention of an even wider audience and earned her countless accolades, including the Horizon Award at the 2004 Surround Music Awards. Her winning streak has continued with the 2007 release of Time Control and the 2008 release Beyond Standard—both featuring her super group, Sonic Bloom.

Born in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1979, Hiromi took her first piano lessons at age six, learning to tap into the intuitive as well as the technical aspects of music. She enrolled in the Yamaha School of Music less then one year after her first piano lessons, and by age 12 she was performing in public with high-profile orchestras, including a performance with the Czech Philharmonic at the age of 14.

As a teenager, her musical tastes expanded to include jazz as well as classical music. A chance meeting with Chick Corea at the age of 17 led to a performance with the well-known jazz pianist the very next day. Hiromi came to the United States in 1999 to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston with veteran jazz bassist Richard Evans. Evans later produced her debut album for Telarc with longtime friend and collaborator, jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.

In addition to Oscar Peterson, Hiromi‘s musical influences include artists as diverse as Franz Liszt, Ahmad Jamal, Sly and the Family Stone, and King Crimson.

Kenny Barron, Piano
KENNY BARRON

Kenny Barron was born in 1943 in Philadelphia, and while a teenager, started playing piano professionally with Mel Melvin’s orchestra. While still in high school, he worked with celebrated jazz drummer Philly Joe Jones. At age 19, he moved to New York City and freelanced with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan, and James Moody after the tenor saxophonist heard him play at the Five Spot.

In 1962, Barron began working with Dizzy Gillespie and developed an appreciation for Latin and Caribbean rhythms. After five years with Dizzy, Barron played with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. The early 1970s found him working with Yusef Lateef, who encouraged him to pursue a college education. Barron balanced touring with studies, earning his degree from Empire State College. By 1973, he had joined the faculty at Rutgers University as a professor of music. He held this position until 2000, mentoring many of today’s young talents, including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, and Regina Bell. In 1974, Barron recorded Sunset to Dawn, the first of over 40 recordings as a leader.

Following stints with Ron Carter, Buster Williams, Ben Riley, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and others, Barron co-founded the quartet Sphere with Buster Williams, Ben Riley, and Charlie Rouse, focusing on the music of Thelonious Monk and original compositions inspired by him. Barron’s own recordings have earned him nine Grammy nominations since 1992. In spring 2008, he released The Traveler—his first studio recording in four years. He was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame in 2005 and won a MAC Lifetime Achievement Award. Barron is a six-time recipient of Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association and was a finalist in the prestigious 2001 Jazz Par International Jazz Award. Whether he is playing solo, in a trio, or in a quintet, Barron is recognized the world over as a master of performance and composition.

Roger Kellaway, Piano
ROGER KELLAWAY

Roger Kellaway has a discography that includes over 250 albums and a resume of performances with everyone from Elvis, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie, to Yo-Yo Ma, Joni Mitchell, and Michael Tilson Thomas. As a composer, he writes in the jazz, classical, and popular music fields, and scores for films and television. His acclaimed albums are described as crossover, chamber jazz, and the beginning of New Age music. Kellaway’s commissions include a ballet for George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet, and orchestral pieces for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Born in Massachusetts, Kellaway was a conservatory-trained musician before hitting the road as a bass player. He soon settled in New York and began freelancing on piano. By the age of 22, he was one of the busiest, most highly respected pianists, playing recording dates, jazz clubs, and working with singers such as Lena Horne. In the mid 1960s, Kellaway moved to Los Angeles to continue doing studio work. As Bobby Darin’s musical director, he arranged and conducted Darin's album of songs from the film Dr. Doolittle. His most prized television credit is “Remembering You,” the closing theme for All in the Family.

In 1999, Kellaway was commissioned to compose the music for London’s West End production of Lenny. The following year he was commissioned by West German Radio to write a show celebrating the 100th birthday of Kurt Weill. Soon after, he signed on to be Kevin Spacey’s musical director for the film Beyond the Sea about the life of Bobby Darin; he later served as musical director, conductor, and pianist in the Beyond the Sea concert tour. In 2005, Kellaway conducted the world premiere of Sir Paul McCartney’s Nova in Buenos Aires with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, and in 2008, he was awarded the prestigious Prix du Jazz Classique for The Roger Kellaway Trio’s Heroes. Kellaway continues performing in concerts around the world, recording, and writing for film, theatrical productions, and commissioned works.