PERFORMANCE
92nd Street Y
Kings of Stride: Eubie, Fats, and The Lion
We saw so much talent this evening.
Great jazz, wonderful musicians, intimate venue. It could not have been better.
"Nothing swings like stride piano, and nobody played it better than Eubie Blake, Willie the Lion and Fats Waller."
"From “I’m Just Wild About Harry” to “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” these giants coupled a sweet delivery with dazzling technique. Now they live in the flying fingers of pianists Bill Charlap, Ted Rosenthal and Rossano Sportiello, plus the dynamic Anat Cohen on clarinet."
"There is nothing quite like the excitement, swing and purely American sound of stride piano. The strict yet swinging time, the leaps between the bass note and chord in the left hand, and the syncopated instrumental figures in the right hand make this a cornerstone of the jazz piano aesthetic, akin to an entire orchestra at the pianist’s fingertips. On Tuesday, July 26 – the opening of our second week of Jazz in July – we’ll focus primarily on the music of three stride piano giants who each contributed in a substantial way to the body of American piano music and popular song – Thomas “Fats” Waller, Willie “The Lion Smith” and Eubie Blake.
Stride is an outgrowth of ragtime, music that defined the sound of jazz at the turn of the century and came to its apex in the hands of the king of ragtime, Scott Joplin. Pieces like Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer gave birth to the innovations of Jelly Roll Morton who expanded on the style both harmonically and rhythmically, and who in turn, influenced the father of stride piano, James P. Johnson, the composer of the landmark composition Carolina Shout and such iconic songs as “Charleston” and “Old Fashioned Love.”
Thomas “Fats” Waller was a student of James P. Johnson. His incredible virtuosity brought stride piano to its zenith, with compositions such as Handful of Keys, Viper’s Drag and Jitterbug Waltz. He was perhaps even more famous for his charismatic performances while singing at the piano; he was a natural entertainer with a brilliant stage persona. In addition to being an American piano giant, Waller was a major songwriter, whose many unique and enduring songs include “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now” and “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling.”
Willie “The Lion” Smith was the Hollywood picture of a ragtime stride pianist whose swagger and cultivated flamboyance incorporated a derby hat and a big cigar. The Lion invented all kinds of ingenious figures in the left hand to propel his music, which expanded on the basic characteristics of stride while keeping the rhythmic impetus of the music intact. His singular compositions, including Echoes of Spring and Morning Air were highly influential on the piano artistry and compositions of Duke Ellington. The Lion holds a profoundly original place in the history of jazz piano.
Eubie Blake was born in 1883 and lived to be 100 years old. He used to say, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” From the vantage point of his long life he was able to view a huge range of the history of American music. Blake wrote the quintessential Charleston Rag at the turn of the century, and he went on to write some of the greatest popular songs such as “Memories of You” and “You’re Lucky to Me.” With Noble Sissle as lyricist, Blake wrote the score for the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, which boosted the careers of Josephine Baker, Adelaide Hall and Paul Robeson and contained such songs as “Love Will Find a Way” and “I’m Just Wild About Harry” – and which is being reenvisioned on Broadway this spring with Audra McDonald and others.
Along with me, this concert will feature two of today’s major jazz pianists. Hailing from Italy, Rossano Sportiello has carved out a special place in the world of jazz piano. He has an uncommon soul, a beautiful touch, a remarkable lyricism, and when he turns on his stride piano chops, he brings down the house! Ted Rosenthal has one of the most wide-ranging perspectives on jazz piano playing today. He is equally at home with bebop, popular songs, and the full scope of piano history from James P. Johnson up to the present day.
We’ll all be playing solos and duets with a superb rhythm section that consists of the exceptional David Wong at the bass and the outstanding drumming of Aaron Kimmel, making his Jazz in July debut. We’ll also be joined by the distinctive talents of clarinetist Anat Cohen, whose expressive virtuosity always elevates every musical event that she is a part of.
Our stride piano celebration of Eubie, Fats and The Lion will be a one-of-a-kind happening that is sure to be filled with extraordinary music, entertainment and electricity!
Sincerely,
Bill Charlap
Artistic Director, Jazz in July
Bill Charlap, artistic director & piano
One of the world’s premier jazz pianists, Bill Charlap has performed with many leading artists of our time, ranging from Phil Woods and Tony Bennett to Gerry Mulligan and Wynton Marsalis. He is known for his interpretations of American popular songs and has recorded albums featuring the music of Hoagy Carmichael, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Duke Ellington. Mr. Charlap’s recording with Tony Bennett, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, on the RPM/Columbia label, won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. It features Mr. Charlap and Bennett together and in collaboration with Charlap’s Trio and duo piano performances with Renee Rosnes.
The Bill Charlap Trio was formed in 1997 with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington and is now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz. The trio has received two Grammy Award nominations: for Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, and for The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard, both on the Blue Note label. Mr. Charlap now records for the Impulse!/Verve record label. His new trio recording, Notes from New York,released this past April, received a 5-star review in the May issue of DownBeat. The Bill Charlap Trio tours all over the world, and their New York engagements include regular appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Village Vanguard.
This summer Bill Charlap celebrates his 12th year as artistic director of 92nd Street Y’s Jazz in July summer festival. He has also produced concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the JVC Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl. Mr. Charlap is currently Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University, in Wayne, New Jersey. Founded in 1973, the program is one of the longest running and most respected jazz programs in the country.
Born in New York City, Mr. Charlap began playing the piano at age three. His father was Broadway composer Moose Charlap, whose credits include Peter Pan, and his mother is singer Sandy Stewart, who toured with Benny Goodman, appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como shows and earned a Grammy Award nomination for her recording of “My Coloring Book.” Mr. Charlap is married to renowned jazz pianist Renee Rosnes, The couple released their highly acclaimed two-piano album Double Portrait on Blue Note in 2010. Mr. Charlap’s website is
billcharlap.com.
Ted Rosenthal, piano
Last October Ted Rosenthal gave an acclaimed performance in the original band arrangement of Gershwin's Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue for 92Y’s Opening Night Concert. He has been a featured soloist with several major American orchestras, and he has released 15 CDs as a leader. His latest, Rhapsody in Gershwin, features his arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue for jazz trio and reached No. 1 in jazz album sales at iTunes and Amazon. Winner of the 1988 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, Mr. Rosenthal has played worldwide with many jazz greats. He composes music ranging from jazz tunes to ballet scores, and he has received three NEA grants. He is artistic director of Jazz at the Riverdale Y and is a faculty member at Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School. His website is
tedrosenthal.com.
Rossano Sportiello, piano
Born in Vigevano, Italy, Rossano Sportiello began studying classical piano at age nine; at 16 he was playing jazz in Milan and two years later joined one of Europe’s best-known jazz bands, the Milano Jazz Gang. He now performs at leading venues and jazz festivals in the US and around the world; this Sunday he will appear at the Newport Jazz Festival. Since 2008, Mr. Sportiello has performed regularly with the Harry Allen Quartet, recording the songbooks of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Burke. His award-winning discography also includes four solo piano albums, two duet albums with bassist/singer Nicki Parrott and three jazz CDs featuring classical music of Chopin, Liszt and Schubert. He is also an active educator: he has served as “professor in residence” at St. John’s College, Cambridge University. His website is
rossanosportiello.com..
Anat Cohen, clarinet
Clarinetist/saxophonist Anat Cohen has been voted Clarinetist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association nine years in a row, and she has topped both the Critics and Readers Polls in the clarinet category in DownBeat magazine every year since 2011. Ms. Cohen has toured the world with her quartet and now with her new tentet, headlining at the Newport, Umbria, SF Jazz and North Sea jazz festivals as well as at such clubs as New York’s Village Vanguard—she was the first native Israeli to headline there. She also collaborates regularly with one of her heroes, Paquito D’Rivera. In May Anzic Records released Alegria Da Casa,with Ms. Cohen and Trio Brasileiro; it follows Luminosa, her seventh album as a bandleader, released in March 2015. Her website is
anatcohen.com.
David Wong, bass
A native of New York City, bassist David Wong graduated from The Juilliard School. He is a member of Roy Haynes’s Fountain of Youth Band, The Heath Brothers Quartet, The Benny Green Trio and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He can also regularly be seen with Steve Kuhn, Brian Lynch's Unsung Heroes Project, Ralph Lalama’s Bop Juice, and the trios of Jeb Patton, Dan Nimmer and Aaron Diehl. Mr. Wong was the last bass member of Hank Jones's Great Jazz Trio and is featured on the piano master's last recording. He has also worked with such stars as Benny Green, Frank Wess, Kenny Burrell, Wynton Marsalis and Andy Bey. He serves on the faculties of Temple University, The New School and Queens College, and he teaches at jazz programs across the country.
