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The Future of Jazz Piano

Future Of Jazz Piano
The Future of Jazz Piano

Thursday, February 7th 2019 - Sulllivan Fortner
Thursday, April 18th 2019 - Micah Thomas


St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
19 South 10th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Concerts start at 7:00 PM

FOR TICKETS

 

The Future of Jazz Piano is a concert series presented at center city's St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The series explores the vanguard of jazz piano. Pianist, Fred Hersch, who opened the 2018-19 season in September 2018 with a benefit performance and book signing, is also the series curator. Hersch organized this series of solo performances that continues through the spring of 2019. Drawing from four decades of experience as a musician and teacher, Hersch selected three New York-based artists that are “bright young lights of the jazz piano scene: Glenn Zaleski, Sulllivan Fortner and Micah Thomas.”

 

An exploratory artist, outspoken activist, influential educator and possessor of one of the most personal and expressive pianistic styles in improvised music, Fred Hersch has led a singular life that has shaped one of the most acclaimed and influential voices in modern jazz. At the forefront of the music for more than three decades, he’s earned countless awards and accolades including 12 Grammy® nominations. Hailed by Vanity Fair as “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade,” he stands as a defining figure in several different contexts, credited with more than 40 albums that span breathtaking solo recitals, compelling duos, gold-standard trios and innovative chamber pieces. Hersch has told his inspiring story in his new memoir, Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz; in the feature documentary, The Ballad of Fred Hersch; and on stage in the confessional jazz-theater piece My Coma Dreams.

 

Fred Hersch

 

Curator's Statement, Fred Hersch: "From my more than 35 years teaching jazz piano at many elite conservatories to my more than 40 years living in New York City and keeping and ear to the ground, I have been aware of—and in many cases, mentored—some of the bright young lights of the jazz piano scene. My series this year shines some light on three particularly strong pianists. Playing solo is a true test of pianistic resources, imagination, and awareness of all of the many historical styles of jazz piano. And these young artists are more than up to the task."

 

 

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:

 

Sullivan FortnerSullivan Fortner is recognized for his virtuosic technique and captivating performances. He is the winner of three prestigious awards: a Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship from the American Pianists Association, and the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists.

Fortner has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Discover Jazz Festival, Tri-C Jazz Festival, Jazz Standard, and the Gillmore Keyboard Festival. Fortner has been heard with other leading musicians around the world including Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, John Scofield, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Fred Hersch, Sean Jones, DeeDee Bridgewater, Roberta Gambarini, Peter Bernstein, Stefon Harris, Nicholas Peyton, Billy Hart, Dave Liebman, Gary Bartz, Etienne Charles, and Christian Scott.

 

A native of New Orleans, Fortner began playing the piano at the age of seven and was hailed a virtuoso before he was out of high school. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Oberlin Conservatory and a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music.

 

 

Micah ThomasPianist and composer Micah Thomas grew up in Columbus Ohio. Since his sophomore year of high school in Columbus, Ohio, Thomas has been gigging regularly with violinist Christian Howes, accompanying him on tours across the country—Thomas has been a regular faculty member at Howes’ annual Creative Strings Workshop since 2015. Thomas frequently appears with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra as a guest artist, performing with John Clayton and Joshua Redman for their 45th anniversary concert series in 2017, and has performed throughout Ohio with distinguished musicians including JD Allen, Billy Contreras, Eddie Bayard, George Delancey, Cedric Easton, and Bobby Floyd.

In 2015, Thomas moved from Ohio to New York to pursue a BM in Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School and is now performing in venues throughout the city both as a leader of his own groups and as a sideman for such luminaries as Lage Lund, Etienne Charles, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Gabe Schnider, Tivon Pennicott, Harish Raghavan, Stacy Dillard, and Joshua Redman. He appeared as a guest with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 2017 alongside Sullivan Fortner, Aaron Diehl, and Joel Wenhardt and performed solo piano at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival.

 

ABOUT THE CHURCH:

St. Stephen's is a historic parish, established in Philadelphia in 1823. In 2017, St. Stephen's was reborn as a new model of church, one that is redefining the idea of congregation and forging a non-traditional path. Much has changed since 1823, and spirituality is no exception. St. Stephen's is committed to meeting this new challenge, to looking toward the future while celebrating our history and journey.

 

FOR MORE INFO

 


PJP spoke with Peter Kountz, a jazz musician and educator turned minister and pastor of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. He talks about music and the Future Of Jazz Piano Concert Series.

 

PJP: Can you briefly describe your background and the intersection of your faith and the music?

 

Peter Kountz: I grew up in a musical house: my mother was a concert pianist, college professor and founder of the orchestra in the city in which I grew up; my father was a music critic and a plant manager. In a real sense, my parents were bi-vocational. And this would explain who I am. I have composed, produced, played and performed all the while I was living other lives in academia and in schools.  My parents gave me remarkable musical freedom and now, as an Episcopal priest, I continue to coach professional and student musicians. The music (s) I work most easily with are jazz and early music (Baroque).  Music, like faith is a never-ending discernment process--playing and performing, composing, producing, teaching and coaching. The freedom and discipline of jazz especially--and its human expressions in all its forms--is, for me, very much like a life of faith, because for the performers and audience in particular, it is a journey of hearing, seeing and searching; a journey that is sometimes all over the place and yet is often very centered, just like faith.


PJP: What is the Future Of Jazz Piano Concert Series?

 

Peter Kountz: The pianist, composer, and teacher Fred Hersch curated the series. The goal was to bring "up and coming" jazz pianists from NYC  to Saint Stephen's and Philadelphia, pianists who might not have the chance to come otherwise and who Philadelphia might not have a chance to hear. Fred came to Saint Stephen's twice in 2018 to experience the "place" that is Saint Stephen's as well as our piano. The series was carefully curated.

 

PJP: Why is this concept so important?

 

Peter Kountz: The importance of this concept is the idea that personal faith can be enlivened and more deeply experienced through different kinds of music. While we're very far from the creation of some "master plan," the idea of experiencing music in a sacred place can deepen one's encounter with that music.That is what we're interested in exploring.

 

PJP: Who is working with you on this series?

 

Peter Kountz: Fred Hersch, the piano technicians from Curtis Institute of Music, and my colleagues at Saint Stephen's.

 

PJP: When listening to your music what advice would you give the audience to assist with greater understanding and enjoyment?

 

Peter Kountz: Place is important, so choose carefully the place where you will experience the music. Look and listen with the eye and ear of your heart. Be still.

 

PJP: Why Jazz? When you could be presenting anything else, Why this music?

 

Peter Kountz: Jazz has so many dimensions and often some of its important musical elements are lost/missed given the particular setting in which it is encountered.(e.g. a club). Jazz  deserves attention and intimacy because it has so much to offer musically and emotionally. It is perhaps one of the most inventive and engaging kinds of music ever.

 

The Future of Jazz Piano

Thursday, February 7th 2019 - Sulllivan Fortner
Thursday, April 18th 2019 - Micah Thomas


St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
19 South 10th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Concerts start at 7:00 PM

FOR TICKETS

 

FEATURING FRED HERSCH

 

FEATURING SULLIVAN FORTNER

 

FEATURING MICAH THOMAS

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Philadelphia Jazz Project is a sponsored project of the Culture Trust | Greater Philadelphia, with funding provided by The Philadelphia Foundation.

 

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Philadelphia Jazz Project is a sponsored project of the Culture Trust | Greater Philadelphia, with funding provided by The Philadelphia Foundation.