It all came about on summer day in 1958. A young photographer, by the name of Art Kane, was hired by Esquire magazine to come up with a photograph to accompany an article commemorating jazz. As the story goes, Kane called on every major player in the New York City jazz scene to show up for a photograph to take place in front a Harlem brownstone. The only issue was that the photograph was to be taken at 10am and getting a large group of jazz musicians together that early in the morning seemed nearly impossible. Fears about a modest turnout subsided as the musicians began showing up. Fifty-seven musicians were photographed that morning and the rest, as they say, is history.
“A Great Day in Harlem” speaks of more than just the title to one of the most iconic jazz photographs ever taken. It resonates and encapsulates the history and spirit of Harlem, jazz and a community of musicians who individually and collectively made an indelible mark on the world of music. Over the next several weeks we will profile the fifty-seven musicians featured on that memorable Harlem stoop and group them together by their respective instruments. So, it is with great pleasure that we present the first group in the series, the distinguished piano virtuosos.
Count Basie (1904-1984)
(Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Dickie Wells…)
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*Heralded as a bandleader who brought the big band, swing style of jazz to the forefront. Basie’s straightforward piano style gave room for the dynamic musicians in his well-known Orchestras to take center stage and rise to prominence under his direction.
Henry “Hank” Jones (1918-2010)
(Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Artie Shaw…)
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*Credited with being one of the first pianists to transition his style to bepop. Known for his eloquent piano style. He is also the oldest brother of trumpeter, Thad Jones and drummer, Elvin Jones.
Jimmy Jones (1918–1982)
(Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Stuff Smith, Clark Terry, Sarah Vaughn…)
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*An accomplished accompanist and sideman for many jazz greats, Jones was known for his peculiar style of piano playing such as using block chords (a technique that uses simple harmonic chords in which the notes of each chord can be played all at once as opposed to being broken or “played one at a time”).
Marian McPartland (1918- )
(Jimmy McPartland, Joe Morello…)
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*Host of NPR’s Piano Jazz, which happens to be the longest-running cultural program on NPR as well as one of the longest-running jazz programs ever produced on public radio. She has recorded well over 50 albums and is also an accomplished composer.
Thelonious Monk (1917-1982)
(Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Mary Lou Williams…)
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*An architect and purveyor of bepop movement, and one of the most forward thinking and influential musicians in jazz. Best known for his unorthodox and eccentric approach and piano style.
Luckey Roberts (1887–1968)
(Willie “The Lion” Smith, Ralph Sutton…)
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*Credited with being a pioneer of the “stride” piano style. Stride was developed mainly in New York City in the 1920’s and 1930’s and incorporated many forms of early jazz piano, particularly from March, such as that played by a military band and ragtime.
Horace Silver (1928- )
(Art Blakey, Lou Donaldson, Stan Getz…)
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*Known for his distinctive piano style that mixes soul, gospel, blues, Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Silver is as well known for his pioneering compositional contributions to hard bop.
Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981)
(Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman…)
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*Sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Jazz”, Williams is known for her dynamic piano prowess and has written hundreds of compositions and arrangements and has also recorded hundreds of records.
Compiled by Terri Neal
The post A Great Day in Harlem: The Piano Virtuosos appeared first on The Revivalist.