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Three innovative jazz stylists from three generations share an electric evening of dynamic jazz piano music and musicianship at The Quick Center's Piano Jazz Summit, March 25 at 8 p.m. The pianists, Cedar Walton, Jacky Terrasson and Hiromi Uehara, have been brought together for the performance by George Wein, the legendary jazz impresario who also founded the Newport Jazz Festival.Allaboutjazz.com calls Cedar Walton "a true master" and one of the "most influential musicians active today." Now 77, Walton's musical career has spanned many decades and included collaborations with the greats, including Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and in the 80s, Ron Carter and Billy Higgins. His jazz roots run deep and in addition to performing, he has written several jazz standards, including "Mosaic" and "The Promised Land.""Reliably brilliant and spontaneous" is how The New York Times described performances by Jacky Terrason. A native of France, he debuted at The Blue Note in 1994 and since, has garnered a long list of awards and honors, including two Grammy nominations and several comparable awards in France for Best Jazz Artist of the Year and Best Album. Betty Carter called Terrason "the most challenging pianist she'd ever worked with." Among other collaborations are two with Ry Cooder that resulted in albums.
Hiromi Uehara grew up in Shizuoka, Japan and though her piano lessons began with traditional classical training at age six, according to Berklee, her alma mater, her improvising did too, after she heard an Oscar Peterson record. "I was playing classical music with swing and voicings," she says. Since her 2003 formal debut, Uehara has performed at many jazz festivals and recorded extensively. In 2010, she appeared on NPR's "Piano Jazz" with the incomparable Marian McPartland, who said, "It was very exciting having her on. I don't know where she got her technique. I think it's natural and I think she is going to go very far."
Catch this one-evening-only opportunity to hear three jazz greats dazzle the audience -- and each other -- with their tremendous creativity. Tickets are $30-$40. For more information, visit the Quick Center's website.
Are you a jazz fan? Where do you go to hear jazz in Fairfield County or elsewhere?
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