Word: pianists
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wild was sight-reading by age six, his fluid technique already a source of wonder. As a teenage student of the formidable Egon Petri (a tough, intellectual pianist renowned for his sturdy Liszt and penetrating Beethoven performances), Wild was already a concert-hall veteran, a kind of young American version of Vladimir Horowitz. In 1942, the legendary Arturo Toscanini invited him to play Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the NBC Symphony. Wild remains the only American soloist ever to play under the fiery Italian maestro...
...tour de force. The long, exotic ballad gradually increased in intensity and tempo until Redman gave the cue for a frenzied modal cycle which provided the framework for his most convincing playing of the evening. Finally, the patented falsetto shrieks had found an appropriate setting. The solo by pianist Peter Martin was one of many mesmerizing offerings by this quintessentially capable sideman...
...theme. Obscure Ellington tunes such as "The Giddybug Gallop" and "Anitra's Dance" from the Peer Gynt Suite preceeded the most impressive moment of the evening, "Jack the Bear." Ellington's double bass feature for Jimmy Blanton was competently played by bassist Ben Wolfe. However, the cameo appearance of pianist Marcus Roberts proved to be the highlight of the tune. Roberts stretched the harmonies of his blues choruses with Monkish lines, piano runs reminiscent of Ellington's "Ko-Ko" and an unparalled rhythmic concept. Following Roberts, Marsalis introduced LCJO's vocalist Milt Grayson. A veteran of the Ellington orchestra, Grayson...
...Moore," an obscure Ellington tune from the Paris Blues Suite which featured tenor Andy Farber in a Paul Gonsalves feature. Marsalis ended the tune by leading the trumpet section offstage followed by trombones and saxes in a second-line march. A five-minute standing ovation brought Marsalis back with pianist Eric Reed for a rendition of Marsalis's best composition of the evening, the ballad "Spanish Yaounde." Another five minutes brought the entire band back for "Across the Track Blues" to close the night...
...last night of sequestration--after the verdict had been reached--was spent in high spirits in the spectacular $1,200-a-night Presidential Suite on the 17th floor of the Hotel Inter-Continental. The jurors laughed, schmoozed and sang together as a pianist performed jazzy sing-along tunes on the suite's baby grand. Said hotel general manager Lewis Fader, who was at the party: "They were like a fraternity. They seemed so close to each other. There was a lot of hugging and kissing." A juror went back and forth drinking beer, wine, beer, wine, said one hotel staffer...