Word: pianists
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Even Marsalis admits that the shoot-from-the-lip style of his early years went too far at times: "I was like 19 or something, man -- you know, wild. I didn't care." He has since become a less strident and far more articulate advocate for the cause. Says pianist and composer Billy Taylor, 69: "Wynton is the most important young spokesman for the music today. His opinions are well founded. Some people earlier took umbrage at what he said, but the important thing is that he could back it up with his horn...
...Armstrong's aging contemporaries launched a "revival" of the old style, centered mainly around Preservation Hall, a former French Quarter art gallery where the musicians initially played for tips. At about the same time, a group of younger, more modern musicians came of age. Among them was a gifted pianist and teacher named Ellis Marsalis...
...entered New York City's elite Juilliard School the following year and immediately began sitting in with bands at local jazz clubs. Pianist James Williams, 38, recalls the time that Marsalis, sporting an Afro and long sideburns, showed up at McHale's and sat in with drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. "Really, we were very excited," says Williams. "We all knew he was going to be great." Marsalis knew it too. "He wasn't arrogant; he was just so self-assured," says McCarthy, who was by then studying at Barnard College. "He knew that by meeting the right people...
...HARGROVE: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH (Novus). Watch out, Wynton! This 20-year- old trumpet phenomenon from Waco, Texas, is nipping at your heels with a horn full of soul and fire. A well-crafted album, featuring penetrating solo work from alto-saxman Antonio Hart and three strong compositions by pianist Geoffrey Keezer...
MARCUS ROBERTS: DEEP IN THE SHED (Novus). Now on his own after five years with the Wynton Marsalis band, this blind, bluesy, brilliant pianist is out with a gem of an album that showcases his skills as a composer as well as his stylish work at the keyboard...