I always tell my piano students to check out the masters: Fats Waller, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, and others. But jazz has changed a lot since the 1950s and 1960s, incorporating trends in American popular music—rock, soul, funk, and hip-hop. It’s a living music, so it’s important to check out the […]

I was 22 when I first heard pianist Geoffrey Keezer. It was the early 90s and people had been talking about him—he joined Art Blakey at 17, he was a prize pupil of James Williams, he had ridiculous technique. But when I actually walked into Bradley’s in New York’s Greenwich Village and heard Keezer up […]

Joe Locke is one of the busiest vibraphonists on the scene today. I’ve known Locke since I moved to New York in the 90s, and he has been a good friend. I’ve been lucky to share the stage with him a few times. He is truly a dynamic performer—nobody has more chops or energy on […]