- published: 14 Aug 2012
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Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities. For this reason it is an important tool of jazz musicians and composers for teaching and learning jazz theory and set arrangement. (By extension the phrase 'jazz piano' can refer to similar techniques on any keyboard instrument.)
Along with the guitar, vibraphone, and other keyboard instruments, the piano is one of the instruments in a jazz combo that can play both single notes and chords rather than only single notes as does the saxophone or trumpet.
Mastering the various chord voicings—simple to advanced—is the first building block of learning jazz piano. Jazz piano technique uses all the chords found in Western art music, such as major, minor, augmented, diminished, seventh, diminished seventh, sixth, minor seventh, major seventh, sus 4, and so on. A second key skill is learning to play with a swing rhythm. The next step is improvisation: 'making it up' on the spot. This ability is perfected after long (and quality) experience, including much practice, which internalizes the physical skills of playing, and it requires a great natural 'ear' for extemporaneous music-making.
Byron Janis (born March 24, 1928) is an American classical pianist. He made several recordings for RCA Victor and Mercury Records, and occupies two volumes of the Philips Great Pianists series. His discography covers repertoire from Beethoven to David W. Guion and includes major piano concertos from Mozart to Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. His pianism has been described as combining a Horowitzian technique with a sublime musicality akin to Alfred Cortot's. He has a special affinity for Frédéric Chopin and made a French film on him that was shown around the world.
Janis was born Byron Yanks (a shortened form of his family's name, Yankilevich) in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Russian-Polish Jewish parents. He had his first piano lesson at age 4 with Abraham Litow, who had studied at the prestigious Music Conservatory in Leningrad. Janis studied with Litow until he was 7. At that time he was taken to New York to study with Adele Marcus. The pedagogue Selmar Janson had offered Janis a scholarship at Carnegie-Tech University in Pittsburgh, where he had many relatives, but his mother insisted, over the objections of the rest of his family, that he be sent to New York.
Actors: Jen Frankel (actress), Julie Webster (miscellaneous crew), Victoria Murdoch (actress), Martin Lindquist (actor), Danny F. Santos (actor), Rob Shaw (director), Rob Shaw (editor), Aaron Michael Reilly (actor), Rob Shaw (producer), Rob Shaw (writer), Damien Dornford (actor), Nicole Maroon (actress), Jenna Harris (actress), Nancy Gray (actress), Karolina Phlox (actress),
Plot: Unhappy Happy is the comedic/dramatic story of an unhappy, corporate-team builder who tries to invent a device to bring happiness to his terminally-ill brother with the help of a brilliant-but-damaged woman. Unhappy Happy asks the question: What is the nature of true happiness?
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance,Actors: Michael Coulombe (miscellaneous crew), Amy Hill (actress), Sandy Fox (actress), Drew Droege (actor), Jason Stuart (actor), Quentin Lee (producer), Edward Gunawan (producer), Nicholas Brendon (actor), Nicholas Brendon (producer), Ken Takemoto (actor), Ann Walker (actress), Jesse James Rice (actor), Karina Bonnefil (actress), Jonathan Lisecki (producer), Jonathan Lisecki (actor),
Plot: Big Gay Love is a comedy about a chubby gay man who overcomes discrimination based on his looks to find love on his own terms. The devastating effect of our physique-obsessed culture is explored in the comedy Big Gay Love. In the movie, Bob appears to have it all: a great job, fabulous friends, and is about to become a first time home buyer. But his success hasn't come without a price for Bob has become the chubby gay man everyone adores, but nobody desires. When true love does find Bob in the form of a chef named Andy, he doubts if the relationship could be real for his years of living in insecurity has gotten the best of him. To keep up appearances with his friends, Bob considers going under the knife to fit in and be perfect. But underneath it all he longs for something more.
Genres: Comedy,Actors: Marianne Faithfull (actress), Harry Belafonte (actor), Colin Powell (actor), Marianne Faithfull (actress), Martin Luther King (actor), Harry Belafonte (actor), Martin Luther King (actor), Harry Belafonte (actor), Jimmy Buffett (actor), Jimmy Buffett (actor), Jimmy Buffett (actor), Jimmy Buffett (actor), Kevin Macdonald (producer), Alrick Brown (actor), Tanner Hall (actor),
Plot: OnePeople is a documentary to celebrate Jamaica's global reach and significance in her 50th year and how that came to be. One aspect of the documentary is interviews the many Jamaicans who have excelled at home and in the diaspora. Some in the diaspora that were interviewed include the icon Harry Belafonte, essayist Malcolm Gladwell, General Colin Powell (Ret.), and many more. At home the Most Honourable P.J. Patterson, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga, Michael Lee Chin, Yohan Blake, Rita Marley, Stephen Marley, Shaggy, Toots etc. OnePeople also explores the reciprocal link between Jamaica and the African continent, while showcasing user generated submissions that span the globe. This is a truly Jamaican documentary; conceptualized, directed, produced and edited 100% by Jamaicans... for the world!
Genres: Documentary,Actors: Chadwick Boseman (producer), Logan Coles (director), Logan Coles (writer), Logan Coles (producer), Booker T. Washington (actor), Peyton Coles (actor), Susan Kelechi Watson (actress), McKenzie Frye (miscellaneous crew), Alexandra Foucard (actress), Weez Tomlinson (actress), Nyakya Brown (producer), Wayne Pretlow (actor), Donald Rey (actor), Donald Ray (actor), Edgar Kombe (actor),
Plot: The unexpected passing of Angela Housten forces an uncomfortable reunion between her estranged jazz-been husband and her emotionally detached daughter. In this meditation on love, loss, and dysfunction we discover that hindsight is not always 20/20.
Genres: Drama, Short,Actors: Benjamin Holmsteen (writer), Benjamin Holmsteen (director), Marlene Billie Andreasen (editor), Una Voetmann (producer), Nikolaj Hess (actor), Katrine Gislinge (actress),
Plot: A lovely girl and a piano meet. She is nervous, but curious towards the other creature - the piano. And catiously like a deer she approaches the piano. The girl and the piano slowly and carefully get to know one another. But suddenly a naughty boy intrudes the piano! A conflict between a classical pianist and a jazz pianist... A meeting between two extremes... A meeting between two people, whom at first glance may seem as great individualists and perhaps have little in common, but if they try to communicate and understand each other, something beautiful can be born from their meeting. No cuts.
Keywords: childish-wisdom, hand, no-cuts, no-dialogue, piano, piano-poetry, poetryActors: Bob Cooper (actor), Mark Atkin (editor), Sullivan Stapleton (actor), Maya Stange (actress), Alexandra Schepisi (actress), Mark Neal (actor), Peter Hardy (actor), Rose Chong (costume designer), Jonathan M. Shiff (producer), Ewan Burnett (producer), Wain Fimeri (writer), Monica O'Brien (costume designer), George Vidalis (actor), Stuart McDonald (director), Stuart McDonald (writer),
Genres: ,Actors: Tony Y. Reyes (producer), Adam West (actor), Carel Struycken (actor), Ron Althoff (miscellaneous crew), Ron Althoff (actor), Marcelino Navarro (miscellaneous crew), Michelangelo Kowalski (actor), Fitz Houston (actor), Pinki Ragan (miscellaneous crew), Marcia Karr (actress), Leonard Marcel (composer), Sam Smiley (actor), Robert Cota (actor), John Escobar (actor), Dan Koko (actor),
Plot: A new high tech laser is being developed under the watchful eye of a Scientist when a mercenary group tries to steal it. It is up to the Night raider to return the laser safely before it falls into the wrong hands.
Keywords: independent-film, kickboxing, kidnappingActors: Willy van Hemert (producer), John Leddy (actor), Maxim Hamel (actor), Wim de Meyer (actor), Lou Steenbergen (actor), Elisabeth Versluys (actress), Robert Sobels (actor), Lies de Wind (actress), Frans Vorstman (actor), Jan Vreeken (actor), Gerard Doting (actor), Bob Verstraete (actor), Max Douwes (director), Christian Bock (writer), Nel Bakker (writer),
Genres: ,