News from Stephanie Trick

October 2012 In this issue Lockerbie Jazz Festival Kobe Jazz Street Festival Upcoming Release of Nouveau Stride Album November West Coast Tour Dear Friends, I hope this message finds you well, and that if you are affected by the big storm on the East Coast of the U.S., you are safe and sound.  Since my last newsletter, I've had some fun experiences playing in Scotland and Japan, and now am looking forward to a new CD release as well as to my annual tour of California. Lockerbie Jazz Festival My overseas trip at the end of September began in the United Kingdom with the Lockerbie Jazz Festival.  It was my first time to play and to be in Scotland.  This festival combines both traditional and modern styles, so I was honored to be one of the musicians representing classic jazz.  I had the chance to see a good part of the countryside -- miles and miles of open pasture dotted with sheep -- because one of the concerts took place three hours north in Arbroath.  I played in a charming jazz club, located in the basement of an old castle, which often presents traditional jazz, and was thrilled at how knowledgeable the audience was. The people I met in Scotland sure made me feel welcome, and of course I enjoyed hearing that terrific Scottish accent (although I did have a "wee" bit of a hard time understanding them as they talk very quickly!).  I hope I can return to their beautiful country and to the U.K. soon. Kobe Jazz Street Festival After Lockerbie, I headed around the world to the Kobe Jazz Street Festival in Japan.  It was founded 31 years ago to celebrate early jazz and has been taking place annually ever since.  Many musician friends that I had met at other jazz festivals were there, and I made some new friends as well.  I hadn't been to Japan before, and was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to find my way around since none of the signs are in English, but there were no problems.  The Japanese are known for their precision and attention to detail.  Even still, it is no mean feat to get a dozen or so of us non-Japanese-speaking foreigners to the right venues at the right times.  I don't think anyone got lost! In my kimono with the gracious Akiko Suehiro, director of Kobe Jazz Street On the opening night of the festival, the organizer bestowed on me a stunning red silk kimono, complete with a red and black lace sash.  They had me wear it to play, even with the sleeves that went down to my knees.  Quite an experience! After the jam session with all the guest musicians at Kobe Jazz Street (Photo credit: Atsumi Yamamoto) I really enjoyed the weekend because I had the chance to play with other musicians in different ensembles, and the bandstand is the best place to learn!  The jam sessions in the hotel lobby were also a highlight for me -- a chance for the musicians to be more spontaneous in the after hours. This festival is unique because the city of Kobe is filled with jazz clubs -- there seem to be three or four jazz clubs on every street -- and these become the venues for the festival.  One of the things that impressed me about the Japanese is how attentive they are when they listen, and how seriously they take music.  They always listen respectfully, and when they start clapping along to a song, they clap exactly in time and don't stop until the song finishes!  I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to visit Japan and can't wait to go back. Upcoming Release of Nouveau Stride Album I'm very excited to finally announce the release of Fourteen, the album I have been working on for the past two years with lyricist and vocalist Lorraine Feather!  We are really satisfied with how all the music and artwork for the CD turned out.  It will officially be released on Friday, November 23, at the San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival, along with the debut that night of the live multimedia companion Nouveau Stride show.  In addition, the physical CD and a digital download will be available on CD Baby by that date.  More information can be found about our duo and the Nouveau Stride program at this website. November West Coast Tour I'm heading out west this Thursday and will be doing concerts throughout California (L.A., San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, and more) and some of them will be four-hands programs with the very talented jazz pianist and my good friend from Italy, Paolo Alderighi.  All the details about this tour can be found on my Schedule page.  Hope to see you out there, or somewhere along the line soon! Thank you so much for all of your support! Best wishes, Stephanie Quick Links... Videos Reviews Biography My Schedule Photo Gallery CD's and DVD My Website Homepage

Stephanie Trick Update

Jazz Party in Florida
I just returned from a fantastic weekend at the Fourth Annual Arbors Records Invitational Jazz Party in Clearwater Beach, Florida. I was honored to be able to perform on the same stage with six incredible jazz pianists: Dick Hyman, Louis Mazetier, Rossano Sportiello, Paolo Alderighi, John Sheridan, and Ehud Asherie. Also present at the festival were about 30 other musicians, all legends of the mainstream or classic jazz fields. Having the opportunity to play with them in a couple of group sets was truly special. Arbors Records really knows how to put on a great party for both the musicians and the audience! I hope you get the opportunity to attend one of these parties, if you haven't already. There was video taken at the event, but it hasn't surfaced yet on YouTube. When it does, I'll let you know!

Upcoming Concerts This month I will be giving several concerts in the St. Louis area with Paolo Alderighi, a terrific jazz pianist from Milan, Italy. Paolo has toured all across Europe, Asia, the United States, and Australia, and has won 1st and 2nd prizes in categories of Musica Jazz magazine's Top Jazz 2007 referendum. There will be several opportunities to see us perform together. This Friday (January 20) we will be playing at the Ethical Society of St. Louis in an auditorium with a beautiful grand piano and great acoustics. The following day, we are giving a benefit concert at Principia School. In addition, we will also be doing a duo concert on Thursday, January 26, at Robbie's House of Jazz, a jazz club in Webster Groves, Missouri. If you're in town and can come, we'd love to see you at any (or all) of these events! In early February, I'm looking forward to playing at the Central Illinois Jazz Festival in Decatur. I will be doing some solo piano sets, as well as playing with a band and with my trio (including Danny Coots and Phil Flanigan). I've heard great things about this festival and am grateful that I will get to experience it firsthand.

Nouveau Stride Release
The anticipated first track from Nouveau Stride is now available for download! Lorraine Feather and I have been collaborating for over a year on this project, which features her original lyrics to the instrumental songs of great pianists and composers of classic jazz. We will be releasing a complete album of this material later this year. However, we don't want to make you wait until then to hear some results of our efforts. We will be releasing songs serially, with one a month coming out until the complete CD is available and our live show starts touring in the fall. The first song is based on James P. Johnson's "Caprice Rag," and is entitled "Pour on the Heat." It's now on many download sites, including iTunes and Amazon MP3, and also here. We're also posting occasional clips from our rehearsals and other fun stuff on our YouTube channel. For more information on Nouveau Stride, please see nouveaustride.com.
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News from Stephanie Trick

Dear Friends, Happy Holidays! I just returned from a marathon tour in California -- four fantastic weeks of concerts and festivals.  Highlights included the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, the San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival, and a fascinating visit to a unique liberal arts college in the high desert of California, just east of the Sierra Nevadas.

West Coast Ragtime Festival One of the largest festivals of its kind, the West Coast Ragtime Festival always presents some of the best performers of early piano styles, such as Brian Holland, Carl Sonny Leyland, Frederick Hodges, and others.  All of these pianists and I have much respect and admiration for the musical genius of Dick Hyman; here's a composition of his that I performed that weekend.  I also had the opportunity to play a couple of sets with the fantastic drummer Danny Coots, who brought a lot of great swinging fun to the stage.  Here's our version of "Boogie Woogie Stomp," a hot number by Albert Ammons. On the last day of the festival, I was delighted to again be master of ceremonies for the annual youth concert.  Young performers of stride and ragtime gave formidable interpretations of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Scott Joplin.  It was easy to see how this music will not only be preserved in years to come, but taken to new heights by these inspiring young artists!

College Visit and Concert With members of the Deep Springs community, November 22, 2011. After the West Coast festival, we headed to Deep Springs College.  This is truly a one-of-a-kind liberal arts college dedicated to instilling a life-long desire in its students to be of service to mankind.  Duties on the campus and ranch, with its awe-inspiring views -- including harvesting crops, herding cattle, and cooking meals (I can attest to how delicious they are!) -- are balanced with a rigorous academic program.  Most continue after their time here at top universities like Princeton, Brown, and Yale.  I was honored to be asked to play for these students who really seemed to enjoy listening to the music of the 1920s and '30s.

San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival With Barry Glover, the grandson of James P. Johnson. After Thanksgiving, I spent the weekend in San Diego performing at the big Dixieland jazz festival there.  I love being a part of jazz festivals because I'm able to hear great bands and share sets with other pianists and musicians.  This time I had the pleasure of sharing a duo set each with two stellar pianists, Carl Sonny Leyland and Chris Dawson.  Sonny is one of the leading exponents of boogie woogie.  I love his exciting style, and it's hard not to smile when I play with him.  Doing a duo set with Chris was a treat, because I was already a big fan of his elegant, swinging playing, and we had a ball together. Another highlight of the festival weekend for me was meeting Barry Glover, grandson of one of my idols, James P. Johnson.  I even got to play a couple of his grandfather's pieces for him!

Nouveau Stride Downloads Stride sister Lorraine Feather and I got together for a day of rehearsal while I was in southern California.  We've completed some of the tracks for our upcoming album, and the first one will be available for purchase and download on iTunes in the very near future.  Then one more will be released each month until the complete album is finished.  For more information, please see nouveaustride.com.  Stay tuned for more news soon!

Online Radio Interview Susan Brender recently interviewed Frederick Hodges and me for her weekly show called "V for Vitality" on womensradio.com.  In the episode titled "Masters of Stride Piano," Frederick and I have a conversation about what it is that draws us to early piano jazz.

Tour Finished with House Concerts

For the last week of my California tour, I was able to team up with Paolo Alderighi, the terrific swing and stride pianist from Italy, for a series of duo concerts in the L.A. area.  We had fun putting together several house concert programs that featured our individual styles, as well as a number of four-hand duets.  Get a taste of them here.  I am so grateful to the gracious hosts and sponsors of all the concerts we were able to share during the last week of this amazing California adventure!

I'll be enjoying a little time off for the next couple of weeks, but also learning new material for projects coming up in the next year.  I hope you have a happy holiday season and a new year filled with blessings!

News from Stephanie Trick

Traverse City Concert I had the opportunity to play a concert with Mr. B. (Mark Braun, the fantastic blues and boogie pianist from Ann Arbor, Michigan) in beautiful Traverse City. We had a blast playing duets with each other, and the attendees were so lovely and enthusiastic. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures or videos from this concert, but you'll have to take my word for it that there was a lot of energy in that auditorium! I also had some free time to enjoy the changing fall colors on the peninsula, as well as some delicious chocolate-covered dried cherries from the "cherry capital of the world!"

Piano Summit in Cincinnati Another highlight of my travels was Ricky Nye's Blues and Boogie Piano Summit, which took place last weekend at the historic Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky.  Ricky is an excellent organizer and host, and the musicians had the chance to play together in many different situations.  So by the time the concert rolled around on Saturday night, we were all very excited to get to present the show. With pianists Jörg Hegemann, Rob Rio, Chase Garrett, Ricky Nye, and Fabrice Eulry in Newport, Kentucky, at Ricky Nye's 13th Annual Blues and Boogie Piano Summit (Photo credit: Andrew Elias) It was an honor for me to share the bill with Ricky, who does so much for the music scene in Cincinnati; Jörg Hegemann, one of the leading disciples of Albert Ammons from Dortmund, Germany; and Rob Rio, a fine blues and boogie pianist from Los Angeles.  I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to play with the other musicians: Jörg and I did a duet on an Ammons boogie, and then I performed several selections, including this one, with Chris Douglas (bass) and Brian Aylor (drums).  It was a total blast, and I hope that those of you who are in the area next year during Ricky's event make a point to go.  I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Something More Available on CD Baby I'm happy to announce that the first shipment of my new CD, Something More, has already sold out on CD Baby!  More are on the way.  So if you don't already have your copy, you can go towww.cdbaby.com/cd/stephanietrick4 and place your order.  It will be shipped to you next Wednesday, by which time it should be back in their inventory.  This is my first album with a trio.  I think you'll like it!  Here's what some fellow musicians who have listened to it have said: Your technique and clarity of approach are amazing.  "These Foolish Things" is especially beautiful. "I'm Gonna Sit..." is great.  Your playing there often evokes Ralph Sutton.  Great that you added "Look Out Lion" to your repertoire.  It's a fantastic piece.  Very nice articulation and accentuation!  Your stride showpieces ("Minor Drag," "Valentine Stomp") are very impressive, as usual!!  Beautifully quiet rendition of "These Foolish Things."  The coda, especially, is wonderful!  Your rendition of "Passionette" is beautiful, especially the touch, with a lot of swing. "Black Beauty" - absolutely sublime!  Your treatment of "These Foolish Things" is so poignant.  "Tango Seville," "Jubilee Stomp," "The Minor Drag" - killah!  These tunes mean so much to so many people, and your performances continue to bring fresh relevance to them!

On the Road Again After this weekend's concert in the Ozarks, I'll be in California for a month.  If you are near where I'm playing, I hope you'll stop by at a concert and say hello!  More information about these events may be found on my website. Thanks for supporting live music! Best wishes, Stephanie

Stephanie Trick Update

Happy October! I hope you are doing well. As I'm writing this, I'm on the plane coming home from Seattle, after the two debut concerts of Nouveau Stride with Lorraine Feather... I get a big kick out of sharing this melodic, swinging music from the 1930s with people, and I'm grateful that I have these opportunities. Since my last newsletter, I had concerts in the Washington, DC area; Kansas City; Chicago; Syracuse, NY; and finally, the Seattle area. "It was a fun show! I didn't realize that I liked stride... I guess I didn't even know what stride was!" -- Comment from a recent thirty-something concert attendee It was fun to meet so many enthusiastic fans of this music at these events. Some had traveled hundreds of miles to come, including the Diamonds of Newport News, VA, who shot this video from the Northern Virginia Ragtime Society concert in Fairfax. Hyde Park Jazz Festival I really enjoyed being on the campus of the University of Chicago again, performing at International House (my old college dorm!) for the students, faculty, and members of the community as part of the fifth annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival.

Syracuse University Artist-in-Residence It was a blast to be a university Artist-in-Residence for the first time -- an exciting collaboration with Syracuse University that I hope will happen again in the future, with them and with other universities. Photo courtesy of John Herr While there, I had the opportunity to play for a History of Jazz class, where the students had just been reading about Louis Armstrong, the original masters of stride piano, and other luminaries of early jazz. It was fun to demonstrate the techniques and characteristics of ragtime, stride, and boogie woogie at the piano and talk about this music to students who are just a little younger than myself. I also was able to do a presentation for members of the Phi Beta Kappa organization at the university. This was another unique opportunity, in an intimate and informal setting, to talk about stride, its main exponents (Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and Donald Lambert), and its importance in jazz history. High School Visit Photo courtesy of Carol Terry Another chance I had to interact with some of the younger students was a workshop for concert and jazz bands at a Syracuse area high school. This was especially rewarding because I had two hours with these kids and, in addition to demonstrating early jazz piano styles to them, I was able to answer their questions about a career in music. That, along with other reactions from the students at S.U., was truly thrilling, because it's one of the first chances I've had to share this kind of music with people my age, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. First Tweeted Concert! I gave a concert at the end of my residency in the beautiful and resonant Setnor Auditorium. It was attended by a combination of people from the community who were already familiar with this music, as well as students from the university. One exciting element of the evening was my hosts' "live tweeting" of the concert (on Twitter)! You can read a transcript of what was written that night, and also see pictures and short videos that people from the audience contributed as I played! Nouveau Stride Debuts After the brief stay in Syracuse, I headed to Washington State to team up with Lorraine Feather on beautiful Orcas Island to give the first two Nouveau Stride concerts! I've been talking up this duo and have had a link on my website home page for many months now, and it finally came together this past weekend. The people of Orcas Island (one of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Seattle) flocked to the event, and we could feel the excitement in the air even before the show started. Lorraine's witty and lightning fast lyrics, an aerial view of the piano keyboard, and a couple of old Fats Waller soundies were projected onto a screen behind us. We received much positive and encouraging feedback. Now to get the show booked elsewhere so more of you can see it too! Nouveau Stride Album Lorraine and I will also be recording a Nouveau Stride album together. We don't want to make you wait for months until the whole project is completed. So we've decided to release digitally one track at a time until the complete album is ready. When we have fourteen tracks (hence the album title, Fourteen), it will be released. The CD will include Lorraine's original lyrics set to the compositions of the stride pianists, Duke Ellington, Dick Hyman, and others. The first download is slated for release on November 14, and subsequent ones every month thereafter until the album is out. Stay tuned! Upcoming Performances More information about all of these events may be found on my website at stephanietrick.com/schedule.htm Concert with Mr. B in Traverse City, Michigan October 22 - 8:00 p.m. "Art After 5" Concert at the St. Louis Art Museum October 28 - 7:00 p.m. 13th Annual Blues & Boogie Piano Summit in Newport, Kentucky (Cincinnati, OH area) November 5 - 9:00 p.m. Duo concert with Dave Majchrzak for the Ozark Jazz Society in Lake Ozark, Missouri November 13 - 6:30 p.m. Solo concert in San Francisco, California November 15 - 2:00 p.m. House concert in Oakland, California November 16 - 7:30 p.m. West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, California November 18-20 Master classes and concert at Deep Springs College in Big Pine, California November 22 32nd Annual San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival November 25-27 Afternoon concert in Laguna Hills, California December 3 Evening house concert in Yorba Linda, California December 3 House concert with Paolo Alderighi in Palos Verdes, California (email me for invitation) December 7 - 7:00 p.m. House concert with Paolo Alderighi in Mission Viejo, California (email me for invitation) December 8 - 7:30 p.m. Hope to see you at one or more of the above events. Talk to you again next month! Best wishes, Stephanie

Quick Links... Videos Reviews Biography My Schedule CD's and DVD My Website Homepage

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Stephanie Trick - Tour Info

Upcoming Performances

I'll be on the East Coast this weekend and then I have a couple of gigs in the Midwest the following week. If you are near any of these venues, please check them out! Also, some exciting shows are coming up in October, so I wanted to let you know now so you can reserve your tickets ahead of time. More information about all of these events may be found on my website at stephanietrick.com/schedule.htm

Artist in Residence at Syracuse University October 3-5 Debut Nouveau Stride performances with Lorraine Feather in Eastsound, WA October 7-8 - 7:30 p.m. Stride Piano Summit in Las Vegas October 18-19 Featuring Dick Hyman, Paul Asaro, Carl Sonny Leyland, Brian Holland, Mike Lipskin, Jeff Barnhart, Neville Dickie, and John Royen; "Generation Next" Performers - Max Keenlyside, Will Perkins, Dalton Ridenhour, Martin Spitznagel, and Stephanie Trick Concert with Mr. B in Traverse City, MI October 22 - 8:00 p.m.

Orders Being Taken for New CD My new album, Something More, recorded in March with Danny Coots (drums) and Jay Hungerford (bass), is now available for ordering. You can take a peek at the cover art and tracks on my website, and there's an order form you can send in if you'd like to receive one of the first copies as soon as they're off the press. (CD Baby should also have the new release by early October.)

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Death Ray Boogie - Stephanie Trick

Stephanie Trick “has come to practically dominate the stride piano field,” notes reviewer Jack Rummel. Harlem stride piano, which developed in the 1920s and ’30s, is an orchestral style of two-handed piano playing that not only swings, but is also technically demanding and exciting to watch. Louis Mazetier, a respected interpreter of this genre, writes in the Bulletin of the Hot Club of France that she has “won the esteem of specialists in the genre with wonderful interpretations of stride classics, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Don Lambert (which she learned by ear). She plays these pieces with a punch that is matched by her precise interpretation.”



A classically trained pianist, Stephanie began playing piano at the age of five. During the time between her beginning years and high school, her piano teacher exposed her to early jazz styles, and the syncopation and swinging rhythm piqued her interest. While in college, it became clear to Stephanie that she wanted to pursue stride and classic jazz styles professionally.



With a swinging music style that includes boogie woogie and blues from the late ’20s era plus Fats Waller and Ralph Sutton, Stephanie has performed in many parts of the United States as well as in Europe in a variety of venues, including the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival, the Cincy Blues Fest in Cincinnati, the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, California. In 2008 and again in 2010, she was invited to perform at the international Stride and Swing Summit in Boswil, Switzerland, where she teamed up with pianists Louis Mazetier (France); Rossano Sportiello, Paolo Alderighi (Italy); Bernd Lhotzky, Chris Hopkins (Germany); Jon Weber, and Ehud Asherie (USA).



A serious student, passionate about traditional jazz and stride heritage, her studies have included piano master classes, training abroad in Germany and Austria, and she has studied under a number of celebrated musicians, including Louis Mazetier, Rossano Sportiello, Carl Sonny Leyland, and Danny Coots. Graduating from college with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society at the University of Chicago.