GEOFFREY KEEZER AT 55
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 FROM 20:00
On November 20, Stingray DJAZZ celebrates the 55th birthday of American jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer. As a teenager, Keezer was the last pianist to join Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. As Keezer was well versed in earlier jazz traditions, concert tours in the bands of legendary players like flugelhornist Art Farmer, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, bassist Ray Brown, guitarist Jim Hall and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan followed. However, the versatile pianist has also released Grammy-nominated albums influenced by Hawaiian, Okinawan, and Afro-Peruvian folk traditions, and has worked extensively with bassist Christian McBride. At 20:00, enjoy his former bandleader Christian McBride’s quartet in performance at Malta Jazz Festival 2018. Directly afterward, Keezer is seen performing alongside pianists Junior Mance, Bill Charlap, Jacky Terrasson and Alex Wilson at a Solo Piano Summit recorded during JazzOpen Stuttgart 2002. Happy birthday, Mr. Keezer!
Christian McBride Quartet
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 AT 20:00
On July 20, 2018, double bassist Christian McBride presented his band ‘New Jawn’ at the Malta Jazz Festival. A five-time Grammy winner, McBride is one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in the music world today. Hailing from Philadelphia, this music luminary combines jazz, R&B, pop/rock, hip hop/neo-soul, and classical. Gracing the Malta Jazz stage with him are Nasheet Waits (drums), Marcus Strickland (tenor sax), and Josh Evans (trumpet).
Solo Piano Summit
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 AT 21:15
When renowned jazz pianists of the old and new school meet at a "Solo Piano Summit," audiences are treated to many an interesting musical surprise. The "Solo Piano Summit" brings together a handful of top pianists with different musical backgrounds: Jacky Terrasson, Junior Mance, Geoff Keezer, Bill Charlap and Alex Wilson. Besides solo performances the all-stars used the occasion for spontaneous interplay, improvisation and a fantastic finale - in short for the pleasure of virtuoso jazz piano playing.
