Rent Party: Harlem Stride Piano at The Royal Room on July 18th
Piano Starts Here: Rent Party – Harlem Stride Piano
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
7:30pm | Doors at 6:30pm
Tickets: $10 adv/$12 dos/$5 students (door only with student ID)
The Piano Starts Here series highlights the work of some of the most prolific and talented composers and pianists to have ever tackled the instrument. Each of the performances brings together Seattle’s finest pianists to perform the works of the artist selected for that evening on the Royal Room’s Steinway B grand piano.
Harlem Stride Piano or stride piano, commonly abbreviated to stride, is a jazz piano style that was developed in the large cities of the East Coast of the United States, mainly New York City, during the 1920s and 1930s.
Stride was often a feature at Rent Parties, a social occasion where tenants hired musicians to play and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent. They often were held in secret, partly due to the presence of alcohol which was illegal under Prohibition. Attendees often carried special cards that could be handed to the “right” people to gain access to the party.
On July 18, The Royal Room will have its own version of the Rent Party, hosting the music of Fats Waller, Willie “The Lion” Smith, Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson and Luckey Roberts. Monsters of two fisted piano that have instilled fear in jazz pianists ever since.
Featuring: Ray Skjelbred, Alex Guilbert. Special guest Jacob Zimmerman on reeds.
Alex Guilbert, host of the Piano Starts Here series, has been playing and composing music professionally as part of the Seattle scene for more than 20 years. Although he’s got a firm grounding in the jazz tradition, he’s been a side man and leader in ensembles of many different styles. From traditional jazz and rock to electronica and classical, Alex’s appreciation for a range of musical genres continues to inform and inspire his work.
Piano Starts Here – 2018 Season
1/17/18- The Duke and The Count: The Music of Duke Ellington & Count Basie
3/21/18 – In Memorium: Two generations of the avant-garde, The Music of Geri Allen/Muhal Richard Abrams
5/16/18 – Soul/R&B Keyboard Icons: The Music of Stevie Wonder/Marvin Gaye/Aretha Franklin/D’Angelo
7/18/18 – Rent Party: Harlem Stride Piano
9/19/18 – 80s Powerhouses: The Music of Kenny Kirkland/Mulgrew Miller
11/21/18- Individualism with Grace: The Music of Andrew Hill/ Mal Waldron