In a dazzling performance Wednesday in Sayles Hall, Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Judy Carmichael kicked off the Department of Music's Grand Fête, a celebration of piano music taking place this semester.
Grand Fête is funded by a grant from the Creative Arts Council and the Sara and Robert A. Reichley Fund, according to Arlene Cole, a teaching associate in the music department and a main organizer of the festival.
In addition to Carmichael, four other pianists, who were selected for their creative uses of the piano, will perform as part of Grand Fête.
Carmichael played for over an hour and showcased her extraordinary talent in stride piano playing - a difficult form of jazz piano in which the left hand alternates between bass notes and chords while the right hand plays the melody. Her performance last night was "particularly Brown-like," said Matt McGarrell, a senior lecturer in music and jazz specialist who invited Carmichael. Her vast repertoire "reflects some of the diversity of styles that various kinds of pianists employ," he added.
Carmichael began her set with the up-tempo "Lou Lou's Back in Town" before moving on to songs she adapted to fit her own love of experimentation. For example, her rendition of Fats Waller's "I Ain't Got Nobody" was delicate and soulful. At times, Carmichael stopped playing altogether and allowed the loneliness of the song to emerge through the spaces between the notes. Another tune, "Jive at Five," a typical big-band song, was retooled by Carmichael to fit the piano. "It's a great example of how you can use this instrument to do your own style," Carmichael said to the audience.
Carmichael punctuated her performance with humorous anecdotes recounting her life, her career and her love of Steinways. "I'm honored to be the first to get to perform on this. I do prefer Steinways," she said.
"Jazz can alienate a lot of people because it can sometimes seem to be too abstract or super intellectual. I want to bring people in and show them jazz can be fun," Carmichael told The Herald.
The enthused audience members seemed to agree - they asked for an encore and received it.
