Savannah Music Festival LIVE 525 – Piano Showdown 2012 – Part Two



Original air date: week of October 7, 2012

When writing music, most composers see a piano as the best means of trying out ideas as they commit them to paper. In fact, there is more extensive solo repertoire for the piano than for any other instrument. During the 20th century, composers like Messiaen, Debussy and Ravel showed how the piano can conjure up a birdsong, a mysteriously sunken cathedral or glistening sunlight playing on burbling water. Jazz artists such as Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and Thelonious Monk created their music on the piano while also utilizing it as their primary artistic vehicle for performances, paving the way for several generations of followers. This episode is part two of our 2012 Piano Showdown concert featuring Aaron Diehl, Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton and Kevin Bales.