The Strutter VOLUME 25 NUMBER 7 Traditional Jazz in the Philadelphia Tri-State Area FEBRUARY 2015 OUR NEXT CONCERT Musicology at Michigan State University. Dr. Rife teaches music history and directs the bands at Jerry Rife’s Rhythm Kings Rider University and teaches at Westminster Choir College. He has been conductor and musical director of the 70-member Blawenburg Band since 1985. As leader of Jerry Rife's Rhythm Kings and as clarinetist sideman, he has performed traditional jazz frequently for Tri-State Jazz Society and throughout the region. In 2012, he served as leader of the 2012 annual Tri-State Jazz Society jam session. Photo by Jim McGann Sunday, February 15, 2015 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Haddonfield Methodist Church 29 Warwick Road Photo by Jim McGann Haddonfield, NJ 08033 All of the sidemen have distinguished themselves in Directions at numerous concert venues. Several of them have http://www.tristatejazz.org/directions- haddonfield.html been featured at past Tri-State Jazz Society concerts. This is a concert that you will be sure to Jerry Rife’s Rhythm Kings enjoy! Jerry Rife - Leader, Clarinet, Alto & Soprano Saxes Dan Tobias - Trumpet Concert Admissions Pete Reichlin - Trombone $10 First-time attendees and members Pat Mercuri - Banjo & Guitar $20 General Admission Gary Cattley - Tuba & String Bass Sean Dixon - Drums High school/college students with ID and children with paying adult admitted free Jerry Rife's Rhythm Kings were inspired by the Pay at the door legendary early bands of New Orleans, most notably the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, according to Dr. Rife. In This Issue From their first concerts in 1984 they were Looking Ahead.................Page 2 committed to a hot-jazz style of performance that is associated with post-World War II "revival Stephanie Trick…….……….….Page 2 Dixieland," a return to the roots of New Orleans Al Harrison Review...………. Page 4 jazz. Volunteers Wanted...........Page 5 Future Concert Schedules.. Page 6 Jerry Rife earned 2 degrees in music at Kansas State University before earning a PhD in The Strutter is published by Tri-State Jazz Society, Inc. - P.O. Box 896 - Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 1 LOOKING AHEAD TO OUR STEPHANIE TRICK: MARCH 2015 CONCERT Great Strides on the Piano Stephanie Trick will play a Tri-State Jazz solo piano By Lew Shaw concert at the Community Arts Center, Wallingford, It was a typical family outing with the grandparents PA on March 15, 2015. As Dick Hyman says about at a local restaurant in St. Louis back in 1992. What Stephanie, “One of the nicest gifts to arrive on the made it special for the five-year old granddaughter jazz piano scene in recent times, and we couldn’t be was hearing tuneful melodies being played by a more delighted to welcome her.” pianist while the family was dining. It was her first experience in hearing live music. She watched in awe as the pianist played one beautiful melody after another. When the family acknowledged the musician and told her about the little gal’s reaction, the pianist mentioned that she gave lessons, and so began a relationship that was to last for the next 13 years. Stephanie Trick began the way most young music students do, learning the scales and simple classical pieces to become familiar with the piano. But she quickly separated herself from other students and challenged her teacher, Diane Photo by Bill Peters Ceccarini, for more advanced exercises. “Stephanie Stephanie Trick “has come to practically dominate was the most dedicated student I ever had," the stride piano field,” notes reviewer Jack according to Diane. “She would never let anything Rummel. Harlem stride piano, which developed in go without fully understanding it first." the 1920s and ’30s, is an orchestral style of two- At the age of 10, Stephanie was introduced to handed piano playing that not only swings, but is ragtime, and when she was in junior high school also technically demanding and exciting to watch. she took first place for three years in the St. Louis Louis Mazetier, a respected interpreter of this Friends of Scott Joplin competition. As she genre, writes in the Bulletin of the Hot Club of continued to study the music of the early jazz France that Stephanie has “won the esteem of pianists, Diane gave her the sheet music for specialists in the genre with wonderful Carolina Shout, one of James P. Johnson’s interpretations of stride classics, James P. Johnson, signature pieces. Stephanie was immediately Fats Waller, and Don Lambert (which she learned hooked and knew she wanted to play more of this by ear). She plays these pieces with a punch that is music. matched by her precise interpretation.” As she explained, "Stride was developed in the With a swinging approach inspired by second- 1920s and kind of sounds like a whole band is generation stride pianists such as Dick Hyman, performing. The left hand makes the sound of the Ralph Sutton, and Dick Wellstood (as well as the bass by hitting low notes, thereby creating a very original Harlem ticklers, James P. Johnson, Willie full sound. Once I heard it, I was blown away and “The Lion” Smith, and Fats Waller), and one that started to learn about its history and the people that includes boogie woogie and blues from the late played it." James P. Johnson is considered the ‘20s, Stephanie was the 2012 recipient of the Father of Stride,while other early practitioners were prestigious Kobe-Breda Jazz Friendship Award, Donald Lambert, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Fats and has performed in many parts of the United Waller and Luckey Roberts. States and Europe in a variety of venues, including - Comments from Her Peers - the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, Italy, the Breda Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, the Arbors Phil Flanigan was the bass player in Stephanie's trio Records Invitational Jazz Party, and the at the 2012 Sacramento Music Festival. He was Sacramento Music Festival. 2 quite expansive when asked his assessment of this which was taken by a fan at the 2007 West Coast talented young lady, saying "I don't know how one Ragtime Festival and then posted on YouTube." acquires such things, but from the very first bars of “We weren't even aware of it until contacted by hearing her play, you can tell this is one serious someone from Switzerland who saw it and invited believer, a true and faithful Harlem stride pianist. Stephanie (then a junior in college) to the 2008 There's something about the feel, the way the beat Stride & Swing Summit in Boswil (her first overseas comes out, the directness of attack, the certainty trip) where she played with some of the world's best and assuredness (not to mention accuracy) in stride musicians. She's since been there five times Steph's playing that leaves you thinking you're in a and seems to attract more attention each time she speakeasy on 138th Street." goes. It was here that Louis Mazetier told her that "Yet you look and don't see a grizzled old, cigar- in order to play authentic stride and traditional chomping saloon dweller at the piano. You see jazz, the most accurate sources are the recordings of Stephanie Trick, a twenty-something, unassuming the old masters - not sheet music." young lady from St. Louis. What you hear is the - Family Support - authentic feel of the music which I attribute to her slavish devotion to playing the piano as well as the In explaining his role in his daughter's career, Allan incredible daily discipline it takes to emulate the had said, “We considered engaging a booking agent, old Harlem stride pianists, especially the esoteric but there really aren't many that understand classic Donald 'The Lamb' Lambert." jazz. They just pigeon-hole her in the broad jazz category. I got an MBA a few years ago so I knew Rossano Sportiello, a pretty fair stride pianist in his something about marketing … and a lot about own right (although his abilities are far too great to Stephanie." limit him to just one style), states Stephanie Trick is an exceptional young lady. Over the past few years, "So I assumed that role in 2009, and it seems to be I've seen her grow musically to the point where she working. By my helping with the business side, has developed an effortless piano technique. Her she's able to spend more time at the keyboard. She specialty is making very accurate transcriptions of practices six-plus hours a day, and that’s really the most complex stride and boogie woogie pieces what she prefers doing rather than having to line up associated with James P. Johnson, Willie 'The Lion' gigs, answer mail and deal with the accounting." Smith, Fats Waller and Donald Lambert and - Academic and Musical Accolades - playing them by heart with extreme accuracy and most of all, with a beautiful soft, yet energetic, Over the years, Stephanie's daily routine involved sound." rising at 5 a.m. so she could practice before going to school where she was an excellent student, "She reminds me of the great Ralph Sutton whose graduating at the top in her high school class. She touch and rhythmic pulse still represent a reference attended the University of Chicago where she to many piano players. She can be considered one studied Baroque and the Romantic and Classical of today's masters in the field of philological stride styles and graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of piano style along with Louis Mazetier, Bernd Arts in Music along with Phi Beta Kappa academic Lhotzky and the maestro, Dick Hyman." honors.