KCRW's Up Close with Tom Schnabel and Alan Pasqua

On Monday, May 20, I attended "an intimate evening of music, drinks, and conversation with Tom Schnabel and pianist Alan Pasqua" in Santa Monica.  Schnabel formerly with the "Morning Becomes Ecclectic" radio show on KCRW interviewed Alan who played the History of Jazz Piano on the Grand in front of the intimate sized room. 

He began with Jelly Roll Morton's "Tom Cat Blues" from the 1920's, went to Duke Ellington's "A Train" and Sophisticated Lady."  Next he played Thelonious Monk's bebop "Round Midnight" followed by Erroll Garner's "Autumn Leaves."  He said that Garner bround a new style with  cords and rhythm in the left hand.  Next it was Jaki Byard who was in Maynard Ferguson's band, Bud Powell "father of modern jazz piano" and his "How High the Moon" rendition. 

Finally he focused on Bill Evan's classical jazz "Very Early" and "A Sleeping Bee" followed by a bit of John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis  and some of his own music from his new CD "Grace," his twin piano duet with himself. 

Tom Schabel

Alan Pasqua, Jazzz pianist, educator and composer and Professor of Jazz Studies at U.S.C.