Scott Healy

Stride Piano [not a] Master Class

November 22, 2014 by Scott Healy No Comment

Here’s a reprint of a lesson from 2009 published in Keyboard Magazine. I did NOT, repeat NOT name it “…Master Class..” as I am far from a stride master. Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of piano players like the mention of stride piano. This seemingly impossible old style is like ragtime on steroids, and pushes jazz pianists to the limit. The left hand alternates a low bass, frequently played in tenths, with close position midrange chords, while the right hand provides melody, syncopations, lines, and runs. The total effect is a relentless, locked-down swing eighth-note feel. Even if you…

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My Friend Dave, with the silent “J”

October 15, 2014 by Scott Healy No Comment

My friend Dave Ratajczak died last week. I didn’t know he’d been sick; in fact I haven’t seen him since a few years before I moved to LA, and that was more than a few years ago. He was one of those guys who, and I know you know the type, you say “oh yeah, Dave–great guy, great friend!” despite the fact that you haven’t really been in touch. Of course now I regret not having been in touch. When I arrived at Eastman back in the day, Dave was ‘the’ drummer. He was already an icon. He played with…

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“Live at Kilbourn Hall” Release

August 7, 2014 by Scott Healy 2 Comments

Live at Kilbourn Hall featuring Scott Healy with the Eastman Chamber Jazz Orchestra is scheduled for a mid-September release. Recorded on March 20th, 2014, at Eastman School of Music, and featuring a handpicked student chamber jazz ensemble, Live at Kilbourn Hall contains some brand new and previously unrecorded compositions and arrangements, performed live, in one take, onstage in a world-class recital hall. More info will follow, please join the mailing list for more info and updates on the pre-release and release…or visit Hudson City Records.

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“Hudson City Suite” – 2014 Grammy Nomination for Best Instrumental Composition

July 1, 2014 by Scott Healy No Comment

Scott Healy’s Hudson City Suite unites past and present musically as well as conceptually, bridging traditional big-band swing with lithe jazz modernism. -Downbeat Magazine Healy reveals himself to be a composer of serious sonic merit. -Jon Regen, Keyboard Magazine Profoundly beautiful…like Hindemith meets Kenton and Ives at Mingus’ house for lunch…a soundtrack for the movies in his mind. -Bill Milkowski Healy has conjured up a captivating, amazingly varied and colorful range of sounds and moods with just a tentet here, showing that less can be more in jazz ensembles. -George Kanzler, NYC Jazz Record There’s nothing more you can…

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BMI MusicWorld: 10 Questions with Scott Healy

April 25, 2014 by Scott Healy No Comment

Posted in MusicWorld on April 25, 2014 by Ted Drozdowski Click for original article at bmi.com Photo: Lisa Tanner Scott Healy has enjoyed a great career just outside of the limelight. The versatile, expressive keyboardist has been most visible for the past 20 years as a member of the house band on Conan O’Brien’s TV shows. The BMI composer has also racked up an impressive resume as a studio and live sideman and an arranger with rock, pop, jazz, blues and R&B stars including Bruce Springsteen, Ricky Martin, Bonnie Raitt and Al Green. But this year the spotlight is shining directly on the…

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“Jazz Arranging Power” – Keyboard Magazine, March 2014

March 22, 2014 by Scott Healy 2 Comments

“Jazz Arranging Power” from the March, 2014 issue of Keyboard Magazine. Click here for original article Jazz Arranging Power By Scott Healy In my last lesson back in the January 2014 issue, I demonstrated how adding just one note can change a chord’s color and character. This month, I’ll offer up ways to give your arrangements added punch, power, and clarity. I used many of these techniques on my new album Hudson City Suite. 1. Call and Response Ex. 1 illustrates the time-honored technique known as “call and response,” which creates excitement by way of a musical “dialogue.” Here’s a…

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