Tom Skovgaard - Ragtime & Swing Piano

Hallelujah – it is Christmas! Enjoy Fats Waller’s wonderful take from his great 1935 sessions of the classic stride piano piece “Hallelujah”. And thank you for following this Xmas calendar – I have enjoyed sharing all of this swinging piano music with you. I would have liked to include many other great pianists but the calendar only has 24 days 🙂 Merry Christmas everybody!

Ready to dress up for Xmas? Puttin’ on the Ritz 🙂 Chris Dawson was studying and playing authentic swing and stride piano in his young days, including Fats Waller’s music. Today he also plays more modern style jazz piano, but just listen to this stride version of Puttin’ on the Ritz, and look at that left hand! I was completely knocked out when I heard this wonderful piece, and I think it is the first time I ever heard a solo piano so close to the characteristic swing of Django Reinhard!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y8e14s870ogThe grandmaster of boogie woogie piano: Axel Zwingenberger! His boogie and blues technique is at the highest level, and he plays authentic pieces as well as his own pieces – Europe’s most famous ambassador of boogie woogie!

I think all piano players know Jerry Lee Lewis! Jerry Lee has inspired so many fans (including me) with his innovative and legendary rock’n roll piano. And he is still active, now often with other famous names, as here with Bruce Springsten in “Pink Cadillac” – with an amazingly animated video! Enjoy this tribute to Jerry Lee and his piano!

”The Art of Tatum” was the title of an album with the jazz pianist Art Tatum who had a superb technique appreciated by all piano players. And Art Tatum’s version of Tiger Rag is an example of his amazing way of playing piano jazz – just listen!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hRjKB2dmYBMThis is authentic boogie at its best. Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, fathers of boogie woogie, in a classic boogie duo at 2 grand pianos. Enjoy!

Silvan Zingg is one of Europe’s best known ambassadors of boogie woogie, organizing one of the most prestigious boogie festivals of Europe now through 10 years in Switzerland. Besides playing powerful authentic and modern boogie and blues, Silvan also plays other jazz piano styles. This wonderful video is from Silvan’s festival in 2006 – enjoy with your ears and eyes!

Keith Jarrett is an amazing and creative piano player with a fantastic technique. And he also masters the old stride piano style – just listen to this version of Gershwin’s “Liza”!

Morten Wittrock plays great rock and blues piano, and he also composes songs, often with lyrics by Ray Weaver. Listen to Morten’s wonderful blues piano in this take from the DR “Talent” series with singer Jes Holtsø (who in fact also plays nice blues piano!).

Jelly Roll Morten was a great jazz pianist, composer, and arranger in New Orleans around the beginning of the 20th century, and he even claimed to be the inventor of jazz! I really like his solo piano pieces and his style – just listen to this one, it is one of my favorites: “Perfect Rag”.