Legendary Australian pianist Bob Sedergreen returns to Geelong this weekend, paying tribute to the greatest pianist/composers throughout jazz history.
From seminal jazz pianists Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines and Fats Waller to modern giants such as Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, Sedergreen’s Tribute to Jazz Pianists will explore the works of the masters who changed music forever.
Sedergreen said while there were many greats who could have featured in the show, it wasn’t just about “the best pianists”.
“For instance, Oscar Peterson is one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, but he didn’t write many tunes, unfortunately,” he said.
“You get people who think Thelonious Monk’s a bit of a clumsy piano player, but yet, through his compositions and his time at the piano he had an institute in America named after him, a part of American jazz history.
“So this is about piano players who were also great composers. I can’t impersonate them, and I won’t, but I can give an idea of what they’re all about, an impression…I’ll play their piece of music, not the way they would play it, but in the spirit of what they would play.”
The Australian Jazz Bell Awards hall of famer will be joined by drummer and “Norlane boy” Gordon Pendleton and bassist Jon Chidgey, with whom he has played for decades.
“I’m 82 now, so I do play with a lot of young people still, but at my age I want to play with people who’ve dedicated their lives to music,” he said.
“I’ve played with Gordon for 50 years…and Jon is a very good bass player, but he’s not a show-off. He’s one of those guys you can count on – you know he’s going to be there with you and for you.
“That’s what I need on this show. I don’t need stars, and I’m not the star; really, the stars are these great piano players that we’re projecting onto the audience.”
Bob Sedergreen and Friends are at Platform Arts from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday 9 November. Visit trybooking.com/events/landing/1429434 for tickets and more information.
