This important and celebrated instrument is the performance piano from the legendary Maybeck Recital Hall in Berkeley CA that in the 1990s was the site of a remarkable live concert series featuring the great jazz pianists of the day.

The Maybeck Recital Hall was built in 1924 for Alma Kennedy, a local piano teacher, as a teaching studio and recital space. It was designed by legendary Bay Area architect Bernard Maybeck. The historic building remained in the hands of its orignal family until 1987 when it was purchased by venerable Berkeley jazz pianist and educator Dick Whittington.

With the intention of presenting a solo jazz piano concert series in the outstanding acoustics of the hall, Dick came to Piedmont Piano Company to find the perfect performance piano for this unique space. On June 6, 1987 he purchased this piano, a hand made Yamaha model S400B with serial number 4350549. The S400B’s smaller size (6ft 3in) was perfect for the small (50 seats) size of the hall.

Over the ensuing fifteen years or so dozens of the world’s leading jazz pianists performed solo in the intimate setting on this piano, and forty two of the performances were recorded and released on the Concord Jazz label as “Live from Maybeck Recital Hall”. This celebrated series of CDs is a must have for any jazz piano lover, and we are pleased to include with the purchase of the piano all 42 CDs that make up the series.

Size 6ft. 3in. Serial number 4350549.