Piedmont Piano Company is pleased to present
Geoffrey Keezer & Kenny Washington
Multiple GRAMMY-nominated pianist Geoffrey Keezer and stellar vocalist Kenny Washington brought down the house with a sold-out crowd at Filoli in 2016, and have toured and recorded together with vibraphonist Joe Locke. This evening, Geoffrey and Kenny team up for a rare duo performance which highlights their world-class talent in an intimate setting. Come prepared to be swung, serenaded, thrilled and moved - this is a concert not to be missed!
$30 General Admission
With his highly regarded discography, unique compositions, and acclaimed performances in a variety of configurations, multiple GRAMMY®- nominated pianist Geoffrey Keezer commands the attention typically reserved for the living legends of jazz. A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Keezer was playing in jazz clubs as a teenager, holding down the piano chair for Art Blakey at age 18, and touring in the company of Ray Brown, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, Art Famer, Benny Golson and Barbara Hendricks in his 20s. More recently he has toured with Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Sting, Joe Locke and Christian McBride; produced and arranged three GRAMMY®-nominated recordings with vocalist Denise Donatelli, and released a series of albums drawing influences from Hawaiian, Okinawan and Afro-Peruvian folk traditions. His 2009 album Áurea (ArtistShare) was nominated for a Best Latin Jazz Album GRAMMY® award. Geoffrey’s 2013 solo piano release, Heart of the Piano (Motema Records), seeks to redefine solo jazz piano as a personal and interactive showcase of melody, energy and groove, while his latest album On My Way to You (MarKeez Records 2018) is a stunning new set of music featuring his working trio with the addition of guest vocalist Gillian Margot.
Geoffrey’s compositions have been commissioned by the Mainly Mozart Festival, Art of Elán ensemble, Saint Joseph Ballet, Zeltsman Marimba Festival, Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra and Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. His music can be heard in the films What Happens in Vegas and Inhale, and in numerous TV shows including The Young and the Restless (CBS), Parks and Recreation (NBC), House of Lies (Showtime), and Casual (Hulu Original).
Time Magazine wrote, “Geoffrey has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole”, and pop icon Sting said “In the universe of piano players that I have been exposed to over the years, Geoffrey has proved himself to be not only a superb technician and improviser, but also above and beyond this, a composer and conceptualist who can maintain the overall line and the DNA of the song in everything he plays. A musician’s musician.” geoffreykeezer.com
Kenny Washington has thrilled audiences across the globe with his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and inventive scatting. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington appeared in 2013 with Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra to perform Blood On The Fields, alongside vocalists Gregory Porter and Paula West. He returned in 2014 for Basie & The Blues with pianist Eric Reed and again in 2016 to celebrate Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday. In 2017, Washington performed with Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra alongside Roberta Gambarini, to celebrate Ella Fitzgerald’s 100th birthday.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Washington grew up singing gospel in church and playing saxophone in school bands. Jazz caught his interest when the great clarinetist Alvin Batiste performed at his high school with a band of students that included two precocious, talented teenage brothers named Branford and Wynton Marsalis. Inspired, Washington went on to study music at Xavier University, playing saxophone and singing in a variety of styles.
After college, Washington joined the honorary U.S. Navy Band Guam, followed by the U.S. Navy Band 7th Fleet stationed in Japan. He auditioned as a saxophonist, but discovery of his singing talent landed him a spot as a vocalist in both bands. For nine years, Washington performed with the bands across Asia, Russia, Australia and the U.S.
After settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington was cast alongside Elvis Costello, Deborah Harry and Nancy King in a featured role in Fire at Keaton's Bar & Grill, an off-Broadway theater production by saxophonist Roy Nathanson. Further success came with an invitation to join vibraphonist Joe Locke on several dates leading to Washington’s feature on Locke’s For The Love of You (2010).
Washington continues to appears nationally and internationally with The Joe Locke Group as well as maintain a busy schedule of solo national and international appearances.