LIVE at Piedmont Piano Company
JAZZ PIANO MASTERS SERIES
Carmen Staaf
Herbie Hancock says of Carmen Staaf: “A consummate jazz pianist with equal talent in composition, orchestration and arranging… She very much displays a complete knowledge of the history of her instrument but more importantly Carmen is constantly reaching beyond history and is not afraid to go into the unknown and challenge herself at every moment. A bright future awaits her.” Staaf will present a set of standards and originals in this rare solo showcase.
$20 General Admission
We are offering a limited number of tickets to attend this performance in person. Advance purchase is required. COVID-19 SAFETY: All ticket holders must show proof of full vaccination (including a booster, if eligible) and wear a mask while inside the piano store.
Herbie Hancock calls Carmen Staaf "a consummate jazz pianist with equal talent in composition, orchestration and arranging. A bright future awaits her." Currently pianist and Musical Director for NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater, Carmen has performed everywhere from the Village Vanguard with John Zorn, to Lincoln Center as a guest soloist with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, to recordings with Natalie Merchant and Lila Downs. She was a fellow at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute, where she studied with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. A Yamaha Artist, Carmen has played at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals, the Playboy Jazz Festival (where she performed in a two-piano setting with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter), International Jazz Days in Paris and at the White House, and throughout Europe, Latin America and India. She has been a DownBeat Rising Star Pianist for the last two years. Her 2018 co-led album "Science Fair" (with drummer Allison Miller) made both the NY Times and LA Times "Best of 2018" lists, and received 4.5 stars in DownBeat. She and Miller released their duo album Nearness on Sunnyside in July 2022 to critical acclaim. carmenstaaf.com