Johnny O'Neal Birthday Celebration!
Tickets
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About
Johnny O'Neal's appearance in the 2004 blockbuster film "Ray" soared his career to new levels. In the Hollywood film, Ray Charles, played by Jamie Foxx, goes to a nightclub to see legendary Toledo jazz pianist Art Tatum played by O'Neal. During filming, O'Neal played three or four songs, although only one "Yesterdays" made it to the silver screen.
"That was a real honor for me, and for Toledo audiences, to play the part of Tatum--one of the greatest pianists ever." A lot of people asked Johnny what Tatum record he was playing along with. "I was playing live! That was me," he said. Following the success of "Ray", the Ray Charles Band asked Johnny to take the piano chair for its major venue tour in 2005. This band is just the latest to seek Johnny's talents.
Johnnys enormous musical gifts were immediately apparent to jazz icon Ray Brown and led to his 1983 debut album Coming Out. Stints with Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers soon followed.
Johnny has been tapped for appearances by Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Pass, Nancy Wilson, Anita ODay, Lionel Hampton, Kenny Burrell, Sonny Stitt, Benny Golson, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, and Clark Terry, among others. Performances on the festival circuits in Europe, Australia, Japan and a recent tour of South Africa have gained Johnny an international following.
Johnny is outstanding in his ability to interpret a wide range of material with ease and sensitivity, according to Parkwood Records Hugh Leal. This versatility was showcased on his debut recording for Justin Time, On the Montreal Scene, which soulfully interweaves gospel, blues and mainstream jazz. Jim Little, who writes regularly for the Montreal Weekly Hour, proffered, ONeal offers up a serving of the blues and gospel ingredients that help make him such a tasty player.
Astonishingly, Johnny is largely self-taught. His playing evokes the influences imbued in him by his idols Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum, and he has reshaped these elements into his own very swinging and melodic approach. In live performances, he is apt to catch his audience off-guard with his soulfully rendered yet unpretentious vocalizations.
Johnny admits to loving to shout the blues but calls himself a piano player first. There have been three notable events in Johnnys career that continue to inspire him: an appearance at Carnegie Hall early in his career when he was the opening solo pianist for Oscar Peterson, his 1998 induction into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and playing the role of Art Tatum in the award winning feature film Ray.
Johnny explains, Im a tune guy. I know 1,500 songs. My father was a pianist and singer who emphasized that learning lyrics creates dynamics and a better interpretation of melody. I rehearse so that the bassist, drummer, and I can get familiar with each others styles, not to set the songs well play. Jazz is the highest level of performance because its instant composition. I like to be spontaneous and respond to cues from the audience.
I just want to play and preserve the style of the jazz masters, emphasizes Johnny. Dedication to that mission statement is evident in his innovative interpretations of the jazz classics, and his own lyrical compositions.
Perhaps the most recorded bassist of his generation, Peter Washington has also played an integral part in two of the most important and highly praised jazz trios of the last 20 years, in addition to a who's who roster of jazz artists.Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1964, Washington attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in English Literature and played in both the UC Symphony and the San Francisco Youth Symphony. In 1986, while performing in San Francisco with alto saxophonist John Handy, he was asked by Art Blakey to move to New York and join the seminal Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.Washington remained with the Jazz Messengers from 1986 to 1989, and during this time was able to establish himself as a ubiquitous, first- call freelance bassist; a position he has occupied to this day.In the early 1990's Washington joined the Tommy Flanagan Trio , called by many the greatest trio in jazz, and remained until Flanagan's death, in 2002. For the past ten years he has been a member of the very highly acclaimed Bill Charlap Trio.In addition to these long- term commitments Washington has worked and recorded with an extremely large number of top- tier artists, of all generations. A partial list of those he has recorded and performed live with would include Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson. Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Benny Carter, Hank Jones, Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Burrell, Phil Woods, Cedar Walton, Joe Henderson, Ray Bryant, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, Lionel Hampton, Charles McPherson, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, the Newport All Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Gerald Wilson,Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris, Lew Tabakin, Sweets Edison, Johnny Griffin, Jackie McLean, Sir Simon Rattle and the Birmingham Symphony, Richard Wyands, Teddy Edwards, Johnny Coles, Frank Morgan, and more f the youngergenerations, Washington has recorded and performed with Mulgrew Miller, Tom Harrell, the Brecker Brothers, Don Grolnick, David Sanchez, Eric Alexander, Benny Green, Javon Jackson, Brian Lynch, David Hazeltine, One For All, Steve Nelson, James Carter, Renee Rosnes, Steve Turre, Regina Carter, Kenny Washington, Grant Stewart, Robin Eubanks, Joe Magnarelli, Geoff Keezer, Billy Drummond, Jeremy Pelt, Ryan Kisor, Walt Weisokopf, and many, many others.Peter Washington has also enjoyed associtions with vocalists as diverse as Andy Bey, Freddie Cole, Karrin Allyson, Chris Conner, Mark Murphy, Georgie Fame, Ernie Andrews, Paula West, Eric Comstock, Anne Hampton Calloway, Marlena Shaw, and Ernestine Anderson.A complete discography would list, as of this writing, over 350 recordings, and is expanded on a weekly and monthly basis.In the scope and breadth of his career thus far, his adaptability, and in his emphasis on creative, supportive, swiging time- playing as well as inventive and intelligent soloing, Washington has been compared to the likes of George Duvivier, Milt Hinton, and Ron Carter.
Born in Los Angeles, CA on June 8, 1968, Jones' earliest exposure to music was his father, Willie Jones II, an accomplished and notable jazz pianist, who offered guidance and inspiration to his gifted son. Dedicated to the further development of his skills, Jones III spent the next few years working diligently with acclaimed drummers and music instructors, and began performing with distinguished musicians by the time he was in his teens. Jones completed his academic training after receiving a full scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts, where he studied under the tutelage of the legendary Albert "Tootie" Heath. Before he was a semifinalist in the 1992 Thelonious Monk Jazz Drum Competition, Jones co-founded Black Note, one of the most promising jazz bands around. Following the rich soulful energy of the West Coast bop movement, Black Note's hard-swing sound propelled them to First Place in the 1991 prestigious John Coltrane Young Artist Competition. Jones contributed his skillfulness as both musician and producer on all four Black Note recordings entitled 43rd & Degnan and L.A. Underground (World Stage Records), Jungle Music (Columbia), and Nothin' But the Swing (Impulse!). By 1994, the band toured Europe and across the U.S., and was the opening act for Wynton Marsalis. Near the end of 1994, while Jones was reaching for a higher level of drumming dexterity, he gained the privilege of playing sideman to the renowned vibist Milt Jackson. Here was where Jones learned the importance of pacing and sensitivity. Meanwhile, his musical career continued to unfold. From 1995 through 1998, Jones was a member of Arturo Sandoval's band and is featured on Sandoval's Grammy Award winning release Hot House (N2K). Subsequently, Jones recorded with Horace Silver on the album Jazz Has a Sense of Humor (Impulse!), and on Roy Hargrove's CD releases Moment To Moment and Hard Groove (Verve). He can also be heard on Eric Reed's latest release, Here (Max Jazz). From amongst the many jazz dignitaries who recognized Jones' talent, he attained further critical notice by working with distinctive musicians such as Ernestine Anderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton, Billy Childs, Eric Reed, Ryan Kisor, Eric Alexander, Bill Charlap, Michael Brecker and Herbie Hancock. From 1998-2005, Jones was a member of and toured with the prominent Roy Hargrove's Quintet, and can be heard on Hargrove's latest album release Nothing Serious and RH Factor's Distractions. Continuing the pursuit of musical artistry, Jones not only made his debut as a bandleader in 2000 with his premier record Vol 1...Straight Swingin' (WJ3), but he also revealed his proficiency as a composer as well as a producer. He released his second acclaimed CD in 2002, Vol II...Don't Knock The Swing. Currently, Jones is touring with Eric Reed, Kurt Elling and Hank Jones.Weblinks:www.williejones3.com
"That was a real honor for me, and for Toledo audiences, to play the part of Tatum--one of the greatest pianists ever." A lot of people asked Johnny what Tatum record he was playing along with. "I was playing live! That was me," he said. Following the success of "Ray", the Ray Charles Band asked Johnny to take the piano chair for its major venue tour in 2005. This band is just the latest to seek Johnny's talents.
Johnnys enormous musical gifts were immediately apparent to jazz icon Ray Brown and led to his 1983 debut album Coming Out. Stints with Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers soon followed.
Johnny has been tapped for appearances by Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Pass, Nancy Wilson, Anita ODay, Lionel Hampton, Kenny Burrell, Sonny Stitt, Benny Golson, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, and Clark Terry, among others. Performances on the festival circuits in Europe, Australia, Japan and a recent tour of South Africa have gained Johnny an international following.
Johnny is outstanding in his ability to interpret a wide range of material with ease and sensitivity, according to Parkwood Records Hugh Leal. This versatility was showcased on his debut recording for Justin Time, On the Montreal Scene, which soulfully interweaves gospel, blues and mainstream jazz. Jim Little, who writes regularly for the Montreal Weekly Hour, proffered, ONeal offers up a serving of the blues and gospel ingredients that help make him such a tasty player.
Astonishingly, Johnny is largely self-taught. His playing evokes the influences imbued in him by his idols Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum, and he has reshaped these elements into his own very swinging and melodic approach. In live performances, he is apt to catch his audience off-guard with his soulfully rendered yet unpretentious vocalizations.
Johnny admits to loving to shout the blues but calls himself a piano player first. There have been three notable events in Johnnys career that continue to inspire him: an appearance at Carnegie Hall early in his career when he was the opening solo pianist for Oscar Peterson, his 1998 induction into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and playing the role of Art Tatum in the award winning feature film Ray.
Johnny explains, Im a tune guy. I know 1,500 songs. My father was a pianist and singer who emphasized that learning lyrics creates dynamics and a better interpretation of melody. I rehearse so that the bassist, drummer, and I can get familiar with each others styles, not to set the songs well play. Jazz is the highest level of performance because its instant composition. I like to be spontaneous and respond to cues from the audience.
I just want to play and preserve the style of the jazz masters, emphasizes Johnny. Dedication to that mission statement is evident in his innovative interpretations of the jazz classics, and his own lyrical compositions.
Perhaps the most recorded bassist of his generation, Peter Washington has also played an integral part in two of the most important and highly praised jazz trios of the last 20 years, in addition to a who's who roster of jazz artists.Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1964, Washington attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in English Literature and played in both the UC Symphony and the San Francisco Youth Symphony. In 1986, while performing in San Francisco with alto saxophonist John Handy, he was asked by Art Blakey to move to New York and join the seminal Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.Washington remained with the Jazz Messengers from 1986 to 1989, and during this time was able to establish himself as a ubiquitous, first- call freelance bassist; a position he has occupied to this day.In the early 1990's Washington joined the Tommy Flanagan Trio , called by many the greatest trio in jazz, and remained until Flanagan's death, in 2002. For the past ten years he has been a member of the very highly acclaimed Bill Charlap Trio.In addition to these long- term commitments Washington has worked and recorded with an extremely large number of top- tier artists, of all generations. A partial list of those he has recorded and performed live with would include Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson. Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Benny Carter, Hank Jones, Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Burrell, Phil Woods, Cedar Walton, Joe Henderson, Ray Bryant, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, Lionel Hampton, Charles McPherson, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, the Newport All Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Gerald Wilson,Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris, Lew Tabakin, Sweets Edison, Johnny Griffin, Jackie McLean, Sir Simon Rattle and the Birmingham Symphony, Richard Wyands, Teddy Edwards, Johnny Coles, Frank Morgan, and more f the youngergenerations, Washington has recorded and performed with Mulgrew Miller, Tom Harrell, the Brecker Brothers, Don Grolnick, David Sanchez, Eric Alexander, Benny Green, Javon Jackson, Brian Lynch, David Hazeltine, One For All, Steve Nelson, James Carter, Renee Rosnes, Steve Turre, Regina Carter, Kenny Washington, Grant Stewart, Robin Eubanks, Joe Magnarelli, Geoff Keezer, Billy Drummond, Jeremy Pelt, Ryan Kisor, Walt Weisokopf, and many, many others.Peter Washington has also enjoyed associtions with vocalists as diverse as Andy Bey, Freddie Cole, Karrin Allyson, Chris Conner, Mark Murphy, Georgie Fame, Ernie Andrews, Paula West, Eric Comstock, Anne Hampton Calloway, Marlena Shaw, and Ernestine Anderson.A complete discography would list, as of this writing, over 350 recordings, and is expanded on a weekly and monthly basis.In the scope and breadth of his career thus far, his adaptability, and in his emphasis on creative, supportive, swiging time- playing as well as inventive and intelligent soloing, Washington has been compared to the likes of George Duvivier, Milt Hinton, and Ron Carter.
Born in Los Angeles, CA on June 8, 1968, Jones' earliest exposure to music was his father, Willie Jones II, an accomplished and notable jazz pianist, who offered guidance and inspiration to his gifted son. Dedicated to the further development of his skills, Jones III spent the next few years working diligently with acclaimed drummers and music instructors, and began performing with distinguished musicians by the time he was in his teens. Jones completed his academic training after receiving a full scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts, where he studied under the tutelage of the legendary Albert "Tootie" Heath. Before he was a semifinalist in the 1992 Thelonious Monk Jazz Drum Competition, Jones co-founded Black Note, one of the most promising jazz bands around. Following the rich soulful energy of the West Coast bop movement, Black Note's hard-swing sound propelled them to First Place in the 1991 prestigious John Coltrane Young Artist Competition. Jones contributed his skillfulness as both musician and producer on all four Black Note recordings entitled 43rd & Degnan and L.A. Underground (World Stage Records), Jungle Music (Columbia), and Nothin' But the Swing (Impulse!). By 1994, the band toured Europe and across the U.S., and was the opening act for Wynton Marsalis. Near the end of 1994, while Jones was reaching for a higher level of drumming dexterity, he gained the privilege of playing sideman to the renowned vibist Milt Jackson. Here was where Jones learned the importance of pacing and sensitivity. Meanwhile, his musical career continued to unfold. From 1995 through 1998, Jones was a member of Arturo Sandoval's band and is featured on Sandoval's Grammy Award winning release Hot House (N2K). Subsequently, Jones recorded with Horace Silver on the album Jazz Has a Sense of Humor (Impulse!), and on Roy Hargrove's CD releases Moment To Moment and Hard Groove (Verve). He can also be heard on Eric Reed's latest release, Here (Max Jazz). From amongst the many jazz dignitaries who recognized Jones' talent, he attained further critical notice by working with distinctive musicians such as Ernestine Anderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton, Billy Childs, Eric Reed, Ryan Kisor, Eric Alexander, Bill Charlap, Michael Brecker and Herbie Hancock. From 1998-2005, Jones was a member of and toured with the prominent Roy Hargrove's Quintet, and can be heard on Hargrove's latest album release Nothing Serious and RH Factor's Distractions. Continuing the pursuit of musical artistry, Jones not only made his debut as a bandleader in 2000 with his premier record Vol 1...Straight Swingin' (WJ3), but he also revealed his proficiency as a composer as well as a producer. He released his second acclaimed CD in 2002, Vol II...Don't Knock The Swing. Currently, Jones is touring with Eric Reed, Kurt Elling and Hank Jones.Weblinks:www.williejones3.com
Lineup
