2-28-17 Interview

2-28-17 Dick Hyman is turning 90! The celebrated pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and composer he is as busy now as he has ever been, and it has been an extraordinarily busy and productive life. He was Artistic director for the Jazz in July series at New York’s 92nd Street Y for twenty years, jazz advisor to The Shedd Institute’s Oregon Festival of American Music, winner of seven Most Valuable Player Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and an Emmy for his original score for Sunshine’s on the Way, a daytime drama, and another for musical direction of a PBS Special on Eubie Blake, and composer of 11 or 12 scores for Woody Allen movies. Dick was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame of the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies and the New Jersey Jazz Society. In 1995, and will be a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters fellow in 2017. Listen to this gentle, self-deprecating man talk about his approach to music, and hear several cuts from one of his CD’s. Come to the Sarasota jazz festival to help him celebrate his 90th birthday.

8-4-15 Audio Interview

Although both of his parents were professional musicians Billy Marcus didn’t touch a piano until he was 16 years old and his study of the instrument was sporadic and haphazard. It took him a long time to realize that he was, and then to identify himself as, a musician. But his talent would not be denied and a musician he most definitely is as the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame recognized when they inducted him. Listen to this funny self-deprecating man talk about the roundabout way he discovered his career and hear a cut from his CD – The Billy Marcus Trio. Also go listen to him live on Thursday nights at the Allegro Bistro 1740 East Venice Avenue, Venice, FL (941) 484-1889 and Friday nights at Fandango 1812 S Osprey Ave. Sarasota, FL 34239 941-954-5400.