Piano Jazz By Four Masters, May 14 In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — Four great pianist — Dick Hyman, Derek Smith, Bill Charlap and Ted Rosenthal — will come together for a powerful evening of “Jazz in the Grand Manner” on Saturday, May 14, at 8 pm, at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The concert is the finale of the Quick Center’s season-long Jazz Tribute Project.

The four musicians, some of whom have collaborated in the past, will offer a diverse program in tribute to the very best of the piano, which has played an important role in boogie woogie, be bop, ragtime and many other jazz forms.

“Perhaps no instrument in jazz has seen such a dramatic evolution as the piano,” said Brian Torff, Fairfield University’s music program director. “From the early roots of ragtime and Scott Joplin to the 1920s stride piano of James P. Johnson, jazz piano has exemplified a European instrument that has been transformed into an original American voice.”

While the Quick Center’s 2004-05 Jazz Tribute Project concludes with the May 14 piano concert, Director of Programming Deborah Sommers said audiences haven’t heard the last of jazz as the Quick.

“The events were well attended and the Quick Center is planning more jazz events next season to keep the momentum going,” she said.

Tickets are $30. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at 203-254-4010 or 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit www.QuickCenter.com.