Judy Carmichael's new effort due out in April

JUDY CARMICHAEL, the internationally-acclaimed Grammy Award nominated stride pianist, radio host and author called “a major figure in keyboard jazz performance” by the San Francisco Examiner, will release her new CD “Come And Get It” on April 14. The disc, which marks her debut as a vocalist, will be available on iTunes, Amazon.com and her website
JudyCarmichael.com. After upcoming CD release celebrations in London, Switzerland and Australia, she will mark the program’s New York debut with an exclusive concert at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 13.

“Come And Get It” boasts an all-star seven piece band featuring Mike Hashim on baritone, soprano and alto saxophone; Jon-Erik Kellso on cornet; Ed Ornowski on drums; Nick Payton on clarinet and tenor sax; Dave Blenkhorn on guitar; Dan Barnett on trombone and vocals; and special guest Tony Monte on piano, accompanying Judy on two tracks. After seven albums of setting the standard for contemporary stride piano performance, Judy is making her debut as a vocalist of uncommon nuance and intelligence.

A longtime specialist in the music of Fats Waller, she delves into several selections of his cannon including “Minor Drag” and the playfully suggestive title number. The seductive opening track “All The Cats” – a rarely recorded early hit for Peggy Lee – features recently written lyrics by singer, actress and songwriter Jessica Molaskey. Judy’s original composition, the lightly swinging “Boisdale Blues,” was inspired by the Boisdale Club in London, one of her favorite venues. The program is rounded out by timeless standards such as “Deed I Do,” “Love Is Just Around The Corner” and “You’re Driving Me Crazy” and an inspired take on the rollicking Andy Razaf jazz classic “Christopher Columbus.”

Also a respected radio host and producer, Judy’s groundbreaking public radio show Jazz Inspired is broadcast on over 170 stations throughout North American and abroad and on the NPR channel of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 134. The show – currently celebrating its 15th anniversary – presents celebrated artists from a variety of mediums discussing their creative process and how their passion for jazz has inspired their work. Guests, such as actor Robert Redford, director Christopher Guest and singer/songwriter Billy Joel, share their favorite recordings as well as insight into their life and art.

Judy Carmichael is one of the world’s leading interpreters of stride piano and swing. Count Basie nicknamed her “Stride”, acknowledging the command with which she plays this technically and physically demanding jazz piano style. A native of California who was mentored by jazz icons such as Sarah Vaughan, Roy Eldridge and Carmen McRae, Carmichael moved to New York in the early 80’s and has maintained a busy concert schedule throughout the world ever since. She has toured for the United States Information Agency throughout India, Portugal, Brazil and Singapore. In 1992 Ms. Carmichael was the first jazz musician sponsored by the United States Government to tour China.

Referred to as “astounding,” “flawless” and “captivating” by The New York Times, she has played in a variety of venues from Carnegie Hall, to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice (the first concert ever presented by the museum) to programs with Joel Grey, Michael Feinstein, Steve Ross and the Smothers Brothers. In addition, Ms. Carmichael has performed comic skits and performed her music on radio and TV and given private recitals for everyone from Rod Stewart to Bill Clinton and Gianni Agnelli.

Judy Carmichael is one of a handful of musicians who approach jazz from a perspective of its entire history. Choosing to study jazz piano from its early roots on, she explores the music deeply, infusing it with a “fresh, dynamic interpretation of her own,” according to The Washington Post. The National Endowment for the Arts rewarded Carmichael’s knowledge of jazz piano with a major grant to present early jazz greats on film and to discuss the history and development of jazz piano with college students across the country.

Carmichael’s Grammy-nominated recording Two Handed Stride teamed her with four giants of jazz from the Count Basie Orchestra: Red Callendar, Harold Jones, Freddie Green and Marshall Royal. She has written two books on stride piano and numerous articles on the subject of jazz. She has served on a variety of music panels at the National Endowment for the Arts and is one of the few jazz pianists honored as a Steinway Artist. She has been included in a number of jazz anthologies and at one point, to her utter surprise, turned up in the Simon and Schuster murder mystery Murder Times Two as “the stride pianist Judy Carmichael,” the main suspect’s favorite piano player.

Ms. Carmichael has appeared frequently on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, and has been featured on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” “Entertainment Tonight” and ”CBS Sunday Morning.” She appears frequently on various shows for the BBC and has recorded radio for the Australian Broadcasting Company. Ms. Carmichael also produced and hosted the 15-part series “Pet Style Radio with Judy Carmichael.”