[Dixielandjazz] Marian Petrescu

[Stephen G Barbone]

Here is some information about this great pianist, gleaned from his  
myspace page.

Interests:  Piano - Family Life - Good Food, etc.

Music: Jazz, Oscar Peterson, Rachmaninoff, Liszt

Heroes: My father, Oscar Peterson.

Smoke/Drink:  No, no.


Marian Petrescu was born in Bucharest in 1970, and comes from a large  
family of musicians. He began to play the piano at the age of four,  
and studied in the classical and jazz conservatory in Sweden, followed  
by the Sibelius Academy of Helsinki. With his background of solid  
classical training, dazzling technique and dynamic interpretation,  
Marian Petrescu then got passionately interested in jazz, and the  
adventurous world of improvisation. He made his debut at the Pori Jazz  
festival at the young age of 15. Since then his career has been  
characterized by international success; in the Martial Solal Jazz  
piano competition (2nd prize in 1989) and Bucharest jazz festival (1st  
prize in 1992). Appearances include the Montreux, Paris, The Hague and  
Copenhagen, jazz festivals in Finland such Pori, April Jazz, Baltic  
Jazz etc. Marian played with many of the stars; Arturo Sandoval, Toots  
Thielemans, Al Jarreau, Didier Lockwood, Jon Larsen, Richie Beirach,  
Tony Williams, Ulf Wakenius, Ray Charles band, Lars Danielsson,  
Riccardo Del Fra, Ron McClure, Hot Club de Norvège, etc. Today Marian  
has his own music school which provides both classical and jazz  
training and he is teaching at the conservatory. Marian’s style is  
eclectic, and he enjoys all styles of jazz, from ragtime to modern  
jazz. Marian loves the piano. He treats the piano as a friend, a  
sparring partner and mistress. His mentor in Paris, Martial Solal,  
call Marian "the Horowitz of Jazz Piano", and his touch is distinct  
and clear as glass, obviously inspired by Oscar Peterson. BODY AND  
SOUL, Marian’s first own CD, is now available from Hot Club Records®  
It was recorded in a spontaneous one-day-session during the Django  
Festival in Oslo, and produced by Jon Larsen. Marian has previously  
participated on the YOUNG JAZZ GUITARIST by Andreas Öberg.


To hear some short clips (about 20 seconds each) of his work, on  
slower songs, go to

http://www.musicfromnorway.com/default.aspx?norwegian=artist&music=25005

Click the "play" buttons

Note to Bob Ringwald:

Go to http://wma.phonofile.com/PhonoStreamWM/play.asp?a=30796&s=1

It is a direct link to the first song "Beautiful Love". It is like an  
MP3 and to start the audio, click the play button on the bottom left.

Then change the 1 at the end of the link to a 2, repeat the start  
click, and you get Corcovado, etc,  etc. till you get to "Indiana"  
which is song 11 and very uptempo.

No doubt about it, the man can play.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband