Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. If there could be a 'cover boy' of the Piano Man for this quiz, he would be it. Active since 1964, he has a long list of popular albums and singles. He has survived in spite of depression and broken marriages, which include model Chirstie Brinkly. Who is this piano icon?
2. All he needed was a grand piano, a candelabra, a flashy costume, and maybe his brother George, and he was ready to entertain.
3. This jazz pianist is most noted for his improvisation and experimenting with time, meter, rhythm, and tonality. His classic recording is "Take Five".
4. He is often credited as the "Father of Ragtime" in his musical career. He found few opportunities for Black musicians and often faced hardships. A resurgence and appreciation occurred when his music was adapted for the film "The Sting" (1973).
5. Jazz historians often cite this man as the perhaps the best of all time. He was noted for his innovations in rhythm and style. Although he could play any genre of music, he was most known for his renditions of standards dressed in his style. His jazz was often ornamental to the base tune. He was influenced by Fats Waller and adopted Waller's stride piano technique. He was most comfortable as a soloist but did record with many jazz greats of his time.
6. At twelve he won a Texas state-wide competition and played with the Houston Symphony. At seventeen he was admitted to Julliard. At twenty-three he entered the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Even though the judges were bias toward Soviet artists and this was at the height of the Cold War, he won the most prestigious piano competition in the world.
7. To say that this pianist was gifted would only be part of the story. At age ten, her parents proudly sat in the front row for her concert. They were asked to move so a white couple could sit. She refused to perform until her parents were re-seated. She was a life-long civil rights advocate in addition to her piano skills and vocalizations.
8. He is called "The William Faulkner of Jazz". From his Mississippi roots, he tours forty weeks a year, picking up sidemen as he travels. His piano style is unique and his vocals are personal and creative. His influence on other artists outshine his record sales.
9. He was a Danish child prodigy who gave his first concert at the age of eight. While touring Europe, he would engage the audience with numerous exchanges. Fleeing the Nazis, he came to the United States and established a career as a musician/comedian. He hid his considerable piano talents under a veil of comedy.
10. He is sometimes known as the 'Father of Cool Jazz'. Miles Davis was one his influences. Early in his career he played for Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, and Ray Noble before forming his own big band in 1940. His signature composition is "Snowfall" which has been recorded over thirty times by other artists.
11. This entertainer was around for a hundred years, depending on his birth date which is in dispute. His long life gave him a perspective that other pianist did not have. His prime genre was ragtime and the "Charleston Rag" is considered a standard. Although physically frail, he was still performing into his 80s and 90s. He received many honors during his lifetime.
12. One look at this man and you saw a bundle of neuroses. He was a trained concert pianist turned actor and celebrity. He came to films as a composer and morphed into acting. He generaly either played himself or himself under a different name. He was a master of the classic piano and helped to bring the serious music of George Gershwin to the masses. During the early 1960s he had his own talk show and he would also play. His quick wit made him a regular and "Information Please" radio show and he was a popular guest on the Jack Paar TV show.
13. This piano master created a unique style of combining classical, jazz, bebop, and swing. In 2007 he was knighted for his contributions to modern music by Queen Elizabeth.
14. She was a child prodigy on the piano and was trained at the Guildhall School of Music in UK. Traveling with a USO troop during World War II, she met her husband and moved to the USA. In addition to her albums and concerts, she created a public radio program that featured rising pianists. It became the longest running program developed for jazz on the air.
15. This Canadian pianist was well known not only for his talents but for the many attempts by others to explain him. Many articles have been written and several attempts on film to capture his essence. Certainly he was a champion interpreter of Bach. His live performances were characterized by swaying clock-wise and humming the tune. Who was this performer?
Source: Author
Rehaberpro
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
gtho4 before going online.
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