Judy and her sextet (Mike Hashim, Ed Ornowski, Jon-Erik Kellso, Melissa Giattino, Richard Schwartz) on the "Jo Soares Show", Brazil's equivalent of "The Tonight Show"
“Judy Carmichael is a great entertainer. Her playing is masterly and her linking material show her to be a raconteur in the Ustinov mold.”
Jonathan James Moore BBC Radio
Grammy nominated pianist 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.
Judy's newly released CD “Come and Get It” features her singing debut on everything from Peggy Lee inspired standards, to humorous takes on Fats Waller tunes.
A native of California, Judy 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.
The musician that critics have referred to as "astounding, flawless and captivating" (TheNew York Times) 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 done comic skits and performed her music on radio and TV and performed private recitals for everyone from Rod Stewart and Robert Redford to President 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" (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.
Judy 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 is included in "Who's Who in the East", "Who's Who in Finance and Industry in America", "Who's Who in American Woman", "American Women in Jazz", "Who's Who in the World" as well as the "Encyclopedia of Jazz".
Ms. Carmichael has appeared frequently on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, and has been featured on National Public Radio'sMorning Edition, Entertainment Tonight and CBS' Sunday Morningwith Charles Kuralt and recently with Charles Osgood. She is celebrating her 15th year producing and hosting her Public Radio ShowJudy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired, broadcast on over 170 stations throughout North America and abroad and on NPR NOW Channel 34 on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
Her recordings and music books are available at www.judycarmichael.com, iTunes or by mail order through C&D Productions, P.O. Box 360 Sag Harbor, New York, 11963, 631-725-3603.
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GASTON AND JUDY
*Lest you think Judy has taken up alligator wrestling (look out Janet Reno!), animal lover Judy is just comparing "chops" with Gaston, the young crocodilian. Watch this space for further adventures of Gaston and Judy.
"If anyone can keep this music going after I'm gone, it's Judy Carmichael."
– Count Basie
"I must admit that I like stride by anyone who dares to straddle it, let-alone harness it. Well, stride has never been better paired than with Judy Carmichael. At first it’s joyously shocking to hear such chops at work but that observation is soon overwhelmed by the rich heart and soul and high spirit of her music. It’s quite a ride."
– Allen Toussaint
"Judy Carmichael's witty, ebullient pianism recalls us to the joy of spirit fo classical jazz. More power to her!"
– E.L. Doctorow
"Judy Carmichael's music accomplishes what all great art should – feelings of joy, delight, hope and the knowledge that what you are experiencing is very real and honest. Anyone who wants some real theatre should to to one of her concerts – lost of fun."
