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Lenore Raphael

Jazz writer John Gilbert has called Lenore "Simply one of the best pianists in our art form...she always swings." Critics have used words like "swinging", "emotional" and "artistically subtle" when describing Lenore's playing.

Swinging has always been of major importance to Lenore since she listened to her idols Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson. So is "telling the story". She strives to be in touch with the intent of the tune when she plays.

Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Lenore started at the age of 3 by playing everything she heard by ear. Lenore studied classical piano with concert artist Beulah Eisenstadt. By the age of seven she was featured in recitals and performed at Carnegie Hall. Even then, she heard different things in the classical music she was playing and started embellishing and improvising on Mozart, Chopin, etc.

She soon began listening to Clifford Brown recordings that her brother brought home. She began playing along with those recordings and into her teens listened to the music of Art Tatum and Bud Powell. While trying to emulate these masters, she graduated from the High School of Music & Art in New York City and then went on to major in music education at New York University.

Upon graduation with a BA in Music Ed, with plans to be a teacher in the New York City school system, once she heard Oscar Peterson her life direction changed. Playing along with Oscar's recordings sometimes five or six hours a day, after two years she felt she was ready to approach the professional world of jazz performance.

A move to New Jersey to raise two sons, she formed a local trio, which gave rise to her first job at Richard's Lounge, a little club in Lakewood, New Jersey. That first night she received a note from a fellow in the audience who happened to be famed pianist Joe Bushkin, who complimented her on her style. She continued to perform in all kinds of venues in the New Jersey area and finally got her first New York City break at a little club on 62nd Street called Gregory's.

Everybody played at Gregory's...pianists Ellis Larkins and Al Haig, guitarists Chuck Wayne and Joe Puma, Ellington alumni Russell Procope and Sonny Greer, bassist Jack Six and many more and Lenore's first gig there was with Russell and Sonny. She stayed there for a year playing the early show five nights a week.

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165
Album Review

Lenore Raphael: Invitation: Lenore Raphael Live

Read "Invitation: Lenore Raphael Live" reviewed by John Kelman


Sometimes it's not necessary to break new ground; sometimes all that's required is to be honest, unassuming and deeply committed to the music.

Pianist Lenore Raphael has been building, over the course of four previous albums, a solid discography that sits smack dab in the middle of the jazz mainstream. With bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Rudy Lawless back from A Beautiful Friendship (Swingin' Fox, 2005), Raphael goes live with Invitation: Lenore Raphael Live, recorded at ...

134
Album Review

Lenore Raphael: A Beautiful Friendship

Read "A Beautiful Friendship" reviewed by Ernest Barteldes


Don't be fooled by the track listing on A Beautiful Friendship, which is mostly made up of classic songs by the likes of Sammy Cahn and Cole Porter. Instead, be forewarned that this gifted pianist does not intend to take listeners through a journey of predictability. Rather, Lenore Raphael brings a new spin on songs that most thought could not be developed further. For instance, on Porter's “I Love You, she begins with a mellow piano solo ...

143
Album Review

Lenore Raphael: Wingin' It

Read "Wingin' It" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Lenore Raphael has a love affair with the piano, as demonstrated by the myriad of emotions she is able to evoke in her playing.... and by the stream of ideas that pour forth in her solos, rich with quickly allusions that brush by the ear like a sussuration. From a sweetly swinging mode to pure nonstop bop, Raphael is the personification of swing. In order to swing, the music must grab the emotion of the listener, and this recording certainly ...

138
Album Review

Lenore Raphael: Reflections

Read "Reflections" reviewed by AAJ Staff


“Reflections" Lenore Raphael Trio..Swingin' Fox Music Lenore Raphael is clearly in charge on this disc. Her style is reminiscent of the Bud Powell-Oscar Peterson school, with asides to Mr. Monk now and again, yet she always maintains her originality and fresh ideas always abound. This New York based Pianist has played the top jazz clubs of the world and this CD gives the listener a chance to understand why. 'Zoot Scoot' is pure be-bop at it's best. A nice Bass ...

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Performance / Tour

Lenore Raphael On Tour In California With Howard Alden

Lenore Raphael On Tour In California With Howard Alden

Source: Lenore Raphael

Pianist Lenore Raphael celebrates her recording Loverly with guitarist Howard Alden with a tour of Southern California. Starting on Thursday, February 21. they appear at The Merc for jazz adding bassist Jim De Julio to the performance. The Merc is located on Main Street, Temecula California. On Sunday, February 24th, the duo join the steady rhythm section at Vicky's of Sante Fe in Palm Springs. Vicky's is located at 45-100 Highway 111. Joining in with Larry Holloway on bass, Allen ...

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Performance / Tour

Lenore Raphael & Friends In New Jazz Concert Series In NYC

Lenore Raphael & Friends In New Jazz Concert Series In NYC

Source: Lenore Raphael

Renowned jazz pianist/Steinway Artist Lenore Raphael is heading up a new jazz series on Manhattan's West Side. Having had a full house at a concert in May, a series was the best way to constantly feature great jazz by world-class artists at affordable prices. Co-produced by “West 64th Street Jazz" and The New York Society for Ethical Culture, the first of the series on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th, will feature Ms. Raphael on piano with the wonderful guitarist Howard Alden to ...

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Event

Lenore Raphael featured in All-Steinway weekend (August 27) in Clarksburg, WV

Lenore Raphael featured in All-Steinway weekend  (August 27) in Clarksburg, WV

Source: LenMar Promotions

Internationally renowned jazz pianist/Steinway Artist Lenore Raphael will headline an All-Steinway event. On Friday August 26 , Raphael performs in concert at The Bridgeport Conference Center in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Accompanying her on this concert will be Herman Burney on bass and Roger Humphries on drums. Ms. Raphael has been called “Simply one of the best pianists in the jazz mainstream..."John Gilbert, writer SONY/Columbia. In this concert, she will perform tunes from the Great American SongBook. On Saturday, August 27, ...

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Performance / Tour

Lenore Raphael to tour North Carolina and Florida in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month

Lenore Raphael to tour North Carolina and Florida in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month

Source: LenMar Promotions

Renowned Jazz pianist Lenore Raphael will begin a tour in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month with a concert at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex, North Carolina with an evening of popular and more obscure Duke Ellington compositions. Accompanied by bassist Rick Eckberg and drummer Peter Ingram, this trio sold out their last performance at this venue so early ticket purchase is suggested on etix.com or at the theater box office. She continues the tour with a concert at ...

167

Education

Jazz Pianist Lenore Raphael to Direct Summer Jazz Camp

Jazz Pianist Lenore Raphael to Direct Summer Jazz Camp

Source: LenMar Promotions

Jazz pianist Lenore Raphael has been touring extensively and doing Master Classes internationally in such diverse locations as the Edinburgh Conservatory of Music in Edinbrugh, Scotland, the Colorado Springs Conservatory in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Boca Raton, Florida Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and next fall in Bayreuth Germany at the Steingraeber Piano venue. She has done jazz clinics on diverse subjects such as how to survive the jazz music business,the art of trio playing, and how to create effective ...

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132

Radio

Warren Vache with Lenore Raphael at Pure Jazz Radio

Warren Vache with Lenore Raphael at Pure Jazz Radio

Source: Michael Ricci

On Lenore Raphael's Jazz Spot this week it's Warren Vache. Lenore Raphael talks and plays with some of the leading talent in Jazz each week at 8am and 8pm (ET) Sundays. The show is rebroadcast 11pm Friday nights immediately following the NY Tonight Show with Rich Keith. Also note: Carla Lilien, a long time Jazz Radio host here in the NY area, Debuts her show “The Jazz Corner of the World" this Sunday, August 2nd at 9pm (ET). Pure Jazz ...

205

Radio

Jazz Pianist Lenore Raphael to Have Radio Show

Jazz Pianist Lenore Raphael to Have Radio Show

Source: LenMar Promotions

Jazz pianist/Steinway Artist and composer/educator Lenore Raphael will have her own “Lenore Raphael's Jazz Spot" show on purejazzradio.org available to internet users around the world starting around mid July this year. The show is scheduled to air twice on Sundays at 8AM (EST) and 8PM (EST) Lenore has been in the jazz scene for many years, working with great artists and gaining a reputation as a swinging, lyrical player. She has always enjoyed opportunities to do radio interviews and comes ...

132

Performance / Tour

Lenore Raphael Tours Florida in January

Lenore Raphael Tours Florida in January

Source: LenMar Promotions

With the release of her new CD “Class Act" recorded live at Steinway Hall, Ms Raphael will take to the road again in January. As a Steinway Artist, she often performs at the Steinway piano venues and in Florida will play a concert Friday, January 16th at the Steinway piano gallery in Coral Gables, Florida. A CD signing will follow the event. On Saturday, Lenore will do a live interview at WDNA in Miami and then Sunday, January 18th She ...

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Performance / Tour

Lenore Raphael Plays Two Shows to Open for Jon Faddis at Ronnie Scott's London

Lenore Raphael Plays Two Shows to Open for Jon Faddis at Ronnie Scott's London

Source: LenMar Promotions

Just added as part of her tour of the UK, USA jazz pianist/Steinway Artist Lenore Raphael will perform two shows at Ronnie Scott's famed jazz club in London on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18th. Opening for The Jon Faddis Quartet, her UK-based rhythm section will include bassist Geoff Gascoyne and drummer Sebastian de Krom on Friday and bassist Paul Morgan and drummer Martin Drew on Saturday night. Called “Queen of Swing" by several jazz writers, Ms Raphael has ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Invitation: Lenore...

Swingin' Fox Music
2007

buy

A Beautiful Friendship

Swingin' Fox Music
2005

buy

Wingin' It

Swingin' Fox Music
2003

buy

Reflections

Swingin' Fox Music
2001

buy

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