Stage 7 Pianos in Kirkland is proud to announce a special duet performance by jazz pianists Francesco Crosara and Bill Anschell. The duo will present an eclectic program based on jazz improvisation reminiscent of the legendary piano duets by Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Expect both lyrical and exuberant music.
About the musicians
Originally from Milan, Italy, Francesco Crosara’s music melds an impressive mix of jazz improvisation, a romantic vein from his classical training, along with Latin influences. Crosara who has performed with jazz greats such as Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Ira Sullivan, Bobby Shew, Bruce Forman, Don Menza, Barbara Morrison, and many others, is now based in the Northwest since 2017, where he has collaborated with local stalwarts like Clipper Anderson, Mark Ivester, D’Vonne Lewis, Bruce Phares, Nathan Breedlove, Phil Sparks, Jeff Busch, Osama Afifi, Farko Dosumov, Cliff Colòn, Xavier Lecouturier and more. ...
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Stage 7 Pianos in Kirkland is proud to announce a special duet performance by jazz pianists Francesco Crosara and Bill Anschell. The duo will present an eclectic program based on jazz improvisation reminiscent of the legendary piano duets by Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Expect both lyrical and exuberant music.
About the musicians
Originally from Milan, Italy, Francesco Crosara’s music melds an impressive mix of jazz improvisation, a romantic vein from his classical training, along with Latin influences. Crosara who has performed with jazz greats such as Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Ira Sullivan, Bobby Shew, Bruce Forman, Don Menza, Barbara Morrison, and many others, is now based in the Northwest since 2017, where he has collaborated with local stalwarts like Clipper Anderson, Mark Ivester, D’Vonne Lewis, Bruce Phares, Nathan Breedlove, Phil Sparks, Jeff Busch, Osama Afifi, Farko Dosumov, Cliff Colòn, Xavier Lecouturier and more.
After being featured for 2 years in a row in the trend-setting series Earshot Jazz: The Second Century for his bold and innovative music composition and video work, Crosara was also invited to participate in the 2021 Earshot Jazz Festival taking place in October at Town Hall in Seattle, and other venues around town.
Crosara has produced 6 jazz albums internationally, most notably, Colors (through the Chicago-based Southport Records label) featuring the late great Von Freeman, and Emotions (through the TCB Montreux Swiss Jazz label) featuring Lilian Terry on vocals, Von Freeman on tenor sax, and a multi-cultural group of musicians from around the world. An upcoming new CD release featuring 3 Seattle-based rhythm sections is currently in the production phase. Downbeat Jazz Magazine described Crosara as “A pianist who originally hails from Italy, Crosara is well-versed in bop lore, and his delicate flow might indicate a debt to Bill Evans.”
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Pianist Bill Anschell has performed in premiere venues throughout the U.S. and abroad, both leading his trio and as pianist/musical director for vocalist Nnenna Freelon. His concert credits include eight European tours with Freelon and seven South American tours with his trio, including concerts in many of the leading international jazz festivals.
Anschell was the creator, producer and theme music composer for JazzSouth, a syndicated radio program broadcast from 1990 - 2002 on more than 200 stations around the world. In 1998 his CD, a different note all together, was selected by UPI (United Press International) as one of the year’s “10 Best” jazz releases. That CD and his two follow-up releases When Cooler Heads Prevail (2001) and More to the Ear than Meets the Eye (2006) both enjoyed critical acclaim and extensive stays on the national jazz radio charts. His 2009 duo CD of spontaneous improvisations with saxophonist Brent Jensen was described by Cadence as “startlingly beautiful, surprising, and powerful…a transforming experience.” Anschell is also highly regarded as a composer; his original pieces have been placed more than 70 times in network and cable programs including NBC’s The West Wing, HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire, and the the Paramount Plus show Yellowstone.
Anschell, a Seattle native, returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after a long residency in Atlanta, Georgia. He received Earshot’s Golden Ear Award as the “Northwest Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year” in 2005, 2010 and 2011; his trio was named “Northwest Acoustic Jazz Ensemble of the Year” in 2006; his Figments CD was named “Northwest Jazz Recording of the Year” in 2011, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame.
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