The Jazz Workshop Big Band, under Steve Brown's direction, welcomes guest pianist John Stetch to the Ford Hall stage for a free concert on Friday, December 9, at 8:15 p.m.
Though he didn't begin playing the piano until the age of 18, Stetch has had a successful career in jazz, performing as a soloist, trio player, and in big bands.
His formative professional years were spent in Montreal and New York. In 1998 he won Le Grand Prix du Jazz du Maurier at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, which in turn led to his debut recording for Justin Time Records.
In subsequent years, Stetch was featured on NPR's Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland, Branford Marsalis' Jazz Set, and Weekend Edition with Liane Hansen.
In 2002 he recorded and released Ukrainianism, a recording that celebrates his heritage with a blend of jazz, classical, and folkloric arrangements of melodies familiar to him from an early age.
For more on John Stetch, visit http://www.johnstetch.com/.
