Talk Jazz with George Whitty - Live Event on YouTube

Mon, 11/16/2015 - 1:09pm
Written by ArtistWorks

talk jazz with george whitty

Join us for a live, online hangout on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 11 AM Pacific Time with ArtistWorks jazz piano teacher George Whitty. We'll enjoy George's piano artistry and have a lively chat about all things jazz. No registration is required, just watch the live stream on the ArtistWorks YouTube channel as it happens from the video link here:

Jazz Piano Music: 8 Great Song to Learn

Tue, 10/20/2015 - 9:18am
Written by GeorgeWhitty

great jazz piano tunes - george whitty

click here for free samples of our jazz piano lessons with George Whitty!

As I travel around the world doing jazz piano clinics and workshops, one question I’m often asked is: “what tunes should I learn?”

That’s a really broad question. I’d like to narrow it down to 8 jazz piano tunes that are a big part of the standard repertoire you might encounter at a gig or a jam session, and also are tunes that I’ve most enjoyed sitting down and playing over the years, inspired by some killer performances of said tunes that sort of launched me off. 

SO in no particular order, here are 8 jazz piano tunes I get a huge kick out of playing, along with the performance that inspired me to learn them and gave me something to shoot for. Usually there’s something cool about the harmony that propels the tune forward, and a really well-turned melody that’s got something unusual about it:

"Someday My Prince Will Come"

Jazz Piano Lessons with George Whitty Now Available

Tue, 10/06/2015 - 3:09pm
Written by ArtistWorks

“It’s really just such an ideal format, and I’m really pleased to be here as the new professor of jazz piano.” - George Whitty

At last, the wait for jazz piano lessons with George Whitty is over! This is an exciting day for ArtistWorks and we couldn’t be more proud to have George on board as part of our online faculty.

George got the bug to play jazz piano at a young age. He was just 14 years old when he wrote a letter to the great Chick Corea asking him “are you really making up those notes? It seems impossible….” Eventually through some good teachers he was able learn the important improvisation concepts and has made jazz his career for the past 30 years.

George Whitty on Influential Jazz Piano Players: Part 3

Mon, 10/05/2015 - 11:50am
Written by GeorgeWhitty

Duke Ellington:

influential jazz piano players - duke ellington

Here’s the pianist who I most credit, through his writing and playing (and the brilliant writing and arranging of Billy Strayhorn) with really putting “jazz” music on the harmonic footing it’s been on ever since.  A lot of what Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn did utilized tools that had been used before, some all the way back to Bach (a II-V progression, for example), but in their hands it reached its ultimate expression as a very particular sound, an instantly recognizable jazz sound.

And to hear Duke play piano is a true study in orchestration.