70 new piano works in classical and jazz styles

[jassical]

I'm a composer/pianist of solo piano works and just released my debut album along with the publication of 70 works in classical and jazz genres. I loosely refer to said hyridization as "jassical". I'd be curious to get feedback from pianists on what you think of this music as well as how best to describe it (I know folks can really get caught up with labels, I just simply seek a clear and concise way to present the music which honestly describes what it is all about).

An 8 minute video preview of this music is available clicking the video link on my Web site at www.BillDoerrfeld.com. The site also includes screen shots of the first page of manuscript of each of the 70 works along with detailed descriptions of each piece.

Some of the works are squarely of the jazz domain, some are squarely in the classical domain (with influences ranging from Brahms, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Satie, Scriabin, Debussy and others) and some alternate between classical and jazz. I'm after something far deeper than just swinging the classics (which I find unsatisfying). The voice I've been focused on looks to take the best of both. This is music infused with the rhythm, harmony, and energy of jazz combined with the compositional development, dynamic contrast and notational sophistication of classical music.

I very much look forward to feedback from fellow pianists on:

1) Quality of the work
2) Appeal of the work to classical pianists
3) Appeal of the work to jazz pianists
4) What you think about the term "jassical" as a way of describing this collection
5) If this is music you'd be interested in playing

Thanks in advance for your feedback. I appreciate it!

Regards,

Bill Doerrfeld
Composer and Pianist
Classical and Jazz
Mazama, WA U.S.A

[richard black]

Sounds like good stuff, fun and practical music. Of course, I feel obliged to point out that while your ingenious label 'jassical' may be new, the idea of notating more or less jazzy music for classical pianists is most certainly not - off the top of my head I can think of Mayerl, Kapustin, Rakhelson, Mike Mower..... But all the best with it, I hope you get good sales and good gigs!

[jassical]

Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah it surprises me that composers such as Kapustin are not more widely known and talked about in the U.S. It's also difficult to get his scores. I must confess to have only learned about him just a couple of years ago via some great YouTube videos of him playing his work.

Sounds like good stuff, fun and practical music. Of course, I feel obliged to point out that while your ingenious label 'jassical' may be new, the idea of notating more or less jazzy music for classical pianists is most certainly not - off the top of my head I can think of Mayerl, Kapustin, Rakhelson, Mike Mower..... But all the best with it, I hope you get good sales and good gigs!