Musicwoman Magazine Spring 2020

LENORE RAPHAEL

The Swingin’ LENORE RAPHAEL

As a young girl studying classical piano, Lenore Raphael had no idea she would be a pianist and renowned international jazz artist both respected and significant. She is a jazz educator, composer, performer, and occasional presenter.

Lenore toured the UK, England, France, Portugal, South Africa, and Israel, performing in major festivals like the London Jazz Festival, Tel Aviv Jazz Festival, and Joy of Jazz Festival in South Africa, and at jazz venues, countrywide, including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Blue Note in New York City, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, and Blues Alley in Washington, DC. She will perform at Twin Cities Jazz Festival in June 2020, and at the North Carolina Jazz Festival in February 2021.

Lenore performed with notable jazz artists like Clark Terry, Al Grey, Joe Cohn, Harry Allen, Wycliffe Gordon, Ken Peplowski, Vic Juris, Mike Richmond, John Pizzarelli, and Arnie Lawrence. She is an active advocate for jazz education and facilitates master classes around the country, incorporating her experience and background into a perceptive and informative workshop on jazz piano and its relation to the development of the jazz art form.

Unlike most women musicians, Lenore did not have challenges as a woman in jazz because she was the leader or played solo gigs. She said, “Most of the time great musicians like Barry Harris, Mike Longo, and my first jazz teacher in New Jersey, Morris Nanton were encouraging and handed me gigs they could not cover. I was just lucky.”

Lenore composes music. “I am influenced to write by an emotional experience like when my two dogs died. I wrote Becky-de-Bop for her and Zoot Scoot in honor of my maltese Scooter. Tunes come to me and I write them down. I composed over 50 tunes, some recorded by me and others. My publishing company, Swingin’ Fox Music, Inc. is with ASCAP and Harry Fox. In her early career, Lenore balanced performance with caring for two small boys and a big house,

by Barbara Connelly

supported by her husband Joel. When he came home from work, she would leave the house, go do the gig and come home at 2 a.m., get up at 8, and take care of the boys. She taught piano, during that time.

Lenore started playing the piano at age 3. She studied classical music, privately, and at the High School of Music & Art in New York. When she had to choose a second instrument, she chose the violin. At New York University, she had two majors, Music Education and English Literature. Theory was a part of her music training, not as a separate subject but as part of what she played.

“Jazz called me! I did not decide to be a professional jazz pianist, until I realized that teaching public school was not for me. I listened to jazz with my brother, who played trumpet, and I played along with the recordings.”

Her main influences were Richie Powell, Bud Powell, and Art Tatum. But Oscar Peterson remains her major influence. Sitting in the living room of her New York home, the Steinway in sight, we had a conversation.

BarbaraConnelly: Did a pianist or other musician or composer you admired turned up at a show and told you how much they loved your playing?

Lenore Raphael: Barry Harris did a couple of years ago at St. Peter’s Church. We were there at Rudy Lawless’ memorial and Barry was in the audience. I played and he said I sounded great. Also, at a concert I played In The Wee Small Hours and the composer, David Mann, said he loved what I did with the tune.

BC: Did anything special happened in your career?

LR: When I was first started playing, I checked the New York Times Jazz Club listings and called Gregory’s on East 62nd in Manhattan, where great players performed. The bartender answered and I said, “Hi. I’m a jazz pianist.” Before I finished the sentence, he said “Can you be here by 7 p.m.? Our pianist just called in sick!” I said, “Yes!” I slammed the phone down, changed clothes, jumped in the car, and drove Con’t on page 64

The Swingin’ LENORE RAPHAEL by

Con’t from page 19 to New York. I got to Gerald’s at 6:30 p.m., and the bartender said the band would be there soon. The clarinetist and drummer walked in, we exchanged names, and hit the first tune. At intermission, I told the bartender “They are pretty good players.” He said, “They should be! That’s Russell Procope and Sonny Greer of Duke Ellington’s Orchestra.” Ellis Larkins left Gerald’s to tour with Ella Fitzgerald. I played that gig for five years, five nights a week, opening for top jazz musicians.

BC: How did your online radio show originate?

LR: The manager of the Pure Jazz Radio station asked me if I wanted to do a show like Marion McPartland’s, interviewing and playing with some wonderful musicians.

BC: Talk about booking and producing for a venue.

LR: I co-produce a jazz concert series in Apex, North Carolina, where I am the piano chair. We present wonderful players. I do jazz master classes on the road. I love working with students and helping them improve on playing and understanding jazz.

BC: As a music and jazz educator, what is a typical master class. Or are they all different?

LR: The Jazz Master Class depends on the level of the students and what they require. There is no set program. I share what I can. My workshops have had profound effects on students. One student said I inspired her to become a music teacher.

BC: What is your preferred grouping of instrumentalists when performing?

LR: I prefer playing with a trio. But solo piano is my passion because it is more demanding.

BC: You are a Steinway artist, a title granted to master pianists of different genres. What are the criteria?

LR: You must own a Steinway, teach, perform, and be good. Some of those in the jazz field are Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, and Diana Krall. I was featured in Steinway Magazine.

Barbara Connelly (con’t)

BC: Did you meet your idol, Oscar Peterson?

LR: I heard drummer Bobby Durham play with Oscar in Carnegie Hall in 1980. I met Mr. Peterson in 1991. I accompanied a singer on the Jazz cruise. The singer said we had the first concert at 5 p.m. I asked who we were playing with and she was not sure but heard they were good. On the stage walks Clark Terry, Al Grey, Marcus McLaurine, and Bobby Durham. Wow! We played the set and Bobby turned to me and said, “Who are you? You sound like Oscar.”

BC: How are the audiences in Europe compared to the USA?

LR: Audiences abroad are more appreciative of Jazz than in the USA.

BC: What do you see in the future for your career?

LR: I want to keep doing what I’m doing and get better at it!

For all things Lenore Raphael, please go to her web site www.lenoreraphael.com

Barbara A. Connelly has had multiple careers, as an actress and graduate of the American Theatre Wing, a music editor at Silver Burdett Company, the most respected publisher of music education

materials in the country, a technical writer, working in telecom for AT&T, Bellcore, NYNEX, and Lucent, in the financial industry at UBS, Paine Webber, insurance companies, and startups, including dot coms. She wrote marketing materials. She was a publicist for a film festival, off-Broadway play, and for musicians. Her favorite gig was as a booking agent for jazz, world, and Brazilian musicians at arts and music festival. Music is her passion, all kinds, but mostly jazz. She grew up listening to her father play the Great American Song Book on the piano and she loves standards played and sung in creative ways.