Search - Johnny Costa :: Portrait of George Gershwin

Gershwin wrote and Costa played from the heart.

07/05/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnny Costa was a world-class pianist who spent his life making music for others. Deciding to stay near his family and friends in his native Pittsburgh, Johnny stopped traveling in the late 1950s. He joined talents with Fred Rogers and was the musical director of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" until his death. During these decades, Johnny didn't record. It was Dick Hyman and Hank O'Neal that resurrected Johnny's recording career about 1990. Johnny would record four CD's for Chiaroscuro and a Christmas CD for LME Productions, a recording that is available only in Pittsburgh or via mail.I flew to Pittsburgh from California in 1993 to attend the Gerswhin sessions, which Johnny completed on a Saturday and half a Sunday.This Chiaroscuro recording is a smattering of Gershwin classics--played superbly by a Steinway superstar.It you like Gershwin, you will like Johnny Costa's interpretations. Johnny, like Gershwin, was all heart. Personally, Johnny Costa was as beautiful a person as the music he played.The Neighborhood has never been the same sihce Johnny Costa died."

The white "Art Tatum" The "Mozart" of jazz-piano

Arnold Van Beest | Europe France | 02/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I should be deeply ashamed that up until a few month ago, I had never even heard of this great master of Jazz-piano. And I thought I knew a few. Thanks to SWING FM, the Jazz-radio station of LIMOGES here in FRANCE, I got to know the name of this wonderful piano player. My attention got attracted "By Accident" when I turned on the radio and I heard Johnny Costa's gorgeous interpretation of "Do nothing till you hear from me". I heard such unusual frasing and beautiful chords, that I could not place with any of the many pianoplayers that I know, that I grabbed the phone and called the radiostation. They gladly told me that I had been listening to, certainly one of the great masters of 20th century Jazz-piano, Mr. JOHNNY COSTA.

Ofcourse I ordered his CD's immediately with AMAZON.com and I very gladly will spread the news of these four CD's that are a MUST to posess for musicians and lovers of the good music from that era. As a permanent legacy of this extraordinary musician. It's as good as Chopin. I never ever heard a pianist play beautiful tunes better than JOHNNY COSTA. Like George Gerswin, Costa must be a man of the heart, who's inner qualities are revealed in his music.



Arnold Van Beest (France)

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