ABEBI STAFFORD: Mr. B

Abebi Stafford

Mr. B

© 2001 Npire Records (677516510325)

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A delightful mix of jazz standards and original compositions by one of the most talented young pianists in recent years.

notes

Improvisational jazz equals musical adventure-for the mind as well as the ear. That's how Abebi Stafford regards his chosen work.

The 23-year old pianist captivates audiences with treatments that showcase his inquisitive, far-ranging intellect as well as smooth style and strong technique. Subtle threads of humor reward the careful listener. A Minnesota native, Abebi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from prestigious Rice University in Houston, Texas. Widely traveled in Europe and Latin America, he converses well in German or Spanish. "I like to challenge myself," he says.

Music drew him from childhood. Visiting relatives at age 9, Abebi was drawn to an old keyboard in a corner. His parents noticed. For the next seven years, piano lessons were part of his life just like school and Little League. "They never had to make me practice," he recalls. "I loved it." Classically trained, Abebi was playing Gershwin, Chopin and Grieg by the time he was 16. Then he chose a new direction, focusing on jazz in the spirit of artists like Wynton Kelly and Keith Jarrett. He taught himself and began composing.

Ever ready to take a musical risk, Abebi won his first gig on impulse. "I was at a club in Houston and told the owner I'd like to play there. I auditioned for him right on the spot and he gave me the job."

Now living in Atlanta, Abebi finds the city a favorable place for creative growth. "The freedom of improvisational jazz grabs audiences just like it does artists. People enjoy how the music makes them feel. There's nothing else like it for stepping out of the world a little bit."

reviews

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  • Abebi Stafford is TRULY a talented artist!
    author: Carlie Breeden

    Abebi Stafford is TRULY a talented artist! I am one of many followers who fell in love with jazz. I can’t seem to find any new age jazz artists who really strike a cord in me. However, Abebi stands out from the rest! I listened to “It could happen to you” and my heart was stolen. I would recommend anyone who loves the classics to listen to Abebi.

  • author: CD Baby

    It's no wonder that Jazz is one of the top-selling genres as a whole on CD Baby because with albums like this one, who needs the corporate music world? In a stunning and passionte album of solo jazz piano, Abebi Stafford brings us so much emotion and atmosphere, such evocative texture with ingenius harmonic and melodic craft, that anything more than his solo, beautiful musical voice would be over-kill. This man fills up the sonic space to its max with meticulous attention paid to the slightest adjustments in temperature- from fiery to cool. Add it to your list of CD Baby Jazz greats.

  • Add it to your list of CD Baby Jazz greats.
    author: Tamara Turner, CD Baby

    It's no wonder that Jazz is one of the top-selling genres as a whole on CD Baby because with albums like this one, who needs the corporate music world? In a stunning and passionte album of solo jazz piano, Abebi Stafford brings us so much emotion and atmosphere, such evocative texture with ingenius harmonic and melodic craft, that anything more than his solo, beautiful musical voice would be over-kill. This man fills up the sonic space to its max with meticulous attention paid to the slightest adjustments in temperature- from fiery to cool. Add it to your list of CD Baby Jazz greats.

  • excellent- what is the status of the new CD?????
    author: Pompey E. Stafford

    Others are asking about the new CD, when can I tell them it will be for sale???

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