Piano Summit

Madison is home to some seriously talented pianists, and BlueStem Jazz's inaugural Piano Summit boasts an intriguing cross-generational mix of players and composers. Jane Reynolds has been gigging since the 1970s, and is known to radio listeners as the long-time co-host of Strictly Jazz Sounds on WORT-FM (until stepping down last year). Matt Blair continues stretching the boundaries of keyboard sounds by experimenting with electronics and playing in trios Collector and Trash House. Dave Stoler co-leads Steely Dane and plays in ensembles led by Ben Ferris, Tony Castañeda, Darren Sterud and others. And Paul Hastil's CV includes performing with legends such as Doc DeHaven and current jazz leaders Tony Barba and Paul Dietrich. You can bet the quartet will give the Baldwin grand piano — recently acquired by BlueStem for the Cabaret — a workout. Read more on the performers below.

media release: BlueStem Jazz | Piano Summit

Four great pianists in one night. Matt Blair, Paul Hastil, Jane Reynolds & Dave Stoler

Matt Blair is a pianist, composer, and educator living in Madison, Wisconsin. His work draws upon diverse musical traditions such as contemporary classical, electro-acoustic improvisation, free jazz, minimalism, and noise. In addition to his practice as a pianist, he incorporates extended electronic processing of the Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, and the computer in his music.

Over the past twenty years, keyboardist/composer Paul Hastil has performed with many talented jazz musicians on the scene in the Madison area. These have included Doc DeHaven, Gerri DiMaggio, Ray Rideout as well as those players newer to the scene, including Paul Dietrich, Alison Margaret, Ben Ferris, and Tony Barber. For ten years he was a member of the New Breed Trio with bassist Nick Moran and drummer Michael Brenneis which hosted a weekly jam session at the Cardinal Bar and, more recently, at the North Street Cabaret. He is a regular participant in the Isthmus Jazz Festival and has performed at the Telluride Jazz Festival and the Montava Music Festival in Montava, Italy. He has performed with Archie Shepp, Frank Morgan, Sheila Jordan, and David Binney.

Jane Reynolds is a pianist/composer with a Ph.D. in Composition and Theory from UW-Madison. She has performed with many area musicians, including gigging with vocalist Lynette Margulies since the seventies. She and bassist Hans Sturm recorded a CD of original music titled “Blue Got Up”, which was described in Cadence Magazine as “...a tour de force in the art of the duo.” Her work was featured in collaboration with Madison poet laureate John Tuschen at the Madison Center for Creative and Cultural Arts. She is a founding member of the Madison Music Collective and was artistic co- director with poet laureate Fabu for the Mary Lou Williams Centennial. They paid tribute to Williams through words and music at many events, including the Isthmus Jazz Festival. Reynolds hosted the radio program “(Strictly) Jazz Sounds” on WORT-FM from 1985 to 2022. She teaches jazz piano and composition at her home studio.

Dave Stoler is a native of Madison WI, and has formerly resided in New York City, Milwaukee and Miami. One of the busiest keyboardists in the area, Dave works with his own jazz trio, the Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Sextet, The Ben Ferris Octet and The Darren Sterud NOLA Tribute Band. He also co-leads Steely Dane, a 16 member Steely Dan tribute band. He performs regularly with his trio and quartet at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City. His recording, titled “Urban Legends” is available on cdbaby.com. Currently, he is preparing several upcoming recordings slated for release in 2018. He was a semifinalist in the Thelonious Monk Piano Competition, The American Jazz Piano Competition, and a finalist in the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. He received a Master Of Music Degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Miami-Coral Gables, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.