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| Peter Schimke at the AQ (2011) |
© Andrea Canter
I don't recall when I first heard pianist Peter Schimke but
likely it was with the quartet How Birds Work at the Artists Quarter, back when
Billy Peterson was handling the bass, along with guitar guru Dean Granros and
drummer/AQ owner Kenny Horst. That band had a unique sound and was one of the most experimental projects
that I heard involving Peter. I did hear Peter with a long list of musicians
over the past decade or more, including vocalist Bruce Henry, percussionist
Estaire Godinez, visiting artists at the AQ, and a long parade of local
veterans. But the gigs I remember best are the duos with sax legend, now
94-year-old Irv Williams -- two generations of mutual respect, swing and elegance.
Peter and Irv recorded Duos a few
years ago, celebrating the release at, of course, the Artists Quarter, and
since about that time have taken their partnership to Friday happy hours at the
Dakota. It's a mutual admiration, mutual motivation society.
And the audience digs it, too.
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| Peter accompanying Irv Williams, one New Year's Eve at the AQ |
