Betty Liste is an American

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

. She performs regularly in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, and has worked with jazz musicians such as

Ted Curson Theodore Curson (June 3, 1935 – November 4, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career Curson was born in Philadelphia. He became interested in playing trumpet after watching a newspaper salesman play a silver trumpet. Curson's fath ...

(who is on her first recording) and Richie Cole and jazz vocalist

Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

. Liste's style falls into the modern mainstream of jazz.

Early years

Born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philadel ...

. She made her professional debut performing at Gulliver's and Three Sisters in New Jersey in 1978. The following year she began playing in small

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

clubs and has since become a consistent performer in both the New York and New Jersey jazz scenes.

Career

In 2012, she performs regularly at the Stony Hill Inn and at Trumpet's Jazz Club in New Jersey, leading a vocal jam session at the latter. In addition to performing, Liste taught jazz piano, ear training and functional piano at

Montclair State University Montclair State University (MSU) is a Public university, public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls, New Jersey, Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, ...

for eight years. She also started a children's piano program at Montclair and has taught at

William Paterson University William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 and was named after American ju ...

and

Manhattan College Manhattan College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university in the Bronx, New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) as an academy for day students, it was la ...

. Liste has performed at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

and the

Montreal Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...

. She has performed with altoist Richie Cole, trumpeter Ted Curson, tenor-saxophonist Don Braden, guitarists Harry Leahey and Stanley Jordan, bassists Jon Burr, Brian Bromberg and Chip Jackson, drummers Billy Hart and Eliot Zigmund, and accompanied singer Mark Murphy. In the early 1980s, she performed with New Orleans vocalist Betty Shirley and collaborated with her to write several songs including the song "Jazz Waltz" which is performed frequently in New York City clubs and at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Liste has recorded two CDs. The first was 2006's ''Pensive Moments'' with Ted Curson. A ''

Jazz Times ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growth ...

'' reviewer wrote that "Pensive Moments impresses with its lively, creative performances and overall classy presentation". Her second CD, ''Jazz Ventures'', was released in 2010. A reviewer for ''All About Jazz'' wrote "Liste interprets the timeless masterworks of

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, and

Antonio Carlos Jobim Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...

, among others, with youthful exuberance, emotional depth, and impressive skill."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Liste, Betty American jazz pianists Living people 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American women pianists Year of birth missing (living people)