(pianists:) Phineas Newborn, Jr., Hank Jones, Buddy Montgomery, Chick Corea, Ahmad Jamal, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Joe Zawinul, Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Martha Argerich, Mulgrew Miller, Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk, Danilo Perez; (non-pianists:) Allan Holdsworth, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Woody Shaw, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Parker, Jaco Pastorius, Bobby Hutcherson, Jim Hall, Keola Beamer; (composers, bands and conceptualists:) Ellington/Strayhorn, Shorter, Thad Jones, Maria Schneider, Billy Childs, Donald Brown; 80's Metal Bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy; The Dead Kennedys, Arvo Part, Bach, Brahms, Ravel, Faure, My Bloody Valentine, Indonesian Gamelan, Okinawan music, Japanese traditional music, Zakir Hussain, Indian music, Eva Allyon, Bjork, Christine Jensen, other stuff.
Geoffrey, or Geoff, (whichever you prefer), plays piano and keyboards. In fact, the more keyboards the better. Piles and piles of keyboards stacked up all over the place. It's fun for him...he feels like the captain at the controls of a spaceship. He grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in the 70's listening to and loving Weather Report and Return to Forever, before he ever heard "swing" or "bebop" (whatever the hell that is). Thanks to relaxed child labor laws, he was "hired" by his father, the percussion teacher at the local university, to shlep around marimbas, tympani, and pack up drum hardware with sharp things poking out. Understandably, Geoffrey chose an easier instrument to carry, the piano, and nerdily practiced for years in his basement without food, water, or a normal teenage social life, into the wee hours of the night until his mother begged him to please go to bed. Since moving to New York in 1989, he has been blessed with experiences playing with most of his heroes and friends, generally nice people, including Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, and more recently David Sanborn, Christian McBride, Ingrid Jensen and Jim Hall. He also leads his own trio (creatively named the Geoffrey Keezer Trio) and has started a new project called Aurea with some amazing South American musicians...check his real website, www.geoffreykeezer.com for updates.
Geoffrey is married to Susan Ann Wulff, the reigning bass goddess of the San Diego symphony. They live in San Diego, CA with their baby son Cameron, and have a nice collection of single malt scotch under the counter. They can frequently be spotted late at night at La Fachada, the local gourmet taco truck, hovering over the onion grill (saves on the heating bill at home).
Hey G!!! We have so many musicians in common. And now you're in San Diego. I moved to LA. We should hit sometime! I'm a big fan...I remember when you were hanging at Christos' place in Astoria. Would love to do some playing. HASS :-)
Hi Geoffrey, Thanks for the add and Thanks you for your frienschip.Your music is wonderful. I invite you to visit my page. Greetings, Vitiko master congas.
Congrats again on the "almost new" addition to the family. Excellent choice of name. very scottish! so "Springbank" wasn't an option then... no?
Great to hear your news. Let me know when you're next gonna be up this neck of the woods. Would lovely to see you and introduce you to my better half. Take care.