John Gill and His Sentimental Serenaders

John Gill is one of the top stride and trad jazz pianists of his generation. He began playing a small toy piano as a youth and became a fan of the British pop pianist Russ Conway. Other than some classical training, Gill was largely self-taught. He formed a two piano duo with Ron Weatherburn (Kenny Ball's regular pianist) in London, worked around England and in 1983 moved to Australia. Gill has appeared in the United States on an occasional basis, playing at the Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival in Boulder, Colorado and the Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, Missouri. John Gill, who is not to be mistaken for another John Gill who plays banjo and drums, has recorded solo sets for Stomp Off (1983), the Australian Request label (1989) and Piano Mania (1993). © Scott Yanow /TiVo