John Stebbe, Jazz Pianist

I Love Jazz Piano!

I released a jazz piano CD in 2005. You can buy it here.

If you prefer to download, you can get my CD at the iTunes Music Store.

If you’d like to hear me play the piano, you can listen at my MacJams.com site.

A recent favorite track of mine is my jazz piano arrangement of Stephen Foster’s “Oh, Susannah.”

Here’s a rough draft from ‘Jazz Meets Classical!, which is now on the iTunes Store, and will soon be out on a ‘real’ CD. It’s my jazz piano take on Brahms’ “Hungarian Rhapsody #5.”

See a video of the John Stebbe Trio.

I have had a couple of pieces for children’s choir published. Here’s one, published by Hal Leonard.

I direct three Children’s Choirs at Southport Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I am a music teacher at Mary Bryan Elementary School in Indianapolis.

A not-for-profit formal wear company for Jr. ROTC female cadets asked to use my version of “America The Beautiful” for its web site.

A Lutheran church in Louisiana asked to use my version of “This Little Light” for a video project.

A Democratic nominating convention asked to use my version of “America The Beautiful” for a slide show they created. (I’m a Republican, but hey, we’re all Americans, right?)

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I am a jazz pianist, among other things. I play solo jobs, and also work with the John Stebbe Trio, which consists of David Mills on drums and Jonathan Evans on bass, and myself.

My second CD is out on the iTunes Store It’s called “Jazz Meets Classical.” Click here to go to the album on the iTunes Store, and listen to clips. (And if you like, download it!)

The ‘real’ physical CD is also available, and you can buy it here. It’s called “Jazz Meets Classical,”

Click on the CD image to go to
CD Baby to buy it.

Airplay update: “Jazz Meets Classical!” is being played on WICR-FM Indianapolis, and also WBOI-WBNI Fort Wayne.

Doug Gruber, jazz coordinator for WBOI-WBNI Fort Wayne (Northern Indiana Public Radio), had this to say about my CD, “Jazz Meets Classical!”:

We see this occasionally, classical themes in jazz, but this one beats them all. I can play this on my jazz show.

And speaking of WBOI-FM, this radio station hosted a JazzFest on February 20th, 2009, at the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce Building. Several jazz groups performed, including the John Stebbe Trio. David and Jonathan and I really enjoyed ourselves. Here’s a link.
Here’s the poster for the event.
Here are some photos.

I wear many other hats besides “jazz pianist” (husband, father, public school music teacher, church choir director), but playing (and listening to) jazz piano is one of my favorite activities.

Among my favorite jazz pianists are Vince Guaraldi, Diana Krall, Bill Evans, Ramsey Lewis, Marian McPartland, Dick Hyman, Oscar Peterson, Peter Cincotti, Beegie Adair, Hiromi, and Dave Grusin. I attended the 2007 Indy Jazz Fest, where I had a front row seat for Hiromi’s show. She and her band were fabulous! I even got an autographed CD.

Here’s a short bio:
I was born in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1959. I always enjoyed music in school, and took lessons on piano and trumpet. I respected my music teachers so much that I decided to become a music teacher myself. I attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where I majored in music education, and my principal instrument was the piano. Sometimes I had a hard time practicing Beethoven and Mozart, because I preferred to improvise, and not just read the notes on the page. I always enjoyed listening to jazz pianists, like Dick Hyman and Oscar Peterson. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in 1982.

I toured the USA with a Christian singing group, full-time from 1983 to 1985. I played piano, guitar, and sang. I got to play a Prophet-5, a Yamaha CP-70, an Arp String Ensemble, and a Roland Juno-60.

I have an interest in history, and so completed a Master’s Degree in History in 1997, at Butler University here in Indianapolis. I studied American History and World History. I also have interests in Reformed theology, Christian apologetics, and Church History.

I compose music for children’s choirs, and have had two pieces published, one by Hal Leonard, and another by LifeWay.

I have been a public school music teacher for many years. I truly enjoy sharing music with children. My wife Diane is also a public school music teacher, and has a degree from IU-Bloomington in Vocal Performance. Diane and I have three children, ages 10, 14, and 16. Our 10-year-old daughter Brynn plays the piano and cello. Our 14-year-old daughter Claire plays the violin. Our 16-year-old son Blake plays the baritone, and also handbells at church. I also direct the children’s choirs at our church. I play the piano for various events around Indianapolis, both as a soloist and as part of the “John Stebbe Trio.” I released my first CD in 2005. My CD has been played on jazz radio stations in Indianapolis. I have also signed a CD distribution agreement with MuZoo Records, based in South Korea, for marketing the CD in Asia. A MuZoo Records executive heard samples of my first CD on one of my Web links (see links at left), and then invited me to sign their contract. (The Internet is a pretty great invention!)

The Austrian jazz/pop magazine “Concerto Magazin” also has taken notice of my first CD. In the October/November 2006 issue, reviewer Andreas Felber had this to say (translated from the German):

“. . .(Stebbe) presents us with a CD which makes you hear and feel . . .(his) musical understanding and spirit. Especially with his jazz interpretations of classical pieces Stebbe shows courage. He took on Mozarts C-Dur-piano-sonnet KV 545, several pieces by Bach and ‘Ode an die Freude’ and ‘For Elise’ by Beethoven. ‘For Elise’ for example is accompanied by a Latin-rhythm . . . Here a man expresses his values of Family, home and Faith through Jazz.”

Nashville bassist Neal Bowen appears on three tracks on my 2008 CD, “Jazz Meets Classical.” Here’s a comment Neal was kind enough to make recently:

‘The term "jazz pianist" is somewhat limiting when it comes to John Stebbe. John is an no doubt accomplished pianist, but it's clear that John's compositional skill is just as impressive as his playing, perhaps even more so. John's jazzy "reinterpretation" of romantic era classical music in his latest offering is not something a mere "jazz pianist" would likely even attempt, yet John pulls it off with grace and style.’

Neal Bowen
Bassist/Instructor
Memphis, TN

On Friday and Saturday night, January 19-20, 2007, the John Stebbe Trio was invited to perform in the lobby of Hilbert Circle Theater, providing a half-hour of entertainment to Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra patrons before the symphony concert began. All of our numbers were symphonic (or at least “classical”) themes, rendered in a jazz trio style. We had a great time. Many thanks to the ISO for their kind invitation. Click here for a slide show of the performance.

After all is said and done, the most important thing about John Stebbe is that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Feel free to contact me regarding this eternally important topic.

David Mills (drums) Jonathan Evans (bass)