The Bickford Theatre presents A Four Hand Stride Piano Blockbuster

Fats Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and James P. Johnson created a jazz piano style known as stride that is both musically and visually exciting and has been a fan favorite for decades. The Bickford Theatre is proud to present the next generation of stride pianists in concert with critically-acclaimed musician Stephanie Trick joined by the equally talented Paolo Alderighi on Monday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m.

Not only do Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi frequently perform together, they are also married to each other, giving them a unique partnership that makes their dual four-hand performances unusually seamless. They provide a fresh take on songs popular from the Swing Era, always dazzling their audiences with a show that wins new fans wherever they perform.

A classically trained pianist, Trick was exposed to jazz at an early age and turned to stride and classic jazz performance while a student at the University of Chicago. Although she just turned 30 years old, she has captured the attention of the classic jazz world. Ragtime reviewer Jack Rummel wrote that Stephanie Trick "has come to practically dominate the stride piano field" and the great Dick Hyman observed that Stephanie "is one of the nicest gifts to arrive on the jazz scene in recent times." She has recorded ten albums, was awarded the "New Talent Prize 2011" by the Hot Club of France, received the prestigious "Kobe-Breda Jazz Friendship Award" and performs all over the world. In addition to her solo and duet work, she accompanies the Grammy Award-nominated singer Lorraine Feather in a show that features classic stride piano compositions with Feather's lyrics. Her appearance at the Bickford Theatre is her first as a headliner in the Metropolitan New York-New Jersey area.

Her husband and musical partner, pianist Paolo Alderighi is also a critically acclaimed artist. He graduated from Bocconi University in Italy and immediately devoted himself to jazz. He was recognized as the "Best New Talent" by the Italian jazz magazine Musica Jazz, and captured top honors in the popular referendum "Italian Jazz Awards 2007." In addition to touring frequently with Stephanie Trick, Alderighi has performed or recorded with many well-known jazz luminaries including Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Nicki Parrott, Ken Peplowski, Ed Polcer, RAndy Reinhart and Jason Marsalis. He has recorded four albums with Trick.

"We about the Bickford Theatre from musicians around the country who tell us what a wonderfully intimate place it is for jazz." said Stephanie Trick. "Paolo and I are very much looking forward to performing there and meeting the jazz fans who love our style of music."

Tickets for Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi on May 1 are $17 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at morrismuseum.org, by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office. The Morris Museum's Bickford Theatre is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box office hours for phone sales areMonday through Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00am to 5:00pm.