Tag Archives: peter calandra

04.10.23
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Peter Calandra’s “The Gambit” is Dedicated to the Artists That Inspired Him

Peter Calandra is a prolific composer and keyboard player whose solo albums are wonderfully diverse, spanning world music, jazz, contemporary jazz, new age, pop, and neo-classical. The thread throughout his music is the lyrical expressiveness of the compositions and purity and purposefulness of the musicianship. Three of his recent albums of original music — First Light (2015), The Road Home (2017) and Carpe Noctem (2018) were nominated for ZMR Awards.

His newest single, “The Gambit” is is a beautiful tribute to the late Keith Jarrett and his influential solo piano albums Lausanne-Bremen and the Koln Concerts. As we get older musicians we admire leave us. When Peter was a developing musician, there were a handful of pianists who came to prominence in the late 1950’s-1960’s that were inspirational, influential, and whose music has been a constant companion throughout his life.

Calandra’s emotional connection to the music of Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett is apparent in the lyrical expressiveness of his compositions and the purposeful musicianship.

“The music these people created not only taught me but the stories and feelings that their music evoked were there to help me through turbulent times. Almost as a salve to the uncertainty of being a lost teenager and being a companion as I grew into an accomplished musician,” shares Peter.

Connect with Peter Calandra via:

Website / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud

08.11.14
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Peter Calandra Releases Stunning Record, “Inner Circle”

peter calandra

 You may not know the name Peter Calandra, but chances are you’ve heard his music. The New York City-based composer and keyboard player has scored 40 films, written over 2000 compositions for television broadcast, including 37 theme packages, and performed as a musician in the Broadway productions of Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Lion King, and Little Shop Of Horrors. Parallel to this, Calandra has released three albums of imaginative and lyrical instrumental music encompassing jazz, contemporary jazz, classical, and refined pop. His fourth solo album, Inner Circle, showcases pianist/composer/arranger Peter Calandra’s talents across a wide swath of music styles, always with his trademark sensitivity, abundant technique, and spot-on attention to detail. Working with an outstanding assortment of guest players on acoustic bass, violin, viola, cello, oboe, flute, piccolo, fretless electric bass, and vocals, Calandra explores myriad sonic landscapes, easily navigating from jazz to fusion to pop to classical with uncommon grace, ease, and a rich sense of melodic accessibility without sacrificing depth of emotion.
 
Below you can listen to and post Peter Calandra’s “Clyde and the Pearl.”