A Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist, arranger, and educator, Bill Cunliffe is an adept soloist with a swinging flow and a lyrical improvisational quality. After graduating from Eastman School of Music, he first launched his career as a teacher at Ohio's Central State University, and then as a drummer and arranger with the Buddy Rich Big Band. Later, Cunliffe came to the greater public's attention as the winner of the 1989 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition. Along with his own highly regarded solo albums, including 1993's Rare Connection, 2003's H...