Stan Seltzer

Stanley Wilson Seltzer (November 8, 1927 - August 1, 2000) was a jazz pianist.

Biography

He was born in Aurora, Illinois on November 8, 1927.

Stan was born musically gifted. He began studying piano at the age of four. He had a unique ability to hear something and play it back. For several years he fooled his teachers into thinking that he could read music. At some point his unique ability was discovered and he had to do intensive remedial work to learn to read music. He later remarked that it was difficult for him as a student to essentially start over again and learn to read music after several years of successful deception and progress.

Stan excelled musically to the point that he was accepted as a student of Vladimir Horowitz, the renowned Russian concert pianist. Stan said that he studied with Horowitz for about a year, remarking that Horowitz was a disciplined taskmaster, often pushing Stan to his limits and sometimes beyond. In retrospect, Stan viewed Horowitz as a brilliant pianist, and Stan’s own discipline and his quest for beyond perfection may have initially come from Horowitz. Stan later attended DePaul University in Chicago, but did not graduate.

During his early years he played many venues in the Chicago area. In 1951 Stan decided to relocate to Hollywood, California. West Coast Jazz was developing, and many musicians from well known big bands and the local movie studios would meet to play new big band arrangements. Stan often contributed arrangements and rehearsed with them. Stan worked in Los Angeles until 1954 when he relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. He played local venues in Vegas and backed many acts that passed through Vegas. In 1957 he again relocated to Los Angeles, California, which became his homeport for the rest of his musical career. It was in 1957 that he cut his first and only album on the Hi-Fi label, consisting of 12 songs. These recordings are currently accessible at *^[1] as MP3 downloads.

Stan was an easy-going person. He had the most sonorous laugh, and it was blatantly obvious that Stan was in a room when he laughed. He was devoutly serious about his music, and it was often hard for him when he had to sacrifice quality for money. In his moments of futile musical frustration, a heavy sigh and a disdain countenance would precede his often-used phrase, “the questionable rewards of mimicry.”

Stan was a consummate jazz pianist. The creativity and improvisation that jazz provided fueled him musically. Players that he held in high esteem from his own era varied, but Oscar Peterson and Charlie Parker were among his favorites along with later players like Herbie Hancock.

Stan died on August 1, 2000 at the age of 73, most likely in Tucson, Arizona.^[2]

Stan Seltzer Album Trio 1957

In 1957 in Los Angeles, CA, Stan made his only album. It included the songs Autumn In New York, Blue Moon, Cheek To Cheek, Crissy's Blues, Easy To Love, A Foggy Day, Have You Met Miss Jones, Let's Fall In Love, Prelude To A Kiss, Speak Low, The Way You Look Tonight, and You Don't Know What Love Is *.^[1]

• Stan Seltzer, piano^[3]
• Red Mitchell, bass^[3]
• Frank Hudec, drums^[3]

Ricky's Lounge, Alhambra, CA

Stanley Seltzer was the pianist in the house band at Ricky's Lounge in Alhambra with Paul Peters^[4] and Carl Frederick Tandberg^[4][5][6]

• Stan Seltzer, piano^[4]
• Carl Frederick Tandberg, bass^[4][7]
• Paul Peters, drums^[4]

Recordings

• Stan Seltzer Album Trio (1957)^[3]

References