• Home
  • Bio
  • Events
  • CDs
  • Videos
  • Books
    • An Approach To Jazz Piano
    • 450 Contemporary Piano Studies in 15 Keys
  • Blog
  • 450 Recordings
  • Contact
  charlie austin jazz

About Charlie Austin

With a performance career spanning five decades, Charlie Austin has played professionally across Western Canada in a variety of settings, including The Tommy Banks Show on CBC and the 1970's and 80's ITV Concert series, where he accompanied singers such as Mel Torme, Henry Mancini, Viki Carr, Connie Stevens, Carol Lawrence, and others. Charlie was the house band pianist and arranger for Second City Television (SCTV), produced in Edmonton. Jazz performances include dates with CBC Jazz Radio Canada and Sam Noto.  For over thirty years, Charlie taught in Grant MacEwan University’s Jazz Program, where he influenced a generation of Western Canadian jazz musicians. An Approach to Jazz Piano, his comprehensive jazz piano text, and 450 Contemporary Piano Studies in 15 Keys, his groundbreaking collection of studies in popular styles in all the keys, have been sold around the world. Now retired, Charlie continues to perform, teach, record, and inspire, releasing albums PERSPECTIVES 40 in 2019,  IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU in 2016,  IF I SHOULD LOSE YOU in 2012, and HOMAGE in 2014.

Picture
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU 
2016 Solo piano album
Picture
PERSPECTIVES 40
1978 & 2018 Trio album with Tom Doran, John Sereda, Jamie Cooper, Mike Lent
An Approach to Jazz Piano
Picture
Picture
The most comprehensive jazz instructional text available today.  Revised and updated Fifth Edition available as a 456 page coil-bound paperback or PDF eBook. More..
450 Contemporary Piano Studies in 15 Keys
​
Audio Samples
Support independent publishing: Buy this book on Lulu.
Picture
Today's answer to The Well-Tempered Clavier. Exploring popular styles in all 15 keys, this is an invaluable resource for piano students and teachers at all levels. ​More...
Cover photo courtesy Tracy Kolenchuk http://www.pbase.com/tracyk/