Remember back to when you were 14-years-old. What were you doing? At fourteen most kids were in eighth or ninth grade. What was your favorite activity to pass the time? Were you able to play a classic boogie woogie song on the piano?
Luca Sestak at the age of 14 was not only playing boogie woogie classics on the piano, he was creating his own original arrangements to classic boogie woogie songs.
Luca Sestak is a German pianist that has been performing since a very young age. Most people begin their professional career after they become an adult but not Luca.
Before Luca turned 18 he had “won various prizes for talented young musicians, performed at international festivals and appeared as the supporting act for Jazz legend Stanley Clarke and the big band of German Superstar Udo Jürgens.”
Luca created his own arrangement to the classic boogie woogie piece, “Swanee River Boogie.” The original piece was created by boogie woogie legend Albert Ammons.
Boogie Woogie is a specific type of jazz music that was most popular during the 1920s through the 1940s. Boogie Woogie has certain characteristics to make it stand out.
Jazz in America lists some of the characteristics as, “…Volume was produced by physical strength. Form was always a blues; songs had no real beginning or ending. Return to breaks to create tension and to rest the left hand. Emphasis on rhythm rather than melody. Boogie Woogie patterns were personalized much like the field hollers and hawking cries. Percussive and rugged. Uneven and unpredictable.”
Luka’s piano solo is pure boogie woogie.
Luka is not playing just playing the music, he is feeling the music. Luka cannot help but move along with the song, as he plays with such ease. “Swanee Boogie Woogie” is a hard song to play, partly because of its speed. This does not scare Luka away from it, his fingers fly over the piano keys perfectly. Jazz in America lists resting the left hand as a boogie woogie characteristic and Luka does this multiple times.
You will want to watch his performance at least twice, just to watch how each hand play the keys so differently.
Luka Sestak was only 14 when he performed this piano solo. He is now 25 years old and his talent has only grown. He still performs with his piano but he is also a singer now. Luka signed with Sony Records and released his debut album as a singer, pianist and songwriter.
His music can be found on iTunes or Spotify if you become a fan after watching his talented performance.
You will not be alone in becoming a Luka Sestak fan. This video alone has over 8.9 million views and over three thousand comments. Some commented,
“No amount of tuition can teach piano playing like this. This is pure talent and at 14 years old , wow !”
“This kid is a real Pro.. Anyone who makes it look this easy has mastered it.. BRAVO ! ! !”
“I have never had so much urge to applaud a YouTube video in my life.”
Watch Luka’s full boogie woogie piano piece right below!
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