Bill Mays Dick Whittington from San Francisco is a capable pianist himself, but he became famous mainly for the concerts that he and his wife organised at their home and that became known as the “live at Maybeck Recital Hall” series. All famous jazz pianists you can think of were invited by them, making their catalogue look like a “Who is Who”. Pianist Bill Mays, originally from California and a New Yorker for only a quarter of a century, is 26th on the list.