{"key":"15020","name":"Keith Jarrett","bio":"Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA) is an American pianist and composer. He is considered one of the most important jazz pianists, renowned for his elaborate solo improvisations. As well as recording under his own name, he has recorded a number of albums as the Keith Jarrett Trio. In 2003, Jarrett received the Polar Music Prize, the first (and to this day only) recipient not to share the prize with a co-recipient, and in 2004 he received the L\u00e9onie Sonning Music Prize.Jarrett[ began piano lessons at the age of two and played for the first time on stage at the age of seven. In 1962 he played a self-composed two-hour concert, without the benefit of any prior formal instruction in orchestration or composition. After working with a wide variety of musicians, beginning in 1966, including Chet Baker, Lee Konitz and Art Blakey, he founded his own band in 1968 with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian. In 1971-1976 Dewey Redman (saxophone) joined the group and they played under the name the American Quartet. His work with Miles Davis between 1969 and 1971 gave his career an additional boost and the opportunity to play solo concerts such as the \"K\u00f6ln Concert\" (1975, Cologne, Germany), honoured by Time Magazine as Album of the year.Since the early 1970s, he has enjoyed a great deal of success, both artistic and commercial, in both classical and jazz music as a group leader and a solo performer. His improvisation technique combines jazz, classical, gospel, blues, and various ethnic-folk musics. He is considered by some, to be the \"Bach\" of jazz music. This title may have come from his recording of Bach`s Goldberg Variations, which, although it received many awards, was not entirely approved by critics. In the 1990`s he suffered CFS (Chronic fatigue syndrome) only to take up the piano again in 1998. He now works in a trio form with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette. In 2003 he received the \"Polar Music Prize\"\u2013the alternative Nobel prize for music and in 2004 he received the L\u00e9onie Sonning Music Prize.Jarrett stated in a 2005 TV interview that his music is influenced by the teachings and philosophy of Georges I. Gurdjieff, whom he honoured in \"Sacred Hymns\" (ECM, 1980). This philosophy informs many of his non-musical beliefs as well. In 2008, he was inducted into the Down Beat Hall of Fame in the magazine's 73rd Annual Readers' Poll.In 2010, to coincide with his 65th. birthday he released his first studio album in 12 years - Jasmine. It reunited Jarrett with his old bassist colleague Charlie Haden. The two had not recorded together for over 30 years and hopefully the success of this venture and their obvious enjoyment at playing together will mean more recording of this quality and in this vein in the future.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/15020_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"150,000 - 300,000"}

{"key":"15068","name":"Brad Mehldau","bio":"Brad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist born on August 23, 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida. He plays original compositions and jazz standards, as well as interpretations of non-jazz songs by The Beatles, Nick Drake, Radiohead and Soundgarden, for example. He has also contributed to movie soundtracks, including Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Space Cowboys (2000), The Million Dollar Hotel (2000). In 1994 he founded Brad Mehldau Trio, with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy; in 2005, Jeff Ballard replaced Rossy. Brad Mehldau started playing piano at the age of six, and has released more than ten albums.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/15068_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"15164","name":"Avishai Cohen","bio":"There are two artists of this name: an Israeli jazz bassist and an Israeli jazz trumpet player Avishai E. Cohen.1. Avishai Cohen (born 1970 in Jerusalem) is an Israeli jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He was raised by a musical family, and as a child he started playing piano. After a few years he moved to the bass guitar. Later, after playing in the army for a while, he moved to New York City. After performing some small clubs, he was noticed by Chick Corea and was given a record contract. He has performed in two of Chick Corea's bands, \"Origin\" and the \"Chick Corea New Trio\".After having recorded \"Adama\" in 1997 and \"Colors\" three years later, Avishai decided to create his own label in 2003. The label released its debut CD, \"Lyla\" in September 2003. In February of 2005 Razdaz Recordz released \"At Home\", an album that was arguably Avishai Cohen's most compelling and striking new recording to date. That is until the artist conceived of, and recorded his newest studio CD, the spectacularly beautiful, \"Continuo\". Cohen\u2019s third recording on his label Razdaz Recordz, and his seventh as a leader, was recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden in December 2005 with Avishai's core trio of pianist\/keyboardist Sam Barsh and drummer\/percussionist Mark Guiliana.New album \"Gently Disturbed\" released in 2008 performed by Avishai's trio. Avishai also shows more of his \"Avishai Cohen & Ensemble\" on their world tour.2. Avishai E. Cohen - trumpet player, who received the Clark Terry award. He recorded under his own name, with his brother and sister as the '3 Cohens', and with 'Third World Love'. Bio excerpt from his website (http:\/\/www.avishaicohenmusic.com\/):Albums under his own name are The Trumpet Player & After the Big Rain & Triveni II Avishai Cohen is a leading figure on the international jazz scene and one of the most sought-after players of his generation \u2014 \u201can assertive and accomplished trumpeter with a taste for modernism,\u201d according to Nate Chinen of The New York Times. Though deeply rooted in the bebop and post-bop tradition, Avishai is taking jazz in new directions, making waves as an improviser, composer and bandleader. Originally from Tel Aviv, he began performing at age 10. He toured the world with the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and went on to become the trumpet player of choice for many leading jazz, rock, pop, studio and television projects. He received a full scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and in 1997 he placed third in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz Trumpet Competition.Avishai came of age as part of the fertile scene at Smalls, the storied New York jazz club, where he developed his artistic vision alongside such friends and colleagues as pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Omer Avital and vocalist Claudia Acu\u00f1a. Here the imperatives of jazz tradition and innovation were not in conflict, but rather merged into one powerful creative stream. Avishai flourished in an environment where hard-driving swing, open-ended funk, Latin and Middle Eastern rhythms, complex extended forms and free improvisation converged under one roof, drawing enthusiastic audiences. All of Avishai\u2019s diverse work, as a leader, co-leader and sideman, is informed by this broad-minded legacy, which has given jazz new vitality and relevance in the 21st century.Avishai made his debut as a leader in 2003 with The Trumpet Player, a burning straightahead session with bassist John Sullivan (Roy Haynes), drummer Jeff Ballard (Chick Corea, Pat Metheny) and special guest Joel Frahm on tenor. His second album, After the Big Rain, is the last part of \u201cThe Big Rain Trilogy,\u201d a series of recordings that is now nearing completion. The trilogy also includes Before the Big Rain (part one), a large-group outing, and The Big Rain (part two), a trio encounter with Yonatan Avishai on piano and Daniel Freedman on percussion. Avishai\u2019s music is alternately moody and joyous, richly atmospheric yet beat-driven and grooving, suffused with compositional depth, inspired improvisation and a profound world-music influence. Avishai plays open and muted trumpet but also routes his horn through electronic effects that range from the dreamy to the snarling and distorted. He\u2019s been developing these sounds over the course of the last decade. \u201cWhen I play effects, I play a different instrument,\u201d he says. \u201cThe whole concept changes.\u201d Avishai\u2019s other credits range from touring with the celebrated French-American singer-songwriter Keren Ann, to sharing the stage with the great Bobby Hutcherson in the all-star San Francisco Jazz Collective. In addition, Avishai is the co-leader of Third World Love, with Omer Avital, drummer Daniel Freedman and pianist Yonatan Avishai, a group with four recordings to its credit. He also leads a funk-oriented band with bassist Me\u2019shell Ndegeocello and drummer Adam Deitch, and continues to perform extensively with the 3 Cohens, which he formed with his sister Anat and brother Yuval, both gifted reeds players. With his incredible instrumental skill and world-spanning musical interests, Avishai, in the words of critic Ben Ratliff, \u201chas all the power and tenacity he\u2019s going to need.Avishai is the chosen artist of Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation (IcExcellence) since 2004.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/15164_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"17200","name":"Esperanza Spalding","bio":"Born in 1984, bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding began playing in small jazz and blues venues around her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Soon after picking up the acoustic bass at the late age of 14, she helped form Noise For Pretend, an eclectic band fusing jazz and pop for which she sang and played bass (often simultaneously). The group signed with indie rock imprint Hush Records, which released two albums of their original compositions.Spalding continued to branch out, playing with jazz groups as well as leading her own septet and trio. In 2002 she joined the hip-hop group Black Science Tribe, which gained a sizable following touring along the West Coast.Since moving East to attend the Berklee College of Music, Ms. Spalding has regularly worked as a freelance bassist and singer, both locally and internationally. Ms. Spalding has worked with many notable Grammy-winning artists such as pianist Michel Camilo, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, saxophonist Joe Lovano, violinist Regina Carter, guitarist Pat Metheny, and singer Patti Austin. She has also performed as a member of the Boston Pops, with drummers Bill Stewart (John Scofield, Chris Potter, Joe Lovano), Terri-Lyne Carrington (Herbie Hancock), Mark Walker (Paquito D'Rivera), as well as guitarist Adam Rogers (Michael Brecker, Chris Potter), saxophonist Seamus Blake (Mingus Big Band, Bloomdaddies), and trumpeter Byron Stripling and performed as an opening act for comedian and sometimes-jazz drummer\/vocalist Bill Cosby.Recently, Ms. Spalding released her debut album as a leader, Junjo on the Barcelona based jazz label Ayva Music. Her CD features pianist Aruan Ortiz, and drummer Francisco Mela.She is the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship. Spalding holds a B.M. from Berklee College of Music, where she also enjoys the status as the youngest faculty member ever in the history of the College. Esperanza recently became a new artist represented by the Montuno management agency.In 2009 she played at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo(Norway), as the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Barack Obama, artist of choice. In 2011 she was awarded the Grammy for best new artist, the only Jazz musician to be awarded the Grammy.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/17200_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"75,000 - 150,000"}

{"key":"15465","name":"Erik Truffaz","bio":"Erik Truffaz (born in 1960 in Switzerland) received an early introduction into the world of a professional musician, thanks to his saxophone-playing dad. When he was ten years old, the French trumpeter began performing in his father's dance band. As he grew older, Truffaz performed with other bands in the region until he was 16 and heard Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. The great jazz trumpeter's music inspired him to learn more, and he set off for Switzerland's Geneva Conservatoire, where he became a student. Truffaz's repertoire expanded to works by Mozart and Verdi, and he performed as part of Orchestre de Suisse Romande. He also played in cover bands before establishing a group called Orange. The band concentrated on Truffaz's compositions. Among its members was Marc Erbetta, a drummer who continued to play with Truffaz as the trumpeter evolved. Truffaz's jazz fusion artistry led France's Jury du Concours National de la Defense to bestow upon him the 1991 Prix Special, that country's coveted jazz award. Within three years, he became a leader with the release of Nina Valeria. In 1991, he made the first of his three appearances on the stage of the Montreux Jazz Festival. For two years beginning in 1994, he toured Europe, Russia, and Brazil, thanks to funds bestowed by the ProHelvetia Foundation. In 2000, Truffaz signed with Blue Note records and released The Mask, a straight ahead jazz session with Miles Davis similarities. By his second Revisite and third Mantis discs, however, Truffaz began to stretch the boundries of contemporary jazz by incorporating drum'n'bass and hip-hop rhythms, establishing himself as a cutting edge artist in his own right. In 2003, both Walk of the Giant Turtle and Bending New Corners were issued on Blue Note. Saloua from 2005 expanded his interest in hip-hop by adding some rap.Discography : * Arhangelsk (2007) * Face-a-Face (2CD Live + DVD) (2006) * Saloua (2005) * The Walk Of The Giant Turtle (2003) * Magrouni (2002) * Revisite (2001) * Mantis (2001) * Bending New Corners (1999) * The Dawn (1998) * Out Of A Dream(1997) * Nina Valeria (1994)","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/15465_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"15067","name":"Jan Garbarek","bio":"Jan Garbarek (born March 4, 1947 in Mysen, Norway) a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was the only child of former Polish prisoner of war, Czes\u0142aw Garbarek, and a Norwegian farmer's daughter. Garbarek grew up in Oslo. At 21, he married Vigdis. Their daughter Anja Garbarek is also a musician.Garbarek's sound is one of the hallmarks of the ECM record label, which has released virtually all of his recordings. His style incorporates a sharp-edged tone, long, keening, sustained notes strongly reminiscent of Islamic prayer calls, and generous use of silence. He began his recording career in the late 1960s, notably featuring on recordings by the American jazz composer George Russell (such as Othello Ballet Suite and Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature). If he had initially appeared as a devotee of Albert Ayler and Peter Br\u00f6tzmann, by 1973 he had turned his back on the harsh dissonances of avant-garde jazz, retaining only his tone from his previous approach.As a composer, Garbarek tends to draw heavily from Scandinavian folk melodies, a legacy of his Ayler influence. He is also a pioneer of ambient jazz composition, most notably on his 1976 album Dis. This textural approach, which rejects traditional notions of thematic improvisation (best exemplified by Sonny Rollins) in favor of a style described by critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton as \"sculptural in its impact\", has been critically divisive. After recording a string of unheralded avant-garde albums, Garbarek rose to international prominence in the mid-1970s playing post-bop jazz, both as a leader and as a member of Keith Jarrett's successful \"European Quartet.\" He achieved considerable commercial success in Europe with Dis, a meditative collaboration with guitarist Ralph Towner that featured the distinctive sound of a wind harp on several tracks. (Selections from Dis have been used as incidental music in several feature films and documentaries.) In the 1980s, Garbarek's music began to incorporate synthesizers and elements of world music. In 1993, during the Gregorian chant craze, his album Officium, a collaboration with early music vocal performers the Hilliard Ensemble, became one of ECM's biggest-selling albums of all time, reaching the pop charts in several European countries. (Its sequel, Mnemosyne, followed in 1999.) In 2005, his album In Praise of Dreams was nominated for a Grammy.In addition to the selections from Dis, Garbarek has also composed music for several other European films, including French and Norwegian films. Also his song 'Rites' was used in the American film The Insider.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/15067_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"16257","name":"Robert Glasper","bio":"Robert Glasper was raised in Houston, Texas. His mother was his first and strongest musical influence. Mrs. Glasper not only played piano and sang gospel music in the family's church, she led a band that worked the city's jazz and blues club circuit as well. By the age of twelve, young Robert was playing piano in that church. \"Gospel music is built on emotion and spirituality; you go to church and leave crying,\" he smiles. \"It definitely just gave me that sensitivity and knowing how to reach people and knowing how to be in tune with your feelings and the emotion of the music. My thing is, it helps me relate to the audience 'cause they're gonna give you what you give them. When you bring the crowd into your world, you can do anything you want.\"By the time he reached adolescence, Robert knew his destiny was to be a jazz musician. He was accepted to the Houston's famed High School for the Performing Arts (\"Jason Moran went there before me.\"). Post-graduation, Glasper enrolled at New School University in Manhattan. Soon after arrival, he hooked up with future bandmember Reid and vocalist Bilal, an old schoolmate. As an undergrad, Glasper gigged with Christian McBride, Russell Malone and Kenny Garrett. Professional life after the New School was even sweeter: stints with Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Terence Blanchard, Carmen Lundy, and Carly Simon.The Bilal connection brought the pianist back to hip-hop. Glasper's contributions to Bilal's debut and subsequent tour brought him to the attention of Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest). \"Tip would come hang out at my shows, and one day he called me and said, \u2018I'm doing this tour and I need you to play keys. Can you do it?\u2019\u201d He's also since played with Mos Def, and is featured prominently on Bilal's forthcoming sophomore release.In 2003, Glasper's first album Mood was released on indie label Fresh Sound New Talent, and two years later, Blue Note came calling. At Blue Note, Glasper joins a jazz piano legacy that stretches back to 1939, beginning with Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, and continuing through Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Andrew Hill, Cecil Taylor, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jacky Terrasson, Jason Moran and Bill Charlap. Undaunted, Glasper reflects, \u201cI\u2019m just happy to be a part of the Blue Note family and its rich history.\u201d\u2013 From Glasper's Official Website","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/16257_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"17883","name":"Paul Hardcastle","bio":"British synth player, born December 10, 1958. Enjoyed success on the underground dance scene in the early 80's before breaking into the mainstream with \"19\", an international smash which spent five weeks at number one in the UK. In the latter half of the 1980s he specialised in TV soundtrack work. He made the theme tunes for Top of The Pops and Saturday Live, popular British entertainment shows. Paul now records mainly under the pseudonym Jazzmasters.Early tracks of note include the popular 'Rain Forest' and 'King Tut', both were big dance hits in the U.S.Paul was also half of the pop-funk duo Kiss the Sky.Paul has also remixed countless artists including 'D-Train', 'Third World', 'Barry White', 'Five Star' to name but a few!","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/17883_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"15911","name":"Brian Culbertson","bio":"Brian Culbertson (born January 12, 1973) is a smooth jazz musician and instrumentalist from Decatur, Illinois, United States. Son of jazz band director and trumpeter Jim Culbertson, Brian's instruments include the keyboard and trombone.Heavily influenced by funk, much of Culbertson's material is funk-based instrumental, but in recent years has called upon vocalists such as Trey Lorenz, Kenny Lattimore, Will Downing, Faith Evans, and Avant, to add to his pieces.Culbertson has released twelve albums so far. The first three were on the Blue Moon label: Long Night Out (1994), After Hours (1995) and Modern Life (1995). After moving to the Atlantic label, three more albums followed: Secrets (1997), Somethin' Bout Love (1999), and the critically acclaimed Nice and Slow (2001). Come on Up (2003) was released on Warner Jazz, and Culbertson then moved to GRP for his next albums It's On Tonight (2005), A soulful Christmas (2006), and Bringing back the funk (2008). Then Culbertson moved to Verve for his next album Live from the inside (2009). His latest work XII was released by GRP (2010).Brian Culbertson also works with many other musicians in the smooth jazz arena, often as a composer and arranger. Culbertson is credited with working with Dave Koz, Peter White, Richard Elliot and Michael Lington to name but a few.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/15911_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"30,000 - 50,000"}