Joanne Brackeen

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Joanne Brackeen (born July 26, 1938 in Ventura (California) as Jo Anne Grogan ) is an American jazz pianist and university teacher.

Live and act

Brackeen learned the piano at the age of eleven by playing the solos of Frankie Carle's records and also playing her “inner music” on the instrument. She had later only a few music lessons, and left in 1958 after only three days, the Conservatory of Los Angeles . A little later followed first appearances with Dexter Gordon , Teddy Edwards , Harold Land , Bobby Hutcherson , Don Cherry , Charlie Haden and Charles Lloyd . She also worked on some soul jazz albums by vibraphonist Freddie McCoy . After marrying saxophonist Charles Brackeen (now divorced), she had to withdraw from the scene in order to raise her children (2 daughters, 2 sons). In 1966, since moving to New York City , she reappeared in public. In 1969 she worked with Woody Shaw and David Liebman . Between 1969 and 1972 Brackeen was the first female member of Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers . This was followed by engagements with Joe Henderson (1972–75) and Stan Getz (1975–1977, to be heard on Getz / Gilberto '76 ) before she - established as an outstanding pianist - founded her own trios and quartets. a. Ravi Coltrane , Eddie Gomez , Jack DeJohnette , Cecil McBee and Billy Hart played. She also performed solo - e.g. B. Carnegie Hall - on.

Brackeen has processed the entire history of jazz - including abstraction and fusion. Their musical range extends from standards to modal jazz to free improvisation. She has now composed over 300 pieces. Her compositions, some with shifted rhythms and idiosyncratic melodies, come from tradition, but often sound like hardbop . Her flexibility and productivity ensure her a place as a high-level pianist in jazz criticism - Leonard Feather , for example, noted that she was as important to the 1980s as Bill Evans or Herbie Hancock to the 1960s and Keith Jarrett and McCoy Tyner to the 1970s. Her album Pink Elephant Magic was nominated for a Grammy in 1999. Although she learned the jazz piano by herself, Joanne Brackeen has been a professor at Berklee College of Music since 1994 .

Discography

Year of admission title Label Personnel / comments
1975 Snooze Choice Trio, with Cecil McBee , Billy Hart , also released under the title Six Ate on Candid
1976 Invitation Freedom Trio, with Clint Houston , Billy Hart
1976 New True Illusion Timeless Duo, with Clint Houston
1977 Tring-a-Ling Choice Trio with Clint Houston, Billy Hart; Quartet with Michael Brecker , Cecil McBee, Billy Hart
1977 AFT Timeless Trio, with Ryo Kawasaki , Clint Houston
1978 Trinkets and Things Timeless Duo, with Ryo Kawasaki
1978 Prism Choice Duo, with Eddie Gómez (bass)
1978 Mythical Magic MPS Solo piano
1979 Keyed In Tappan Zee / Columbia Trio, with Eddie Gómez, Jack DeJohnette
1980 Ancient Dynasty Tappan Zee / Columbia Quartet, with Joe Henderson , Eddie Gómez, Jack DeJohnette
1981 Special identity Antilles Trio, with Eddie Gómez, Jack DeJohnette
1985 Havin 'fun Concord Records Trio, it Cecil McBee, Al Foster
1986 Fi-Fi Goes to Heaven Concord Jazz with Terence Blanchard , Branford Marsalis , Cecil McBee, Al Foster
1989 Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume 1 Concord Jazz Solo piano
1991 Breath of Brazil Concord Jazz Quartet, with Eddie Gómez, Duduka da Fonseca , Waltinho Anastácio
1991 Is It Really True Connex Trio, with Walter Schmocker, Billy Hart
1991 Where Legends Dwell Ken Trio, with Eddie Gómez, Jack DeJohnette
1992 Turnaround Evidence Quartet, with Donald Harrison , Cecil McBee, Marvin "Smitty" Smith
1993 Take a chance Concord Jazz Quartet, with Eddie Gómez , Duduka da Fonseca, Waltinho Anastácio
1994 Power Talk Turnipseed Trio, with Ira Coleman , Tony Reedus ; Live recording
1999 Pink Elephant Magic Arkadia Jazz Solo piano; Trio with John Patitucci , Horacio Hernández ; Quartet with Chris Potter , Patitucci, Hernandez; Quintet, additionally with Nicholas Payton ; Sextet, additionally with Jamey Haddad (percussion); Quartet with Patitucci, Hernandez, Dave Liebman ; Quintet, additionally with Kurt Elling
2000 Popsicle illusion Arkadia Jazz Solo piano

Honors

Quotes

"Brackeen, like Picasso, broke convention, and she always likely will."

- Marian McPartland

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Brackeen, Joanne
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Grogan, Jo Anne
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz pianist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH July 26, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Ventura (California) , USA