Kris Bowers
Kris Bowers | |
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![]() Bowers at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival | |
Background information | |
Born | 1989 (age 34–35) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Jazz, classical, electronic, ambient |
Occupation(s) | Composer, musician |
Instrument(s) | Piano, keyboards |
Years active | 2010s–present |
Website | krisbowers |
Kristopher Bowers (born 1989) is an American composer and pianist. He has composed scores for films, including Green Book, King Richard, and television series, among them Bridgerton, Mrs. America, Dear White People, and When They See Us.
Bower is a recipient of a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for Amazon Prime's adaptation of The Snowy Day. His works gave him multiple nominations at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Critics' Choice Awards. Bowers is also an Academy Awards nominee for his co-directing work of A Concerto Is a Conversation for Best Documentary Short Subject.
During his career Bowers has recorded, performed, and collaborated with Jay-Z, Kanye West, and José James.
Life and career
Bowers was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1989.[1] His father is a film and television writer, and his mother is an executive at DirecTV.[2] Although neither of his parents received more than a high school education,[3][time needed] they wanted their son to play the piano, so they played recordings of pianists while he was still in the womb. They sent him to lessons beginning at the age of 4.[2] He had private classical music lessons starting at around the age of 9.[2] He listened to "classic soul records and hip-hop before falling under the spell of jazz, classical music, and film scores."[1] Bowers studied jazz and classical piano at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts[1] where his teachers included Mulgrew Miller and Donald Vega.[4] He studied jazz at Colburn School for Performing Arts.[5] He graduated in 2006[5] then attended Juilliard and obtained a bachelor's and master's degree in jazz performance.[1] While a student, he performed frequently in New York City.[1]
In the same year, Bowers played on Watch the Throne, a Jay Z and Kanye West album.[6] He then toured with Marcus Miller during 2012.[7] He has collaborated with musicians in several genres.[8][9]
In late 2013, he recorded his debut album Heroes + Misfits (Concord, 2014).[10] An AllMusic reviewer commented that the pianist was "based in jazz but with an ear for contemporary R&B, film scores, and electronic music".[10] The album premiered at No. 1 on the iTunes Jazz charts.[11]
In 2014, Bowers performed at the International Jazz Day Concert in Japan,[12][13] the Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain,[14] and at the London Jazz Festival.[15] In 2016, Bowers was invited to perform at The White House for the International Jazz Day Concert hosted by President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama.[16]
In 2020 Bowers and Ben Proudfoot codirected the short documentary film A Concerto Is a Conversation, centering on Bowers's conversations with his grandfather about personal and family history.[17] The film, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, was an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary (Short Subject) at the 93rd Academy Awards.[18]
In May 2022, the Monterey Jazz Festival commissioned Bowers to compose a work, which he presented that September at the annual event. The piece, Ásylo (Greek for "sanctuary"), commemorates the 30th anniversary of the nearby Monterey National Marine Sanctuary. Bowers had previously performed at the festival as a high school student for three years starting in 2003.[19][20]
Film scoring
His first film composition was for the 2013 documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me.[21] Two years later Bowers' work on the 2015 Showtime documentary Kobe Bryant's Muse gained him attention as an up-and-coming composer well-versed in a wide range of compositional styles.[22] In the same year, he scored two other Showtime documentaries: I Am Giant[6] about the football player Victor Cruz and Play It Forward about Tony Gonzalez. He was one of six composers invited to the Sundance Composers Lab in 2015.[23]
Bowers also worked on the documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You and the film Little Boxes, as well as the television programs Religion of Sports and Dear White People.[24][25] Also in 2016, Bowers composed music for the Amazon children's Christmas special, The Snowy Day, based on the 1962 book of the same title by Ezra Jack Keats.[26][27] It was for this show that Bowers received a Daytime Emmy in 2017.[28][29][30]
During the same period, basketball player Kobe Bryant approached Bowers about composing music for his post-basketball transition into film and television production.[6] When asked about the choice to create an original piece of music for an advertisement, Bryant said, "I thought it was very important for the brand to have an anthem... that's a Bodyarmor 'Obsession is Natural' track."[31]
Bowers wrote the score for the 2018 film Green Book.[32] He was also the piano teacher for the film's star, Mahershala Ali, and was Ali's stand in for some close ups of hands playing.[32]
Bowers wrote the score for Ava DuVernay's 2019 mini-series When They See Us.[33] He said that he took on the project after watching the first episode: "It was so heartbreaking and difficult to watch and gut-wrenching" with an urgent story to tell.[34]
Bowers composed the score for Netflix's period drama, Bridgerton, telling Headliner Magazine: "I think that it's really easy to make a love story cheesy; to make a love story that really feels like it's saying something a little different is a challenge, and I felt like this was doing that." He also shared that despite the huge-sounding orchestral recording, it was all done remotely during lockdown: "We did it all remotely, so when you're hearing this huge orchestral sound, it's really just eight musicians that are at home recording themselves and layering themselves over and over again!"
Bowers wrote the score of the 2021 film Space Jam: A New Legacy.[35][36] and the 2022 film Chevalier.[37]
Collaborating and performing
In 2015, Bowers teamed up with the choreographer Kyle Abraham, to create Absent Matter, which premiered at the Joyce Theater in New York City.[38] During the following year, Bowers and Abraham collaborated again on Untitled America for Alvin Ailey.[39][40]
Bowers performed at the White House for the 2016 International Jazz Day, hosted by President of the United States Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.[41] Bowers participated as a composer in the Sundance Film Composers Lab at Skywalker Sound in 2015.[42]
Bowers has paired his music with extensive and immersive dining experiences. In 2016, he was hired by Bang & Olufsen to create a score to accompany a multi-course meal prepared by chef Fredrik Berselius, founder of Aska.[43] In 2017, Krug commissioned Bowers to write compositions inspired by and paired with a signature Krug champagne.[44]
Artistry
In a review of one of his early shows as a bandleader, The New York Times referred to Bowers' playing as "serious, thoughtful, organized, restrained; he made the piano sound good. His set had range and ambition and said something strong, sweet, and normative about phrasing and rhythm in jazz right now."[45]
Bowers' influences include "Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly ('for his comping and incredible feel'), Duke Ellington ('for his compositions'), Ahmad Jamal and Count Basie",[7] as well as John Williams.[46]
Awards and honors
Ceremony | Year | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | 2021 | Best Documentary Short Subject | A Concerto Is a Conversation (with Ben Proudfoot) | Nominated | [47] |
Black Reel Awards | 2019 | Outstanding Music (Comedy, Drama or Limited Series) | When They See Us | Nominated | [48] |
2022 | Outstanding Original Score | Respect | Nominated | [49] | |
Outstanding Musical Score (TV Movie or Limited Series) | Bridgerton | Nominated | |||
Critics' Choice Awards | 2018 | Best Score | Green Book | Nominated | [50] |
Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2017 | Outstanding Music Direction and Composition | The Snowy Day (with Rossanna S. Wright) | Won | [51][52] |
Grammy Awards | 2020 | Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella | "Blue Skies" | Nominated | [53] |
2022 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Bridgerton | Nominated | ||
Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 2018 | Best Original Score in a Feature Film | Green Book | Nominated | [54] |
2019 | Best Original Score in a TV Show/Limited Series | When They See Us | Won | [55] | |
2021 | Best Original Score in a Feature Film | King Richard | Nominated | [56] | |
Best Original Song in a TV Show/Limited Series | "Together All the Way" from Dear White People (with Siedah Garrett) | Nominated | |||
NAACP Image Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album | Bridgerton Season Two (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) | Nominated | [57] |
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2019 | Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special | "Part 2" in When They See Us | Nominated | [58] |
2020 | "Reagan" in Mrs. America | Nominated | |||
2021 | Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | Bridgerton (with Michael Dean Parsons) | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series | "Diamond of the First Water" in Bridgerton | Nominated | |||
San Francisco International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Family Film | A Concerto Is a Conversation (with Ben Proudfoot) | Nominated | [59] |
Special Jury Award | Won | ||||
Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Original Score for a Television or Streaming Production | When They See Us | Nominated | [60] |
2022 | Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production | "Together All the Way" in Dear White People (with Siedah Garrett) | Nominated | [61] | |
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition | 2011 | Himself | Won | [62] | |
World Soundtrack Awards | 2019 | Discovery of the Year | Green Book | Nominated | [63] |
Television Composer of the Year | When They See Us | Nominated |
Honor
- Honor - DownBeat magazine: “25 for the Future”, 2016[64]
- Honor - ROBIE Pioneer Award from the Jackie Robinson Foundation, 2019.[65]
Discography
An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.
As leader/co-leader
Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Heroes + Misfits | Concord | With Adam Agati (guitar), Burniss Earl Travis II (electric bass), Jamire Williams (drums); some tracks with Casey Benjamin (alto sax, vocoder) added; some tracks with Kenneth Whalum III (tenor sax) added; vocalists added are Chris Turner (3 tracks), Julia Easterlin (1 track), José James (1 track) |
As sideman
Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
2010–11 | Jay Z and Kanye West | Watch the Throne | Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam |
2013* | Etienne Charles | Creole Soul | Culture Shock |
Next Collective | Cover Art | Concord | |
2014* | Robin Eubanks | Klassik Rock, Vol. 1 | Artist Share |
José James | While You Were Sleeping | Blue Note | |
Takuya Kuroda | Rising Son | ||
Harvey Mason | Chameleon | Concord Jazz | |
2016* | A Tribe Called Quest | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | Epic |
2017* | Maurice Brown | The Mood | Ropeadope |
Works
Films
Year | Title | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Little Boxes | Rob Meyer | |
2018 | Monsters and Men | Reinaldo Marcus Green | |
Green Book[32] | Peter Farrelly | ||
2020 | Bad Hair | Justin Simien | |
2021 | The United States vs. Billie Holiday | Lee Daniels | |
Space Jam: A New Legacy[35] | Malcolm D. Lee | Replaced Hans Zimmer | |
Respect | Liesl Tommy | ||
King Richard | Reinaldo Marcus Green | ||
2022 | Chevalier | Stephen Williams | |
2023 | Haunted Mansion | Justin Simien | |
The Color Purple | Blitz Bazawule |
Television
Documentaries
Year | Title | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Seeds of Time[67] | Sandy McLeod | |
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me[68] | Chiemi Karasawa | Credited as Kristopher Bowers | |
2015 | Kobe Bryant's Muse[69] | Gotham Chopra | |
I Am Giant: Victor Cruz[66] | |||
Play It Forward[66] | Andrea Blaugrund Nevins | ||
2017 | Copwatch[70] | Camilla Hall |
Video games
Year | Title | Studio | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Madden NFL 20 | EA Sports | |
2020 | Madden NFL 21[71] |
References
- ^ a b c d e Collar, Matt. "Kris Bowers". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ a b c Thomas, Greg (26 January 2012). "Still a Juilliard jazz student, Kris Bowers plays award-winning Monk with knowing, modern edge". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ All of the Above, Podcast. All of the Above Podcast. PodcastOne.
- ^ Murph, John (25 March 2014). "Kris Bowers: New Power Generation". JazzTimes. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ a b Beener, Angelika "On the Rise: A Conversation with Kris Bowers". nextbop.com. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Tinubu, Aramide (23 May 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: Kris Bowers On Scoring 'Dear White People,' Loving Music & Working With Kobe Bryant - JetMag.com". JetMag.com. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ a b Micallef, Ken (April 2014) "Kris Bowers – Cinematic Listening". Down Beat. p. 24.
- ^ "Jose James and Kris Bowers Live at Sculler's in Boston". nextbop.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Jose James, Kris Bowers". Chicago Reader. 23 September 2009. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ a b Collar, Matt "Kris Bowers – Heroes + Misfits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ "Kris Bowers". Harlem Arts Festival. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
- ^ "Kris Bowers Photos Photos: International Jazz Day in Osaka". Zimbio. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Global Concert 2014". International Jazz Day. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Festival Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz | 39 Edición: Del 11 al 15 de Julio de 2017". www.jazzvitoria.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ Flynn, Mike. "Kris Bowers at XOYO, London – EFG London Jazz Festival". Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ music, Guardian (2016-03-31). "Barack Obama to host International Jazz Day concert at White House". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ Matthew Carey, "Grandfather, Grandson: Two Generations Meet Face To Face In Oscar-Shortlisted ‘A Concerto Is A Conversation’". Deadline Hollywood, March 5, 2021.
- ^ Victoria Ahearn, "Canada's Ben Proudfoot up for Oscar for short doc ‘A Concerto is a Conversation’". Toronto Star, March 15, 2021.
- ^ Mergner, Lee (May 24, 2022). "Kris Bowers Commissioned by Monterey Jazz Festival". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ "Kris Bowers Commissioned to Create and Present Exclusive Work at Monterey Jazz Festival". Monterey Jazz Festival. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ Beachum, Zach Laws, Chris (2017-05-25). "Kris Bowers ('Dear White People' composer): The show is 'speaking to a lot of people's truths'". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Kris Bowers: A Muse to Musicians". bingemagazine.com. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Sundance Institute and Skywalker Sound Announce Independent Filmmakers and Film Composers for July Music and Sound Design Labs". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Composer and Jazzman: Kris Bowers on Dear White People". magazine.scoreit.org. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Kris Bowers on Composing Netflix's Adaptation Of 'Dear White People'". Awards Daily. 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
- ^ a b "The Snowy Day is Amazon's beautiful, hopeful addition to television Christmas specials". The Verge. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "The Snowy Day, Emmy-winning Holiday Special". www.ezra-jack-keats.org. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2017-04-29). "Amazon & Netflix Lead Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners - Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Daytime Emmys: DreamWorks' 21 Nominations Tops Animation Competition". Animation Magazine. 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ Montgomery, Daniel (2017-06-30). "'Dear White People' renewed for season 2 by Netflix, so curb your microaggressions!". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Creative Director Kobe Bryant Leads Bodyarmor's First Multi-Million Dollar National Ad Campaign". SportTechie. 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ a b c O'Connell, Sean J. (February 2019). "Bowers Explores Shirley's Work for 'Green Book' Film". DownBeat. Vol. 86, no. 2. p. 23.
- ^ a b "Kris Bowers to Score Ava DuVernay's Netflix Series 'When They See Us' | Film Music Reporter". Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- ^ "Composer Kris Bowers on the Urgency to Tell the Story of 'When They See Us'". The Hollywood Reporter. 2019-08-09. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
- ^ a b "Kris Bowers to Score Malcolm D. Lee's 'Space Jam 2' | Film Music Reporter". Retrieved 2020-08-05.
- ^ "A Surprise "Space Jam 2" Teaser Reveals LeBron James in Tune Squad Jersey | Motion Pictures Association". Retrieved 2020-08-05.
- ^ "Kris Bowers Scoring Stephen Williams' 'Chevalier' | Film Music Reporter". Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ "Kyle Abraham / Abraham.In.Motion – The Quiet Dance, Absent Matter, The Gettin'". DanceTabs. 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - April 27–30 Wang Theatre". www.celebrityseries.org. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Alvin Ailey's 'Untitled America' tackles mass incarceration". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "The International Jazz Day Global Concert 2016". jazzday.com. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "Sundance Institute and Skywalker Sound Announce Independent Filmmakers and Film Composers for July Music and Sound Design Labs". sundance.org. June 30, 2015.
- ^ "Bang & Olufsen – The Future Series". Decon. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Photos: Krug Journey Southampton with Eleven Madison Park". Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ Ratliff, Ben (2011-12-02). "Kris Bowers at Jazz Gallery - Review". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ Warmann, Amon (2018-06-22). "Kris Bowers, composer behind Netflix's Dear White People and up-coming film, Green Book". Lift-Off Global Network. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ "The 93rd Academy Awards | 2021". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "The 3rd Annual Black Reel Awards for Television (BRATs)". 2 August 2019.
- ^ Tinoco, Armando (August 14, 2022). "Black Reel TV Awards: Quinta Brunson & 'Abbott Elementary' Lead Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ Tapley, Kristopher (December 10, 2018). "'The Favourite,' 'Black Panther,' 'First Man' Lead Critics' Choice Movie Nominations". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- ^ "The 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). New York City: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ "The 44th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners" (PDF). New York City: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. April 28, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- ^ "Kris Bowers". Grammy Awards. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ "The 3rd Annual Black Reel Awards for Television (BRATs)". 2 August 2019.
- ^ Willman, Chris (2019-11-25). "Alan Silvestri, Cynthia Erivo, Bebe Rexha Among Hollywood Music in Media Award Winners". Variety. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ Grein, Paul (November 4, 2021). "Ariana Grande, Beyonce & More Vie for Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Complete Film Nominations List". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Grein, Paul (January 12, 2023). "Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar Lead Music Nominations for 2023 NAACP Image Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "Kris Bowers: Awards & Nominations". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ "2021 SFFILM Festiva". San Francisco International Film Festival. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (January 8, 2023). "'Joker' Composer Hildur Gudnadóttir Scores Big at Inaugural Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (March 9, 2023). "'Encanto,' 'No Time to Die' and 'Don't Look Up' Among Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ "Pianist Kris Bowers Wins 2011 Thelonious Monk Competition". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ Bell, BreAnna (August 13, 2019). "Lady Gaga, Post Malone Among 2019 World Soundtrack Awards Nominees". Variety. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Murph, John (July 2016). "25 for the Future / Kris Bowers". DownBeat. Vol. 83, no. 7. Chicago. p. 33. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
- ^ "Kristopher Bowers". Jackie Robinson Foundation. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- ^ a b c Murph, John (July 2016) "Kris Bowers". Down Beat. p. 33.
- ^ DeFore, John (March 25, 2014) "Seeds of Time: SXSW Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (February 20, 2014). "Recalling Velvet, Pretzels and Beer, She's Still Here". The New York Times.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (February 17, 2015) "TV Review: 'Kobe Bryant's Muse'". Variety.
- ^ "'Copwatch' Documentary Profiles WeCopWatch Members". EURweb. 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- ^ "Madden NFL 21 Soundtrack". 14 August 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020 – via EA Sports.
External links
- Kris Bowers at IMDb
- "Piano Jazz with John Weber". NPR 2012 interview and solo and duo piano performances.
- "Composer Kris Bowers Unpacks the Idea of ‘Black Excellence’: ‘It Exists in the Small Moments of Every Day’". Variety Artisans column
- "How ‘Bridgerton’ Composer Kris Bowers Set Up a 'Dangerous Connection' in Season 2". Hollywood Reporter podcast
- Wikipedia articles needing time reference citations from November 2018
- 1989 births
- 20th-century African-American people
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- 21st-century American composers
- 21st-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American pianists
- 21st-century jazz composers
- African-American electronic musicians
- African-American film score composers
- African-American jazz composers
- African-American jazz musicians
- African-American jazz pianists
- African-American record producers
- Ambient composers
- American jazz composers
- American male film score composers
- American film score composers
- American male jazz composers
- American male jazz musicians
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- American television composers
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