Stanley Cowell
Stanley Cowell | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | May 5, 1941
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation | Musician |
Instrument | Piano |
Labels | Strata-East, SteepleChase |
Stanley Cowell (born May 5, 1941) is an American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label.
Early life
Cowell was born in Toledo, Ohio.[1] He began playing the piano at around the age of four, "and first became interested in jazz after gaining exposure to the music of pianist Art Tatum, a family friend".[1] "After high school, he attended both the Oberlin College Conservatory and the University of Michigan, during which time he also gained valuable experience playing with Rahsaan Roland Kirk".[1] He moved to New York in the mid-1960s.[1]
Later life and career
Cowell played with Marion Brown, Max Roach, Bobby Hutcherson, Clifford Jordan, Harold Land, Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz.[2] Cowell played with trumpeter Charles Moore and others in the Detroit Artist's Workshop Jazz Ensemble in 1965–66. During the late 1980s Cowell was part of a regular quartet led by J.J. Johnson.[3] Cowell taught in the Music Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Discography
As leader
Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | Blues for the Viet Cong | Freedom | Trio, with Steve Novosel (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums); also released as Travellin' Man by Black Lion |
1969 | Brilliant Circles | Freedom | With Woody Shaw (trumpet, maracas), Tyrone Washington (tenor sax, flute, clarinet, maracas, tambourine), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Reggie Workman (bass, electric bass), Joe Chambers (drums) |
1972 | Illusion Suite | ECM | Trio, with Stanley Clarke (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums) |
1972 | Handscapes | Strata-East | As The Piano Choir; with Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis, Harold Mabern, Danny Mixon and Sonelius Smith (piano, electric piano, vocals, percussion, African piano, harpsichord) |
1973 | Musa: Ancestral Streams | Strata-East | Solo piano, electric piano, kalimba |
1974 | Handscapes 2 | Strata-East | As The Piano Choir; with Sonelius Smith (piano, electric piano), Ron Burton, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis and Harold Mabern (piano), Mtume, Jimmy Hopps and John Lewis (percussion) |
1975 | Regeneration | Strata-East | With Marion Brown (wooden flute), Jimmy Heath (soprano sax, flute, alto flute), John Stubblefield (zuna), Jerry Venable (guitar), Psyche Wanzandae (harmonica, flute), Bill Lee (bass), Aleke Kanonu (bass drum, vocals), Billy Higgins (drums, gembhre, percussion), Ed Blackwell (water drum, parade drum, percussion), Nadi Quamar (mama-lekimbe, percussion, Madigascan harp), Charles Fowlkes (vocals, electric bass), Glenda Barnes and Kareema (vocals) |
1977 | Waiting for the Moment | Galaxy | Solo piano, electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer, kalimba |
1978? | Talkin' 'bout Love | Galaxy | |
1978 | Equipoise | Galaxy | Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Roy Haynes (drums) |
1981 | New World | Galaxy | |
1985? | Live at Cafe Des Copains | Unisson | |
1987 | We Three | DIW | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Frederick Waits (drums) |
1989 | Back to the Beautiful | Concord Jazz | One track solo piano; most tracks trio, with Santi Debriano (bass), Joe Chambers (drums); some tracks quartet, with Steve Coleman (alto sax, soprano sax) added |
1989 | Sienna | SteepleChase | Trio, with Ron McClure (bass), Keith Copeland (drums) |
1990 | Close to You Alone | DIW | Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Ronnie Burrage (drums) |
1990 | Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Five | Concord Jazz | Solo piano |
1990 | Departure No. 2 | SteepleChase | Trio, with Bob Cranshaw (bass), Keith Copeland (drums) |
1991 | Games | SteepleChase | Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums) |
1993 | Bright Passion | SteepleChase | Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums) |
1993 | Angel Eyes | SteepleChase | Solo piano |
1993 | Live at Copenhagen Jazz House | SteepleChase | Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums); in concert |
1993 | Setup | SteepleChase | Sextet, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Dick Griffin (trombone), Rick Margitza (tenor sax), Peter Washington (bass), Billy Hart (drums) |
1995 | Mandara Blossoms | SteepleChase | With Billy Pierce (tenor sax), Jeff Halsey (bass), Ralph Peterson (drums), Karen Francis (vocals) |
1996 | Hear Me One | SteepleChase | With Bruce Williams (alto sax), Dwayne Burno, Keith Copeland |
1999 | Dancers in Love | Venus | Trio, with Tarus Mateen (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums) |
2007 | Death Is the Communion | 3D | |
2010? | Prayer for Peace | SteepleChase | With Mike Richmond, Sunny Cowell, Victor Lewis |
2012? | It's Time | SteepleChase | Trio, with Tom DiCarlo (bass), Chris Brown (drums) |
2013? | Welcome to This New World | SteepleChase | With Vic Juris (guitar), Tom DiCarlo (bass), Chris Brown (drums) |
2014 | Are You Real? | SteepleChase | Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
2015 | Reminiscent | SteepleChase | Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
2017 | No Illusions | SteepleChase | Quartet, with Bruce Williams (alto sax, flute), Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
As sideman
With Gary Bartz
- Another Earth (Milestone, 1969)
With Marion Brown
- Why Not? (1966)
- Three for Shepp (Impulse!, 1966)
- Vista (Impulse!, 1975)
With Larry Coryell
With Richard Davis
- Way Out West (Muse, 1977 [1980])
- Fancy Free (Galaxy)
With Sonny Fortune
- Long Before Our Mothers Cried (Strata-East, 1974)
With Roy Haynes
- Thank You Thank You (Galaxy, 1977)
- Vistalite (Galaxy, 1977 [1979])
With Jimmy Heath
- Love and Understanding (Muse, 1973)
- The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1974 [1994])
With The Heath Brothers
- Marchin' On (1975)
- Passing Thru (1978)
- In Motion (1979)
- Live at the Public Theater (1980)
- Expressions of Life (1980)
- Brotherly Love (1982)
- Brothers and Others (1984)
With Stan Getz
- The Song Is You (1969)
With Johnny Griffin
- Birds and Ballads (1978)
With Bobby Hutcherson
With J.J. Johnson
With Clifford Jordan
- Glass Bead Games (1973)
With Oliver Nelson
- Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1971)
With Jimmy Owens
- Headin' Home (A&M/Horizon, 1978)
With Art Pepper
- Art Pepper Today (1978)
- Winter Moon (1980)
- One September Afternoon (1980)
With Max Roach
- Members, Don't Git Weary (Atlantic, 1968)
With Charles Sullivan
- Genesis (Strata-East, 1974)
With Buddy Terry
- Awareness (Mainstream, 1971)
With Charles Tolliver
- The Ringer (Polydor, 1969)
- Live at Slugs' (Strata-East, 1970)
- Music Inc. (Strata-East, 1971)
- Impact (Enja, 1972)
- Live in Tokyo (Strata-East, 1973)
- Impact (Strata-East, 1975)
References
- ^ a b c d Collar, Matt. "Stanley Cowell". AllMusic. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ Fairweather, Digby; Ian Carr; Brian Priestley (2004). The Rough Guide to Jazz. p. 286.
- ^ Yanow, Scott. Bebop. p. 92.
External links
- African-American musicians
- 1941 births
- Living people
- American jazz pianists
- American male pianists
- Hard bop pianists
- Musicians from Toledo, Ohio
- Strata-East Records artists
- DIW Records artists
- SteepleChase Records artists
- Arista Records artists
- ECM Records artists
- Galaxy Records artists
- 20th-century American pianists
- University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni
- Jazz musicians from Ohio
- 21st-century American pianists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American male musicians
- Male jazz musicians
- Heath Brothers members
- Oberlin Conservatory of Music alumni
- Rutgers University faculty