George Whitty

Last updated

George Whitty is an American musician, composer, record producer, audio engineer and music educator, currently living near Los Angeles, California, United States. He won an Emmy Award in 2014 for his work as a composer for the television series, All My Children , and produced three Grammy Award winning CDs (most recently Randy Brecker's 34th N Lex ). [1] Whitty was nominated for Emmy Awards for his composing on the long-running TV shows One Life to Live and As the World Turns . [2]

As a musician, he has played and recorded with artists such as Dave Matthews and Santana ( Supernatural ), Celine Dion ( Falling into You and These Are Special Times ), Michael and Randy Brecker (four years on the road, seven albums), Chaka Khan ( The Woman I Am ), Richard Bona, Chris Minh Doky, Sadao Watanabe, Grover Washington Jr., Till Brönner (Midnight) and other well-known artists. His discography includes more than 100 CDs as a record producer or musician, [3] and he has hundreds of compositions for film and television playing on everything from nature documentaries to feature films to TV reality shows and some of long-running television series.

In 2012, he formed the electric jazz trio, Third Rail, with Tom Brechtlein on drums and Janek Gwizdala on bass. In 2013, the band released the live CD Ignition: Live Across Europe, composed of tracks recorded on the band's first tour of Europe. In August 2012, he performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Carlos Santana, Marcus Miller, Dave Holland and Zakir Hussein in the Concert for Peace. In 2014, he appeared on several tracks as an orchestrator, synthesizer player and sound designer on Hancock's album, The Imagine Project .

In 2015, he also began teaching jazz piano through ArtistWorks, an online music education website. [4]

In 2018, Whitty arranged three Hancock pieces for the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Hancock playing piano, which were performed at Disney Hall.

Whitty was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon, and is a 1980 graduate of Marshfield High School. [5]

His brother, playwright Jeff Whitty won a Tony Award for "Best Book for a Musical" for Avenue Q, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2019. George Whitty's website and blog can be found online, [6] and he has been teaching via Skype for many years, both jazz improvisation and production in Logic; more information is also available online. [7]

Related Research Articles

Herbie Hancock American musician

Herbert Jeffrey Hancock is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer, and occasional actor. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd’s group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound. In the 1970s, Hancock experimented with jazz fusion, funk, and electro styles, utilizing a wide array of synthesizers and electronics. It was during this period that he released perhaps his best-known and most influential album, Head Hunters.

John Scofield American jazz guitarist and composer

John Scofield, sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American jazz-rock guitarist and composer whose music includes bebop, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul, and rock. He has worked with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey DeFrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Palmieri, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham, Medeski Martin & Wood, George Duke, Jaco Pastorius, John Mayer, Robert Glasper, and Gov't Mule.

Wayne Shorter American jazz saxophonist and composer

Wayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to wide prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he went on to join Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet, and from there he co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report. He has recorded over 20 albums as a bandleader.

David Paich American musician

David Frank Paich is an American musician, songwriter, singer, and record producer, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional singer of the rock band Toto since 1982. Paich wrote or co-wrote much of Toto's original material, including the band's three most popular songs: "Hold the Line", "Rosanna" and "Africa". With Toto, Paich has contributed to 17 albums and sold over 40 million records. Additionally, Paich has worked as a songwriter, session musician, and producer with a host of artists including Boz Scaggs and Michael Jackson.

Michel Camilo Dominican pianist and composer

Michel Camilo is a Grammy-award winning pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Camilo lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Art Tatum.

Michael Brecker American musician

Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2004, and was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 2007.

Mike Stern Musical artist

Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums.

Eliane Elias is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger.

Cyro Baptista Brazilian musician

Cyro Baptista is a Brazilian percussionist in jazz and world music. He creates many of the percussion instruments he plays.

Randy Brecker American flugelhorn and trumpet player (1945-)

Randal Edward Brecker is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B.

Tommy LiPuma Musical artist

Tommy LiPuma was an American music producer. He received 33 Grammy nominations, 5 Grammy wins, and his productions sold over 75 million albums. LiPuma worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, George Benson, Phil Upchurch, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Gábor Szabó, Claudine Longet, Dave Mason, the Yellowjackets, the Sandpipers, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Ben Sidran, The Crusaders, Joe Sample, Randy Crawford and Dr. John. In 2020, his biography, The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma, written by Ben Sidran, was published by Nardis books

Jeff Lorber Musical artist

Jeffrey H. Lorber is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Prototype by his band The Jeff Lorber Fusion.

Vince Mendoza American musician

Vince Mendoza is an American composer, music arranger and conductor, and six-time Grammy Award winner. He debuted as a solo artist in 1989, and is known for his work conducting the Metropole Orkest and WDR Big Band Köln, as well as arranging music for musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Michael Brecker and Björk.

Robert Glasper American jazz pianist, record producer, and songwriter from Texas

Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter and musical arranger with a career that bridges musical and artistic genres. To date, Glasper has won four Grammy Awards and received nine nominations across eight categories. He also won the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for his song featured in Ava DuVernay’s critically hailed documentary, 13th, with Common and Karriem Riggins.

Brecker Brothers

Brecker Brothers were a jazz fusion music duo consisting of Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker. Michael played saxophone, flute, and EWI, and Randy played trumpet and flugelhorn.

Heads Up International is a jazz record label that was formed in Cleveland, Ohio. It was bought by the Concord Music Group in 2005.

<i>Out of the Loop</i> (Brecker Brothers album) 1994 studio album by Brecker Brothers

Out of the Loop is an album by the Brecker Brothers that was released by GRP Records in 1994. In 1995 the album won the brothers two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance and Best Instrumental Composition.

<i>34th N Lex</i> 2003 studio album by Randy Brecker

34th N Lex is an album by Randy Brecker, released through ESC Records on April 22, 2003. In 2004, the album won Brecker the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

Włodek Pawlik Musical artist

Włodek Pawlik, Włodzimierz Pawlik is a Polish composer and jazz pianist. On 26 January 2014, he became the first Polish jazz musician to receive a Grammy Award, having won in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category with his album Night in Calisia, recorded with Randy Brecker and the Kalisz Philharmonic Orchestra, released in the USA by Summit Records.

<i>Return of the Brecker Brothers</i> 1992 studio album by Brecker Brothers

Return of the Brecker Brothers is an album by the American jazz fusion group, the Brecker Brothers. It was released by GRP Records in 1992, their first recording after a decade-long hiatus. The track "Big Idea" was released as an R&B single.

References

  1. ↑ "Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album". Boston University School of Theology. Retrieved 2009-08-18.[ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "2006 Daytime Emmy Awards Nominees". Academy of Television Arts & Science. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  3. ↑ "George Whitty - Discography". Artist Direct. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  4. ↑ "Grammy®-Winning Jazz Pianist Joins ArtistWorks – and the Response is off the Charts". Businesswire.com. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Acclaimed Alumni". Marshfield High School. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  6. ↑ "Home". Music.gwhitty.com. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "Music Lessons Online via Skype with 4x Grammy-winner!". Jazzlessonsonskype.com. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.