Joanne Brackeen

Last updated
Joanne Brackeen
Birth nameJoanne Grogan
Born (1938-07-26) July 26, 1938 (age 85)
Ventura, California, U.S.
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, educator
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1969–present
Website joannebrackeenjazz.com

Joanne Brackeen (born Joanne Grogan; July 26, 1938) [1] is an American jazz pianist and music educator. [2]

Contents

Music career

Brackeen was born in Ventura, California, United States, and attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. [1] She was a fan of pop pianist Frankie Carle before she became enamored of the music of Charlie Parker. In the 1950s she performed with Dexter Gordon, Teddy Edwards, and Charles Brackeen. She and Brackeen married and moved to New York City in 1965. She performed with Chick Corea, Freddie McCoy, and Ornette Coleman. [2]

She played with Joe Henderson (1972–75) and Stan Getz (1975–77) before leading her own trio and quartet. She established herself as a cutting-edge pianist and composer through her appearances around the world, and her solo performances also established her reputation as an innovative and dynamic pianist. Her trios featured such noted players as Clint Houston, Eddie Gómez, John Patitucci, Jack DeJohnette, Cecil McBee and Billy Hart.

She served on the grant panel for the National Endowment for the Arts, toured the Middle East with the US State Department as sponsor, and had solo performances at Carnegie Hall.

She has recorded over 20 albums as a lead musician. She is currently a professor at the Berklee College of Music [3] and at The New School. [4]

Awards

Discography

As leader

Year recordedTitleLabelPersonnel/Notes
1975 Snooze ChoiceTrio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Billy Hart (drums); also released as Six Ate by Candid
1976 Invitation Freedom Trio, with Clint Houston (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1976 New True Illusion Timeless Duo, with Clint Houston (bass)
1977 Tring-a-Ling ChoiceSome tracks trio, with Clint Houston (bass), Billy Hart (drums); some tracks quartet, with Michael Brecker (tenor sax), Cecil McBee (bass), Hart (drums)
1977 AFT Timeless Trio, with Ryo Kawasaki (guitar), Clint Houston (bass)
1978 Trinkets and Things Timeless Duo, with Ryo Kawasaki (guitar)
1978 Prism ChoiceDuo, with Eddie Gómez (bass)
1978 Mythical Magic MPS Solo piano
1979 Keyed In Tappan Zee/ColumbiaTrio, with Eddie Gómez (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)
1980 Ancient Dynasty Tappan Zee/ColumbiaQuartet, with Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Eddie Gómez (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)
1981 Special Identity Antilles Trio, with Eddie Gómez (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)
1985 Havin' Fun Concord Jazz Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1986 Fi-Fi Goes to Heaven Concord Jazz With Terence Blanchard (trumpet), Branford Marsalis (alto sax, soprano sax), Cecil McBee (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1989 Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume 1 Concord Jazz Solo piano
1991 Breath of Brazil Concord Jazz Quartet, with Eddie Gómez (bass), Duduka da Fonseca (drums), Waltinho Anastácio (percussion)
1991 Is It Really True KonnexTrio, with Walter Schmocker (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1991 Where Legends Dwell Ken Trio, with Eddie Gómez (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)
1992 Turnaround Evidence Quartet, with Donald Harrison (alto sax), Cecil McBee (bass), Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums)
1993 Take a Chance Concord Jazz Quartet, with Eddie Gómez (bass), Duduka da Fonseca (drums), Waltinho Anastácio (percussion, vocals)
1994 Power Talk TurnipseedTrio, with Ira Coleman (bass), Tony Reedus (drums); in concert
1999 Pink Elephant Magic Arkadia Jazz One track solo piano; some tracks trio, with John Patitucci (bass), Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez (drums); some tracks quartet, with Chris Potter (soprano sax) added; some tracks quintet, with Nicholas Payton (trumpet) added; one track sextet, with Jamey Haddad (percussion) added; one track quartet with Patitucci (bass), Hernandez (drums), Dave Liebman (soprano sax); one track quintet with Kurt Elling (vocals) added
2000 Popsicle Illusion Arkadia Jazz Solo piano

As sideperson

With Arkadia Jazz All Stars

With Art Blakey

With Stan Getz

With Bob James

With Freddie McCoy

With Makanda Ken McIntyre

With Buddy Terry

With Freddie Hubbard

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References

  1. 1 2 Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 311/2. ISBN   0-85112-939-0.
  2. 1 2 arwulf, arwulf. "Joanne Brackeen | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  3. "Berklee faculty profile Joanne Brackeen". Berklee faculty. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  4. "The New School Jazz Core Faculty". The New School. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  5. "Joanne Brackeen". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-12-22.