Jon Cowherd
Jon Cowherd is an American pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer born to a trombone player (father) and classically trained violinist (mother), both of whom were also educators.[1] Jon began piano lessons at the age of five and trumpet and violin lessons at ten years of age.[1]
Jon Cowherd  | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kentucky, United States | 
| Genres | Jazz, post-bop, pop, rock | 
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, composer, arranger, producer | 
| Instrument(s) | Piano | 
| Website | joncowherd | 
Cowherd is most well known for his partnership with jazz drummer Brian Blade, with whom he co-founded the Brian Blade Fellowship.[2] When not recording and touring with the Fellowship, Cowherd works extensively with a broad array of players and singers from the jazz, pop and rock worlds.[3]
Biography
    
Cowherd was born and raised in Kentucky.[2] Being a son of musicians (and music educators), Cowherd began music at an early age singing, playing the piano, French horn and violin.[2] He moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University, where he studied jazz piano and improvisation under Ellis Marsalis, John Mahoney, and Steve Masakowski.[2]
The Brian Blade Fellowship album Season of Changes was released around 2008.[5] Cowherd also worked with Brian Blade in his debut singer-songwriter album Mama Rosa, which was released in 2009 on Verve Records.[6]
As a producer, Cowherd has overseen albums by Lizz Wright, Alyssa Graham and The Local NYC.[2]
Cowherd's debut album as a leader, Mercy, was released in 2013 on ArtistShare.[7] It features Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Bill Frisell.[7] Reviewing the album for allaboutjazz, John Kelman wrote: "With music this well-conceived and a band so telepathically connected, it may have taken Cowherd a long time to release an album under his own name, but with Mercy as the result, it's been well worth the wait; hopefully there won't be such a long one for the follow-up."[7]
Discography
    
    As leader
    
- Mercy (2013, ArtistShare)
 - Pride & Joy (2023) [8]
 
As a co-leader
    
- Brian Blade Fellowship (1998, Blue Note Records)
 - Perceptual (2000, Blue Note Records)
 - Season of Changes (2008, Verve Records)
 - Landmarks (2014, Blue Note Records)
 - Body and Shadow (2017, Blue Note Records)
 - Kings Highway (2023, Stoner Hill Records)
 
As sideman
    
- Meg Okura: Peace In My Heart (1995)
 - Swing: The Original Broadway Cast Recording (1999)
 - Mark Olson and the Creek Dippers: Zola and the Tulip Tree (2000)
 - Steve Sacks: Look to the Sky (2001)
 - Ari Ambrose: Waiting (2003, SteepleChase Records)
 - Liz Wright: Salt (2003, Verve Records)
 - The Local: Just Show Up (2004, Budron Records)
 - Marshall Gilkes: Edenderry (2005, Alternate Side Records)
 - Kingsborough Hymns: (2005)
 - Jack Wilkins: Until It's Time (2005, Maxjazz)
 - Metta Quintet: Subway Songs (2006, Sunnyside Records)
 - Mariel Larsen: Mariel Larsen (2007, Coco Jazz)
 - Chris Tarry: Sorry to be Strange (2007)
 - Nicolas Thys: Virgo (2008, Pirouette Records)
 - Myron Walden: In This World (2008, Demi Sound Records)
 - Marshall Gilkes: Lost Words (2008, Alternate Side Records)
 - Pamela Luss: Your Eyes (2008, Savant)
 - Alyssa Graham: Echo (2008, Sunnyside Records/Walrus)
 - Brian Blade: Mama Rosa (2009, Verve Records)
 - Matt Lemler: New Orleans Revival Project (2009)
 - Iggy Pop: Préliminaires (2009, EMI)
 - Marcus Strickland: Open Reel Deck (Strick Muzik, 2009)
 - Rosanne Cash: We Three Kings (2010, Blue Note Records)
 - Marc Cohn: Listening Booth 1970 (2010, Saguaro Road Records)
 - Chrissi Poland: Songs From the Concrete (2010, Danben Records)
 - Kevin Kinney: Good Country Mile (2011)
 - Davy Mooney: Perrier Street (2011, Sunnyside Records)
 - Maria Logis: Room for Something New (2012)
 - Cassandra Wilson: Coming Forth by Day (Legacy, 2015)
 
References
    
- "From the Jazzblog archives: The Jon Cowherd interview".
 - "Jon Cowherd". dogandponyindustries.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013.
 - Jon Cowherd, Bio: Jon Cowherd, Jon Cowherd, Referenced November 2013.
 - Chinen, Nate Critics' Choice-New CDs Review, NYTimes, May 12, 2008.
 - Kelman, John Brian Blade: Mama Rosa AllAboutJazz.com, April 21, 2009.
 - "Jon Cowherd: Mercy". Allaboutjazz.com. July 11, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
 - "The Jon Cowherd Trio "Pride & Joy"". Retrieved January 31, 2023.