Stanley Cowell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stanley Cowell
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Playing with the Heath Brothers in Rockefeller Center, June 1977
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| Background information | |
| Born | May 5, 1941 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | December 17, 2020 (aged 79) Dover, Delaware, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Labels | Arista, DIW, Galaxy, SteepleChase, Strata-East |
| Associated acts | Roland Kirk, Marion Brown, Charles Tolliver, Max Roach |
Stanley Cowell (born May 5, 1941 – died December 17, 2020) was a talented American jazz pianist. He also helped start a record company called Strata-East Records.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Stanley Cowell was born in Toledo, Ohio. He started playing the piano when he was only about four years old.
When he was six, he saw the famous jazz pianist Art Tatum perform. Tatum was a friend of his family. This experience made Stanley very interested in jazz music.
After high school, Stanley studied classical piano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. While there, he played with the jazz musician Roland Kirk. This was a very important time for his musical growth.
He later earned a degree in classical piano from the University of Michigan. In the mid-1960s, he moved to New York City to continue his music career.
A Career in Jazz Music
Stanley Cowell played with many famous jazz musicians. Some of these included Marion Brown, Max Roach, Bobby Hutcherson, and Sonny Rollins.
In 1971, Stanley Cowell and trumpeter Charles Tolliver started their own record label. It was called Strata-East. This label became one of the most successful independent record companies led by Black artists at that time.
Later in the 1980s, Cowell was part of a regular music group led by J.J. Johnson. He also taught music at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Stanley Cowell passed away on December 17, 2020, at the age of 79. He died in Dover, Delaware.
Discography: Stanley Cowell's Albums
Stanley Cowell released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of the albums where he was the main artist, or "leader."
Albums as the Leader
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Blues for the Viet Cong | Freedom | Trio, with Steve Novosel (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums) |
| 1969 | Brilliant Circles | Freedom | With Woody Shaw (trumpet), Tyrone Washington (tenor sax), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone) |
| 1972 | Illusion Suite | ECM | Trio, with Stanley Clarke (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums) |
| 1972 | Handscapes | Strata-East | As The Piano Choir; with other pianists |
| 1973 | Musa: Ancestral Streams | Strata-East | Solo piano, electric piano, kalimba |
| 1974 | Handscapes 2 | Strata-East | As The Piano Choir; with other musicians |
| 1975 | Regeneration | Strata-East | With Marion Brown (flute), Jimmy Heath (soprano sax) |
| 1977 | Waiting for the Moment | Galaxy | Solo piano, electric piano, synthesizer, kalimba |
| 1978? | Talkin' 'bout Love | Galaxy | |
| 1978 | Equipoise | Galaxy | Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Roy Haynes (drums) |
| 1981 | New World | Galaxy | |
| 1983 | Such Great Friends | Strata-East | Quartet, with Billy Harper (tenor sax) |
| 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 | Solo piano and trio/quartet tracks |
| 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, in concert |
| 1993 | Setup | SteepleChase | Sextet, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet) |
| 1995 | Mandara Blossoms | SteepleChase | With Billy Pierce (tenor sax), Jeff Halsey (bass) |
| 1996 | Hear Me One | SteepleChase | With Bruce Williams (alto sax), Dwayne Burno |
| 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) |
| 2014 | Are You Real? | SteepleChase | Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2015 | Reminiscent | SteepleChase | Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2015 | Juneteenth | Vision Fugitive | Solo piano |
| 2017 | No Illusions | SteepleChase | Quartet, with Bruce Williams (alto sax), Jay Anderson (bass) |
| 2020 | At Keystone Korner, Baltimore | SteepleChase | Quintet, with Freddie Hendrix (trumpet), Bruce Williams (alto sax) |
Albums as a Sideman
Stanley Cowell also played on many albums as a "sideman," meaning he played with other main artists.
With Rashied Ali
- First Time Out: Live At Slugs 1967 (Survival Records, 2020)
With Gary Bartz
- Another Earth (Milestone, 1969)
With Marion Brown
- Three for Shepp (Impulse!, 1967)
- Why Not? (1968)
- Vista (Impulse!, 1975)
With Larry Coryell
- Equipoise (Muse, 1985)
- Toku Do (Muse, 1987)
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
- Patterns (Blue Note, 1968)
- Spiral (Blue Note, 1968 [1979])
- Medina (Blue Note, 1969 [1980])
- Now! (Blue Note, 1969)
With J.J. Johnson
- Standards-Live At The Village Vanguard (1988)
With Clifford Jordan
- Glass Bead Games (1973)
With James Mtume
- Rebirth Cycle (1977)
With Oliver Nelson
- Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1971)
With Jimmy Owens
- Headin' Home (A&M/Horizon, 1978)
With Art Pepper
- Art Pepper Today (Galaxy, 1978)
- Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980)
- One September Afternoon (Galaxy, 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)
See also
In Spanish: Stanley Cowell para niños
