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 | |
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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][4]
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]