Dan Dechellis

Dan DeChellis was first brought to the attention jazz /improvised/new music world with his 1996 solo album, “Shapes”, on the Sachimay label. He received immediate critical praise for this recording, which led to numerous appearances across the Northeast. DeChellis released five more CDs via Sachimay, and his reputation has grown as one of the most prolific and compelling improvisers today. As a sideman, soloist, and leader at Musikfest (PA), Roulette(NY), Knitting Factory, NY), The Middle East, Sculler’s Jazz Club, Boston, Harvard University, New Langton Arts, CA), The Zeitgeist and ABC NO Rio, Autumn Uprising Festival and the Big Sur Experimental Music Festival. He also organized and performed at New York’s Improvised and Other Festival. DeChellis was born October 14, 1970 in Whitehouse Station (NJ). DeChellis began piano lessons at the age of five. He quickly became interested in many musical styles. DeChellis earned his master’s in classical piano from Duquesne University between 1989 and 1997. DeChellis spent a brief time at the New England Conservatory where he worked closely with Paul Bley, Ran Blake, and Masashi Harada, an improviser. DeChellis points to Sting, Joe Jackson and Bill Evans as influences. DeChellis’s music seeks out to blur the lines between contemporary classical music and improvised music. He can perform solo or with an accompaniment of electronics, voice, and acoustic instruments. His music combines piano virtuosity and extended technique to deliver explosive bursts and energy. His recordings were reviewed by The Wire and Cadence as well as Signal to Noise, Keyboard Magazine, and Keyboard Magazine. He has worked with many great musicians, including Sabir Mateen and Daniel Carter, Dee Pop and Rueben Radding.

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