Jo Ann Daugherty was born in 1974 in rural Missouri. She began playing the piano by ear when she was just five years old. She began her piano studies at five years old with the only teacher of classical piano in her area. From that point on, she was driven to create music. At age 11, she started to listen to pop music. She began listening to country music on the radio, as well as Christmas music at her home. She lived 100 miles from any major cities so she listened to all the recordings that she could find. She began playing in restaurants in small towns and jazz at the age of 15. While pursuing a degree as a classical pianist, Truman State University in Kirksville MO was where she discovered jazz. She studied with Rick DiMuzio (tenor saxophonist), and later moved to Boston to teach at Berklee School of Music. Daugherty was the only jazz pianist at Truman State. DiMuzio loved Joe Henderson and John Coltrane, and Daugherty learned progressive and modern jazz elements from DiMuzio. The well-known jazz pianist Larry Novak supervised her graduate studies at DePaul University in Chicago. Her influences included Wynton Kelly and Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Pat Metheny. Following college, she spent two years in Kansas City. She began gigging regularly, leading her own band, and also playing with other bands. Daugherty returned to Chicago in 1998 to further her musical development. She has been performing as an accompanist and leader, and also traveling across the U.S. in various musical and theatre acts. Daugherty was selected to perform with the Chicago Jazz Exchange Quartet in Giverny (France) in 1999. Her collaborations have included many respected musicians such as John Abercrombie and Randy Brecker. Daugherty’s first CD as a trio, Debut, was released in 2000. Then came Range of Motion, a small-ensemble album, both on the Blu Jazz label. She continues to perform at Chicago’s clubs, concerts and festivals. She is also a founding member the Chicago Jazz Composers Collective. She regularly performs original music at the Green Mill nightclub and regularly appears at the Bandera Restaurant. The U.S.O. has also been a part of her engagements. She is a resident of Illinois and conducts clinics as well as lectures/performances at many area schools. Allmusic
