John Serry, despite earning a living through theater, film and television, is a jazz composer/improviser who is equally at home playing straight-ahead electric fusion as he is playing acoustic postbop. Some of his music blurs the line between them. His main musical influences include Chick Corea and Bill Evans. The native New Yorker, who is classically trained, was a concerto soloist in the Long Island Youth Orchestra in 1970 when he was just 16 years old. He also performed on a 1973 European tour. He was a member of the fusion band Auracle, while he was completing his Eastman School of Music studies. Serry, not to be confused with Jonn Serrie, was 24 when he appeared on Auracle’s 1978 debut album, Glider (Chrysalis Records), co-produced with Teo Macero. He is best known for his work in collaboration with Miles Davis. After signing a solo deal with Chrysalis in 1979, Serry made his debut on an album as a leader with Exhibition 1979 and then followed that up with Jazziz 1980. Michael Fagien (magazine publisher) was one of the first to hear Jazziz. He named Jazziz after Serry’s second LP and made it one of the most popular jazz magazines. Serry recorded Enchantress in 1995, when he was 41. This album was released by Telarc Jazz as a result Serry’s 1995 Keyboards On Fire grand prize. Judges were Bob James and Dave Brubeck. Serry continued to teach in the late 1990s, as well as his extensive television and theater work. Allmusic
