Noah Baerman, a jazz pianist, composer, educator, and author, was born in Connecticut. He studied jazz at New Haven’s Educational Center for the Arts, and at Jackie McLean’s Artists’ Collective in Hartford. He earned a B.M. in the 1990s. He earned M.M. He also received a M.M. in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University. His mentor was Kenny Barron. His instructors were Ted Dunbar and Joanne Brackeen as well as Bill Fielder, Ralph Bowen and Michael Mossman. Through his studies in jazz history and Lewis Porter, he discovered a wide range of music. He performed in New York City with many jazz musicians, including Charles Fambrough and Stefon Harris. He was a member of the quartet Positive Rhythmic Force from 1994-1999. They performed all over the east coast and recorded two CDs. He has been a sideman on numerous recordings and also recorded under his own name. His 2003 album Patch Kit, which features Ron Carter as bassist and Ben Riley as drummer, is the second. Noah’s performance career was severely hampered by his battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a chronic connective tissue disorder. The tunes on Patch Kit were inspired by these struggles and triumphs. Patch Kit was created as a benefit album for Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation. It also aims to raise awareness about EDS. Patch Kit was airplayed extensively in the United States and gained press coverage in JazzTimes (Japan), Jazz Critics (Japan), and All About Jazz – New York. Many musicians were also interested in the song, including Marian McPartland (legendary pianist), who invited Noah to appear on her NPR radio program “Piano Jazz”, which she has been hosting since 2005. The album Patch Kit was followed in 2003 by What It It Is, which is a trio recording of a live performance that Noah gave on his 30th birthday. The 2005 album Soul Force was his next, and a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. Soul Force features a large ensemble that includes trombonist Robin Eubanks and Warren Smith, as well as percussionist Warren Smith, and saxophonists Steve Wilson and Jimmy Greene. This album shows Noah’s commitment to “message songs” in the tradition set by Charlie Haden, Max Roach, Charles Mingus and Nina Simone. He released the trio album Bliss in 2008 and was awarded a Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Foundation grant to create the extended suite, Know Thyself. It was recorded in 2009 at Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts. The album was released in 2010. Noah is also part of the collective quintet Playdate. It features Amanda Monaco, Wayne Escoffery, and its eponymous debut album was released on Posi-Tone Records. Noah lives in Connecticut with his wife Kate Ten Eyck. They are passionate advocates for youth issues and foster parents. He teaches at Wesleyan University and Charter Oak State College, as well as privately. Since 2007, he has been the director of the Jazz Ensemble. Alfred Publishing Company published a number of highly-respected instructional books that have helped to codify his teaching style. The three-volume Complete Jazz Keyboard Method, Jazz Keyboard Harmony and Big Book of Jazz Piano Improvisation are just a few of the many instructional books that Alfred Publishing Company has published. There is also an instructional DVD. Alfred published Versatile Keyboardist in 2008, his ninth book. Noah is also a prolific composer. He has received honors from the Billboard Song Contest, the Unisong Contest, and ASCAP (“ASCAPlus Awards”) every year since 2004. From /www.noahjazz.com
