Ted Rosenthal is a leading jazz pianist of his generation. Ted Rosenthal was the first prize winner in 1988 of Thelonious Monk International jazz piano competition. He has continued to perform internationally as both a leader and sideman with many jazz legends such as Art Farmer and Phil Woods. Ted has also released 12 CDs as a leader. These include new arrangements and “derangements” of classic American jazz standards, jazz tunes, and classical themes as well as original compositions. Ted’s ability communicate both the analytical and creative aspects of jazz transcends the bandstand and into the classroom. He holds faculty appointments at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music and has taught at Queens College and The New School University. Ted was raised in Great Neck on Long Island. At a young age, Ted began to play by ear and studied with Tony Aless at 12, a sideman alongside Charlie Parker and Stan Getz. Ted attended workshops with Woody Shaw, Billy Taylor and Lennie Tristano while in high school. Although jazz was Ted’s passion, there weren’t many opportunities at that time to study jazz at conservatory level. Ted also found joy and satisfaction in classical music so he decided to study classical piano at Manhattan School of Music. While pursuing his passion for jazz outside of the classroom, he earned a Bachelor’s and Masters Degrees as a pianist. He continued his classical piano studies after college with Phillip Kawin, while also playing jazz around New York. Ted’s solo career was launched by winning the Monk Competition 1988. This led to the release his first CD as an artist leader. New Tunes, New Traditions features now-legendary personnel Ron Carter and Billy Higgins. It combines Ted’s original compositions with music from Thelonious Monk. Ted was on tour with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet in the 1990s. He recorded three albums with Mulligan, and performed at major jazz festivals around the globe. One critic commented, “The rapport between the (Mulligans) group was incredible, especially Gerry’s telepathic communications with Ted Rosenthal …..” My jaw dropped when I saw Rosenthal’s byplay. “(Gene Lees and The Jazz Letter. Ted was appointed musical director of the Gerry Mulligan All Star Tribute Band. It featured Lee Konitz and Bob Brookmeyer, as well as Randy Brecker. In 1998, the group’s CD, “Thank You, Gerry!” was nominated to win a Grammy Award. Ted is a busy sideman and has performed with Wycliffe Gordon, Jay Leonhart, Jay Leonhart, Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gorge, Wycliffe Gordon, Wycliffe Gardis, Wycliffe Gordon, Wycliffe Scott, Wycliffe Morrissey, Wycliffe Green, Wycliffe Gordon, Art Farmer and Jon Faddis. He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band as well as The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Rosenthal is the preferred pianist for many jazz vocalists, including Helen Merrill and Mark Murphy. Ted’s CDs show both his innovative approach to classics and standards as well as his original compositions. Impromptu (2010) is his latest CD. It features his reimaginings classical music themes – Brahms and Schumann, Chopin and Tchaikovsky – into mainstream jazz piano trio. My Funny Valentine, an instrumental tribute to Helen Merrill (with George Mraz, Al Foster, and drums) is a joint effort. The King and I (2006) features Rosenthal’s jazz take (with George Mraz, Lewis Nash, and drums) on classic musical songs. One Night in Vermont (2004) is a duo performance featuring Bob Brookmeyer, the legendary trombonist. It explores great American songs in an uncommonly creative and improvisatory way. All About Jazz describes this CD as “a stunning album, complete with all the jazz’s beloved nuances.” These moments are a reminder of why you need it in every area of your life. ThreePlay, a trio featuring Dennis Irwin, Matt Wilson and ThreePlay explore Rosenthal originals as well as jazz standards in a refreshing and free-spirited way. Ted, Michael Formanek, and Billy Drummond pay tribute to jazz composers on Rosenthology (Concord Jazz 1996). “Listen to how Rosenthal crawls into Lennie Tristano’s “Wow”, and maybe you’ll mouth the song’s name!” (Larry Blumenfeld, Jazziz). Images of Monk use the powerful sound of a sextet as a complement to Ted’s imaginative arrangements of Monk songs. “Surely Monk would love this playfulness more that the literalism of his imitators.” Ted considers jazz piano to encompass all aspects of jazz’s history, expression, and expression. Ted’s latest solo piano CD, The 3 B’s received a 4-star review by Down Beat Magazine. It features solo renditions from Bud Powell and Bill Evans, as well as original improvisations on Beethoven theme themes. Ted Rosenthal subtly provocative solo recital combines three distinct streams of piano history and puts his own stamp on them all. Rosenthal makes all of this music sound like it came from one muse. That’s the mark of an imaginative, skilled artist. (David R. Adler. All Music Guide. Ted Rosenthal Live At Maybeck Hall was Ted’s first solo piano album. Richard Palmer, Jazz Journal, wrote that Ted’s historical grasp of jazz piano’s history is what attracted him the most. “One of the most talented Maybecks I have ever heard.” Ted performs regularly in jazz piano concerts with Bill Charlap, Dick Hyman, and others. Ted was part of the JVC Jazz Festival 2003, where he co-produced Piano Starts Here with George Wein. This also featured Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton and other performers. Ted has appeared on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz on National Public Radio as well as on NBC’s Night Music with David Sanborn. Ted is a recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts grants. He composes large-scale pieces as well as jazz tunes. Ted has performed The Survivor with the Rockland Symphony as well as the Manhattan Jazz Philharmonic. It is a concerto for piano orchestra and soloist that combines written and improvised parts. He also composed music for dance. Uptown by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was premiered in New York City in 2009, and is currently on tour around the globe. He worked with Nilas Martins, a New York City Ballet choreographer and dancer, to create music for Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble included dancers from the Dicapo Op Theatre. Ted’s jazz/classical crossover performances have included solo and featured appearances with The Boston Pops and The Baltimore Symphony. The Kansas City Symphony. The Rochester Philharmonic. The Indianapolis Symphony. The Tucson Symphony. The Detroit Symphony. The Houston Symphony. The Greater Palm Beach Symphony. Ted adds an extra layer of spontaneity and vitality to his performances of Gershwin’s works for piano or orchestra by adding improvisations. Ted has just completed a commission to write and perform his second jazz piano concerto. It will be performed by the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in New York City in May 2011. Ted is actively involved in jazz education. Ted is a regular speaker at jazz clinics around the globe, many times in conjunction with his touring. He is currently an instructor at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music. He was a contributing editor to Piano and Keyboard magazine and published piano arrangements and features articles for Piano Today and The Piano Stylist. Ted lives in Scarsdale and Manhattan with Lesley, his wife and stepsons Aron and David Szanto. from http://tedrosenthal.com
