Jane Ira Bloom

American jazz saxophonist and composer

Jane Ira Bloom

Born|  (1955-01-12) January 12, 1955 (age 69)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres| Jazz, avant-garde jazz
Occupation(s)| Musician, composer
Instrument| soprano saxophone
Labels| Columbia, Outline, Arabesque, Enja
Website| www.janeirabloom.com

Musical artist

Jane Ira Bloom (born January 12, 1955) is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer.

## Early years

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Bloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Joel and Evelyn Bloom. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophone, and eventually settling on the soprano saxophone as her primary instrument.[1] She first began playing the saxophone at age 9, studying with woodwind virtuoso Joseph Viola, chair of the Berklee College of Music Woodwinds Department,[2] from 1968 to 1979, and studying music at Yale University from which she received a liberal arts degree and a master's degree in music (1977). Following Yale, Bloom relocated to New York City. She founded Outline Records while in New Haven and released several recordings under that label.[3]

## Career

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She was the first musician to be commissioned by the NASA Art Program.[4] in 1989 she created three original musical compositions: Most Distant Galaxy, for soprano saxophone and live electronics, prepared tape, bass, drums, and electroacoustic percussion; Fire & Imagination, for soprano saxophone, improvisors, and chamber orchestra; and Beyond the Sky, for wind ensemble.[5][6][7]

In 2007, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition.[8]

Bloom is a tenured professor at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City's Greenwich Village.[9]

Her 2013 release, Sixteen Sunsets, received a Grammy nomination for the 56th Grammy Awards in the Best Surround Sound category, with sound engineer Jim Anderson.[10]

Bloom won the Chamber Music America New Jazz Works award in 2015 for a new composition inspired by the 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson.[11]

The resulting work, entitled "Wild Lines" premiered in 2016 to positive reviews.[12]

Bloom won the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound category at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards for her album “Early Americans.”[13]

## Legacy

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The asteroid 6083 Janeirabloom was named after her.[5]

## Discography

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### As leader

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* Second Wind (Outline, 1980)
* Mighty Lights (Enja, 1982)
* As One (JMT, 1985)
* Modern Drama (Columbia, 1987)
* Slalom (Columbia, 1988)
* Art and Aviation (Arabesque, 1992)
* The Nearness (Arabesque, 1996)
* The Red Quartets (Arabesque, 1999)
* Sometimes the Magic (Arabesque, 2001)
* Chasing Paint (Arabesque, 2003)
* Like Silver, Like Song (ArtistShare, 2005)
* Mental Weather (Outline, 2008)
* Wingwalker (Outline, 2010)
* Sixteen Sunsets (Outline, 2013)
* Early Americans (Outline, 2016)
* Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickenson (Outline, 2017)
* Some Kind of Tomorrow (Outline, 2021)
* Tues Days (Outline, 2021)
* Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1 (Outline, 2022)

### As guest

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* Sandra Boynton, Philadelphia Chickens (Rounder, 2004)
* Jay Clayton, All-Out (Anima, 1981)
* Anthony Davis, Return from Space (Gramavision, 1985)
* Giora Feidman, Klezmer Celebration (Plane 1997)
* David Friedman, Of the Wind's Eye (Enja, 1981)
* Jerry Granelli, Another Place (veraBra, 1993)
* Frederic Hand, Frederick Hand's Baroque and On the Street (CBS, 1981)
* Frederic Hand, Frederic Hand's Jazzantiqua (Musical Heritage Society, 1984)
* Frederic Hand, Jazzantiqua (Musical Heritage Society, 1985)
* Ron Horton, Genius Envy (Omnitone, 1999)
* Daniel Humair, Surrounded 1964/87 (Blue Flame, 1987)
* Cleo Laine, Jazz (RCA Victor, 1991)
* Bobby Previte, The 23 Constellations of Joan Miro (Tzadik, 2001)
* M'lumbo, Celestial Ghetto (Pursuance, 2011)
* M'lumbo, Tuning In To Tomorrow (Pursuance, 2012)
* M'lumbo, Popular Science (Pursuance, 2013)
* M'lumbo, Celestial Mechanics (Ropeadope, 2020)

## References

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1. ^ Holmes, Jeffrey (2001). "Bloom, Jane Ira". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎
2. ^ Hale, James (August 2017). "Jane Ira Bloom: Chasing a Mercurial Sound". Downbeat. 84 (8): 46.
3. ^ Kennedy, Gary W. (2001). "Bloom, Jane Ira". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎
4. ^ Kernfeld, Barry, ed. (2002). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2 ed.). London, England: Grove's Dictionaries, Inc. p. 243\. ISBN 033369189X.
5. ^ a b "(6083) Janeirabloom". Archived from the original on 2006-07-10. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
6. ^ "Jane Ira Bloom: Space". Archived from the original on 2006-07-22. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
7. ^ "Jane Ira Bloom: Compositions". Archived from the original on 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
8. ^ "John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Jane Ira Bloom". Gf.org. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
9. ^ "Jane Ira Bloom - Professor, the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music". Archived from the original on 2015-05-30. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
10. ^ "Grammys 2014: The complete list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
11. ^ McNally, Owen (27 April 2016). "Saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom Presents Work Inspired by Emily Dickinson at UMass Concert". Wnpr.org. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
12. ^ West, Michael. "Saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom adds the right notes to Emily Dickinson". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
13. ^ Bloom, Jane_Ira. "Jane Ira Bloom". Grammy.com. Retrieved November 21, 2018.

## External links

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* Jane Ira Bloom official site
* Jane Ira Bloom interview
* The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
* Audio Interview with Chet Williamson
* Audio Interview with Joe Zupan

* v
* t
* e

Jane Ira Bloom

Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.

Albums|

* Mighty Lights (1982)
* As One (with Fred Hersch, 1984)
* Modern Drama (1987)
* Slalom (1988)
* Art and Aviation (1992)
* The Nearness (1995)
* The Red Quartets (1992)
* Sometimes the Magic (2000)
* Chasing Paint (2002)
* Like Silver, Like Song (2004)
* Mental Weather (2007)
* Wingwalker (2010)
* Sixteen Sunsets (2013)
* Early Americans (2015)
* Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson (2017)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Italy
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Israel

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* Grammy Awards

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