Stanley Cowell

American jazz pianist (1941–2020)

Stanley Cowell

Cowell playing with the Heath Brothers in Rockefeller Center, June 1977

Background information
Born| (1941-05-05)May 5, 1941
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Died| December 17, 2020(2020-12-17) (aged 79)
Dover, Delaware, U.S.
Genres| Jazz
Occupation| Musician
Instrument| Piano
Labels| Arista, DIW, Galaxy, SteepleChase, Strata-East
Formerly of| Roland Kirk, Marion Brown, Charles Tolliver, Max Roach

Musical artist

Stanley Cowell (May 5, 1941 – December 17, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label.

## Early life

[edit]

Cowell was born in Toledo, Ohio.[1] He began playing the piano around the age of four, and became interested in jazz after seeing Art Tatum at the age of six.[2] Tatum was a family friend.[1]

After high school, Cowell studied classical piano with Emil Danenberg at Oberlin Conservatory of Music[3] He included "Emil Danenberg" in his 1973 suite "Musa: Ancestral Dreams".[4] During his time at Oberlin, he played with jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk, which proved to be formative.[1] He went on to receive a graduate degree in classical piano from the University of Michigan. He moved to New York in the mid-1960s.[1]

## Later life and career

[edit]

Cowell with the Heath Brothers at Sproul Plaza, University of California, Berkeley, May 1980

Cowell played with Marion Brown, Max Roach, Bobby Hutcherson, Clifford Jordan, Harold Land, Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz.[5] Cowell played with trumpeter Charles Moore and others in the Detroit Artist's Workshop Jazz Ensemble in 1965–66.

In 1971, Cowell co-founded the record label Strata-East with trumpeter Charles Tolliver. The label would become one of the most successful Black-led, independent labels of its day.[6]

During the late 1980s, Cowell was part of a regular quartet led by J.J. Johnson.[7] Cowell taught in the Music Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

On December 17, 2020, Cowell died at Bayhealth Hospital in Dover, Delaware, from hypovolemic shock. He was 79 years old.[8]

## Discography

[edit]

### As leader

[edit]

Year recorded  | Title  | Label  | Notes

|
|
|

1969  | Blues for the Viet Cong | Freedom | Trio, with Steve Novosel (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums); also released as Travellin' Man by Black Lion
1969  | Brilliant Circles | Freedom | With Woody Shaw (trumpet, maracas), Tyrone Washington (tenor sax, flute, clarinet, maracas, tambourine), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Reggie Workman (bass, electric bass), Joe Chambers (drums)
1972  | Illusion Suite | ECM | Trio, with Stanley Clarke (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums)
1972  | Handscapes | Strata-East | As The Piano Choir; with Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis, Harold Mabern, Danny Mixon and Sonelius Smith (piano, electric piano, vocals, percussion, African piano, harpsichord)
1973  | Musa: Ancestral Streams | Strata-East | Solo piano, electric piano, kalimba
1974  | Handscapes 2 | Strata-East | As The Piano Choir; with Sonelius Smith (piano, electric piano), Ron Burton, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis and Harold Mabern (piano), Mtume, Jimmy Hopps and John Lewis (percussion)
1975  | Regeneration | Strata-East | With Marion Brown (wooden flute), Jimmy Heath (soprano sax, flute, alto flute), John Stubblefield (zuna), Jerry Venable (guitar), Psyche Wanzandae (harmonica, flute), Bill Lee (bass), Aleke Kanonu (bass drum, vocals), Billy Higgins (drums, gembhre, percussion), Ed Blackwell (water drum, parade drum, percussion), Nadi Quamar (mama-lekimbe, percussion, Madigascan harp), Charles Fowlkes (vocals, electric bass), Glenda Barnes and Kareema (vocals)
1977  | Waiting for the Moment | Galaxy | Solo piano, electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer, kalimba
1978?  | Talkin' 'bout Love | Galaxy |
1978  | Equipoise | Galaxy | Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)
1981  | New World | Galaxy |
1983  | Such Great Friends | Strata-East | Quartet, with Billy Harper (tenor sax), Reggie Workman (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1985?  | Live at Cafe Des Copains | Unisson  |
1987  | We Three | DIW | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Frederick Waits (drums)
1989  | Back to the Beautiful | Concord Jazz | One track solo piano; most tracks trio, with Santi Debriano (bass), Joe Chambers (drums); some tracks quartet, with Steve Coleman (alto sax, soprano sax) added
1989  | Sienna | SteepleChase | Trio, with Ron McClure (bass), Keith Copeland (drums)
1990  | Close to You Alone | DIW | Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Ronnie Burrage (drums)
1990  | Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Five | Concord Jazz | Solo piano
1990  | Departure No. 2 | SteepleChase | Trio, with Bob Cranshaw (bass), Keith Copeland (drums)
1991  | Games | SteepleChase | Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums)
1993  | Bright Passion | SteepleChase | Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums)
1993  | Angel Eyes | SteepleChase | Solo piano
1993  | Live at Copenhagen Jazz House | SteepleChase | Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums); in concert
1993  | Setup | SteepleChase | Sextet, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Dick Griffin (trombone), Rick Margitza (tenor sax), Peter Washington (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1995  | Mandara Blossoms | SteepleChase | With Billy Pierce (tenor sax), Jeff Halsey (bass), Ralph Peterson (drums), Karen Francis (vocals)
1996  | Hear Me One | SteepleChase | With Bruce Williams (alto sax), Dwayne Burno, Keith Copeland (drums)
1999  | Dancers in Love | Venus | Trio, with Tarus Mateen (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums)
2007  | Death Is the Communion | 3D  |
2010  | Prayer for Peace | SteepleChase | With Mike Richmond, Sunny Cowell, Victor Lewis
2012  | It's Time | SteepleChase | Trio, with Tom DiCarlo (bass), Chris Brown (drums)
2013  | Welcome to This New World | SteepleChase | With Vic Juris (guitar), Tom DiCarlo (bass), Chris Brown (drums)
2014  | Are You Real? | SteepleChase | Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums)
2015  | Reminiscent | SteepleChase | Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums)
2015  | Juneteenth | Vision Fugitive  | Solo piano
2017  | No Illusions | SteepleChase | Quartet, with Bruce Williams (alto sax, flute), Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums)
2020  | At Keystone Korner, Baltimore | SteepleChase | Quintet, with Freddie Hendrix (trumpet), Bruce Williams (alto sax), Tom DiCarlo (bass), Vince Ector (drums), Sunny Cowell (vocal)

### As sideman

[edit]

With Marion Brown

* Three for Shepp (Impulse!, 1967)
* Why Not? (1968)
* Vista (Impulse!, 1975)

With Larry Coryell

* Equipoise (Muse, 1985)
* Toku Do (Muse, 1987)

With Richard Davis

* Fancy Free (Galaxy, 1977)
* Way Out West (Muse, 1980) – rec. 1977

With Roy Haynes

* Thank You Thank You (Galaxy, 1977)
* Vistalite (Galaxy, 1979) – rec. 1977

With Jimmy Heath

* Love and Understanding (Muse, 1973)
* The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1994) – rec. 1977

With The Heath Brothers

* Marchin' On (1975)
* Passing Thru (1978)
* In Motion (1979)
* Live at the Public Theater (1980)
* Expressions of Life (1980)
* Brotherly Love (1982)
* Brothers and Others (1984)

With Bobby Hutcherson

* Now! (Blue Note, 1970) – rec. 1969
* Spiral (Blue Note, 1979) – rec. 1965 & 1968
* Patterns (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1968
* Medina (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1969

With Art Pepper

* Art Pepper Today (Galaxy, 1978)
* Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980)
* One September Afternoon (Galaxy, 1980)

With Charles Tolliver

* The Ringer (Polydor, 1969)
* Live at Slugs' (Strata-East, 1970)
* Music Inc. (Strata-East, 1971)
* Impact (Enja, 1972)
* Live in Tokyo (Strata-East, 1973)
* Impact (Strata-East, 1975)
* With Love (Blue Note, 2006)
* Emperor March: Live at the Blue Note (Half Note, 2009)

With others

* Rashied Ali, First Time Out: Live at Slugs 1967 (Survival, 2020) – rec. 1967
* Gary Bartz, Another Earth (Milestone, 1969) – rec. 1968
* Sonny Fortune, Long Before Our Mothers Cried (Strata-East, 1974)
* Stan Getz, The Song Is You (Laserlight, 1996) – rec. 1969
* Johnny Griffin, Birds and Ballads (1978)
* J.J. Johnson, Standards-Live At The Village Vanguard (1988)
* Clifford Jordan, Glass Bead Games (1973)
* James Mtume, Rebirth Cycle (1977)
* Oliver Nelson, Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1972) – rec. 1971
* Jimmy Owens, Headin' Home (A&M/Horizon, 1978)
* Max Roach, Members, Don't Git Weary (Atlantic, 1968)
* Charles Sullivan, Genesis (Strata-East, 1974)
* Buddy Terry, Awareness (Mainstream, 1971)

|

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Collar, Matt. "Stanley Cowell". AllMusic. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
2. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2002). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. London: Penguin Books. pp. 342–344.
3. ^ Stanley Cowell ’62, Jazz Pianist, Composer, and Educator, Dies at 79, Oberlin College Conservatory News and Events, December 20, 2020
4. ^ Stanley Cowell – Musa - Ancestral Streams (2018, Gatefold, Vinyl) - Discogs
5. ^ Fairweather, Digby; Ian Carr; Brian Priestley (2004). The Rough Guide to Jazz. p. 286. ISBN 9781843532569.
6. ^ Russonello, Giovanni (December 20, 2020). "Stanley Cowell, Jazz Pianist With a Wide Range, Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2020. "Strata-East Records, a pioneering institution in jazz and the broader Black Arts Movement. It would release a steady run of pathbreaking music over the next decade, becoming one of the most successful Black-run labels of its time."
7. ^ Yanow, Scott (2000). Bebop. p. 92.
8. ^ Chinen, Nate (18 December 2020). "Stanley Cowell, Pianist, Composer and Educator with a Kaleidoscopic View of Jazz, Is Dead at 79". WBGO. Retrieved December 18, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Rutgers U site
* Stanley Cowell discography at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

Stanley Cowell

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

Studio albums|

* Blues for the Viet Cong (1969)
* Brilliant Circles (1969)
* Illusion Suite (1972)
* Musa: Ancestral Streams (1973)
* Handscapes 2 (with Ron Burton, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis, Harold Mabern, and Sonelius Smith, 1974)
* Regeneration (1975)
* Waiting for the Moment (1977)
* Equipoise (1978)
* New World (1981)
* We Three (with Freddie Waits and Buster Williams, 1987)
* Back to the Beautiful (1989)
* Sienna (1989)
* Close to You Alone (1990)
* Angel Eyes (1993)
* Setup (1993)

Live albums|

* Handscapes (with Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis, Harold Mabern, Danny Mixon, and Sonelius Smith, 1972)
* Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Five (1990)
* Live at Copenhagen Jazz House (1993)

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* Strata-East Records

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