Mondo Jazz

MARIA, SPLENDIDA CINQUANTENNE

Arriva oggi al traguardo di mezzo secolo la pianista, arrangiatrice e compositrice Maria Schneider. Sei gli album a suo nome, l'ultimo è Blue Sky del 2007; per quanto la sua dicografia sia scarna la sua fama si è invece rafforzata album dopo album. Un profilo di Maria è tracciato da Martin Johnson sul Wall Street Journal del 20 novembre, il link a fine articolo.

Maria Schneider (born 27 November 1960) is an American composer.

Schneider was born in Windom, Minnesota. She moved to New York City in 1985 after attending college at the University of Minnesota, the University of Miami and the Eastman School of Music. She studied under Bob Brookmeyer and Gil Evans, working on various projects with Evans, including the film The Color of Money and Absolute Beginners. Her works share many characteristics with other jazz composers influenced by Gil Evans, including Lou Marini, and Grammy Award winning composer Bob Belden.

Schneider formed The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra in 1993, appearing weekly at Visiones in Greenwich Village for five years. Her orchestra performed at many jazz festivals and toured Europe.

Schneider was one of the first artists to use ArtistShare to produce an album. Her 2004 album, Concert in the Garden, became the first Grammy Award-winning recording sold exclusively via the Internet. It was named Jazz Album of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association, which also named Schneider Composer of the Year and Arranger of the Year and named her group Large Jazz Ensemble of the Year.

Schneider's ensemble is now titled "The Maria Schneider Orchestra". Their new album, Sky Blue, was released in July 2007, also via ArtistShare. Schneider's composition "Cerulean Skies," from Sky Blue, won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition in 2008. Schneider is an avid birdwatcher and enlisted band members to contribute bird calls on "Cerulean Skies."

Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704648604575620621647434414.html?KEYWORDS=MARTIN+JOHNSON