Born: March 9, 1971 Primary Instrument: Piano
Pianist and composer, Alan Blackman, has been a mainstay in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area for nearly a decade. He has performed at Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and nearly all of the area’s Jazz Festivals both as a freelancer and with his group the Blackman/Barke Quartet. This group was runner-up in the DCJazz.com international competition and the Takoma Park Jazz Brawl. Alan has taught the jazz combos at Towson University as well accompanied the Jazz Vocal Master Class. In addition he has given private lessons through Maryland Conservatory, Maryland Piano, and Howard Community College.
Alan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Music and Jazz performance from the University of Miami and a Masters in jazz piano performance from Towson University.
Alan has worked for The Platters, soul artist Darlene Love, and toured South America as Latin pop singer Milton Cortez’s keyboardist in 1993. His folk and Broadway skills were honed as pianist for both Karen Goldberg and national recording artist Jane Olivor.
Recently, he was awarded the eastern regional songwriting award by the Gospel Music Association and was selected to be part of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Alan released his first CD of original music, Shadowdance, in January 2000 and is currently working on his first jazz composition book tentatively entitled, Changing Standards, which will be accompanied by an audio CD of his original arrangements.
He received a Maryland State Arts Grant for 2007, 2009, and 2010 in Musical Composition as well the Creative Baltimore Fund in 2010.
His new CD features Donny McCaslin and Margret Grebowicz playing mostly originals and re-worked pop songs from the Beatles and Peter Gabriel.
Awards:
Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Commission - 2011-2013MSAC Grants for Composition and Performance - 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Creative Baltimore Fund Award - 2010
Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program - 2001
“ It's poetry in slow motion, words translated into sound. “ Robert Sutton, allaboutjazz
Primary Instrument:
Piano
Location:
Baltimore, MD
Willing to teach:
Advanced students only.
Credentials/Background:
Towson University
Taught Jazz Combos, private piano, and accompanied Jazz Vocal department
Howard Community College
Taught Jazz Ensembles, Improvisation I and II, and private
lessons in jazz piano/theory/composition, Jazz History,
American Popular Music
Clinic/Workshop Information:
Changing Standards: Jumpstarting the compositional process
