Home » Jazz Musicians » Ted Rosenthal

Ted Rosenthal

Ted Rosenthal is one of the leading jazz pianists of his generation. The first-prize winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition in 1988, Ted has gone on to perform worldwide, both as a leader and as a sideman with many jazz greats, including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, and Jon Faddis. Ted also has released eleven CDs as a leader, which include new treatments and "derangements" of great American standards, jazz tunes and classical themes, as well as his original compositions. Ted’s ability to communicate both the creative and analytical aspects of jazz translates from the bandstand to the educational arena: he holds faculty appointments at The Juilliard School, and Manhattan School of Music, and has also taught at Queens College, and The New School University. Ted was born and raised in Great Neck, Long Island, a suburb of New York City. He began playing by ear at a young age, and started studying at 12 with Tony Aless, a sideman with Charlie Parker and Stan Getz. In high school, Ted studied briefly with Jaki Byard and Lennie Tristano, and he attended workshops with Billy Taylor, Woody Shaw and others. Although jazz was Ted’s main passion, at the time there were limited opportunities to study jazz at the conservatory level. Since he also found satisfaction and joy in classical music, Ted decided to pursue classical piano studies at Manhattan School of Music. He received Bachelors and Masters Degrees in piano performance while continuing to pursue his love of jazz outside the classroom. After college, he continued his classical piano studies with Phillip Kawin while playing jazz in and around New York. Winning the Monk Competition in 1988 launched Ted’s career as a solo artist, leading to the release of his first CD as a leader. New Tunes, New Traditions, featuring now-legendary personnel Ron Carter, Billy Higgins and Tom Harrell, interweaves music of Thelonious Monk with Ted’s original compositions. Ted toured in the early 1990s with the last Gerry Mulligan Quartet. He recorded three CDs with Mulligan and performed in major jazz festivals throughout the world. One critic noted, “The rapport of the (Mulligan) group was amazing, particularly Gerry’s telepathic communication with outstanding pianist Ted Rosenthal.... The byplay with Rosenthal left me with my jaw hanging down.” (Gene Lees, The Jazz Letter.) After Mulligan's death, Ted became musical director of The Gerry Mulligan All Star Tribute Band, featuring Lee Konitz, Bob Brookmeyer and Randy Brecker.

Read more

Tags

11
Album Review

Ann Hampton Callaway: Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration

Read "Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


Peggy Lee was a remarkable singer and songwriter, but to some listeners, deeply enigmatic. Her time, often well behind the beat, conveyed a subtle sense of irony. “Are you getting this?" she sometimes seemed to say, “or am I going too fast for you?" She could be exuberant and world weary almost in the same breath. It was seemingly up to the audience to decipher her meaning. Lee could convey expectation and experience simultaneously, as in her version of “Folks ...

7
Interview

Ted Rosenthal: Dear Erich, A Jazz Opera

Read "Ted Rosenthal: Dear Erich, A Jazz Opera" reviewed by Ken Dryden


Ted Rosenthal is one of the most renowned pianists of his generation. He won first prize at the second Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and has been awarded several NEA grants as a composer. Well known as the pianist in Gerry Mulligan's final quartet, Rosenthal has recorded or performed with many other artists, including Bob Brookmeyer, Phil Woods, Art Farmer, Jim Hall, Jon Faddis, Benny Golson, James Moody, Mel Lewis, Lee Konitz and Ken Peplowski. Rosenthal has recorded fifteen ...

10
Album Review

Ted Rosenthal Trio: Rhapsody In Gershwin

Read "Rhapsody In Gershwin" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


The glories of George Gershwin have been well-documented in jazz settings. In fact, many would argue that Gershwin's music has been done to death. So does the world really need another tribute to this iconic tunesmith? In theory, it does not. Supply and demand, and the very nature of saturation, would say that a more-than-sufficient dose of Gershwin has been given to the world, so it's time to move on. However, these principles have never applied to this type of ...

4
Multiple Reviews

2013 Yuletide Offerings

Read "2013 Yuletide Offerings" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


It's clear that the holidays are coming when the mercury dips and the cheery tidings of the season are balanced out by shopping-fueled malaise. When it comes to music, said shopping is often centered on a series of new holiday-themed releases that seem to arrive like clockwork in the weeks and months prior to Christmas; this year--surprise, surprise--is no different than any other year in that respect. In some ways, it's hard to understand the ever-continuing fascination ...

7
Album Review

Ted Rosenthal Trio: Wonderland

Read "Wonderland" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Lots of “Christmas Albums" come out every year. Many of them are nice for an easy holiday listen, but let's face it, expectations are low in terms of endurance, and they can often be rightfully seen as quickly done, quick buck affairs. Then there are the ones that have endured: the Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas (Fantasy, 1965); Elvis Presley's A Christmas Album (RCA, 1957); and Frank Sinatra's A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra (Capitol, 1957). And aside ...

119
Album Review

Ted Rosenthal Trio: Out of This World

Read "Out of This World" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


2011 has been productive year in the recording realm for pianist Ted Rosenthal. His contribution to The Westchester Jazz Orchestra's superb Maiden Voyage Suite (WJO Records) helped elevate the re-imaging of pianist Herbie Hancock's classic Maiden Voyage (Blue Note, 1965) to the highest level of big band artistry. With Out of this World, Rosenthal slips back to the more minimal piano trio, for his exquisite interpretations of some of The Great American Songbook's most beloved compositions.Covering classic tunes ...

157
Album Review

Ted Rosenthal Trio: Out of This World

Read "Out of This World" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Borrowing from The Great American Songbook is a standard practice for many jazz artists, who include one or more pieces when rounding out a repertoire of primarily new material. Not so for pianist Ted Rosenthal, whose affinity for music from the Songbook is reflected on at least two previous recordings, Rosenthology (Concord Jazz, 1994) and One Night in Vermont (Planet Arts, 2003), focusing on music from Irving Berlin, Jimmy Van Heusen, Tadd Dameron and Matt Dennis. On Out of This ...

Read more articles
1

Event

Thelonious Monk 100th Birthday Tribute With The Ted Rosenthal Quintet

Thelonious Monk 100th Birthday Tribute With The Ted Rosenthal Quintet

Source: Ed Bride Associates

Berkshires Jazz, Inc. continues its summer of centennial tributes on August 12 with the Ted Rosenthal Quintet, in a 100th birthday salute to Thelonious Monk. TD Bank is sponsoring the concert, which takes place at the Lee Meeting House (Lee Congregational Church), starting at 7:30pm. Equally renowned as a pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk was known for his unique improvisational style, making numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire. Even now, 35 years after his passing, he still has a ...

Education

Usdan Center's 8/1 Gala Features World Premiere By Ted Rosenthal

Usdan Center's 8/1 Gala Features World Premiere By Ted Rosenthal

Source: Reva Cooper

8/1 Usdan Gala Features World Premiere Jazz Work Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned summer arts day camp once again cited by TimeOutNY as a “Best Camp" for 2012, will present its annual Gala Concert on Wednesday August 1 at 7:00 PM at its 200-acre woodland campus center, the 1,000-seat McKinley Amphitheater. The 2012 Concert will feature the World Premiere of R ‘n B, a Usdan-commissioned jazz work by critically acclaimed pianist/composer Ted Rosenthal, performed by ...

130

48

Performance / Tour

Upcoming Ted Rosenthal Performances

Upcoming Ted Rosenthal Performances

Source: Two for the Show Media

Saturday, October 15th, 8:30 PM Ted Rosenthal—Piano Thomson Kneeland—Bass Andy Watson—Drums Watercolor Cafe Larchmont, NY Friday, October 21st, 8:00 PM Ted Rosenthal Trio with Noriko Ueda—Bass Tim Horner—Drums Music Conservatory of Westchester216 Central Avenue White Plains, NY Friday, October 28th, 7:30 PM Ted Rosenthal Trio with Noriko Ueda—Bass Tim Horner—Drums Dix Hills Performing Arts Center FIve Towns College Dix Hills, NY Sunday, October 30, 4:00PM Jazz at Dicapoתth Season, Opening Concert “Out of this ...

189

Performance / Tour

The Ted Rosenthal Trio Releases "Out of This World" on Playscape Recordings.

The Ted Rosenthal Trio Releases "Out of This World" on Playscape Recordings.

Source: Two for the Show Media

It would be an understatement to say there is no shortage of pianistic interpretations of the ageless contributions of Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein/Hart, Cole Porter, et. al. So any pianist who dares to take on that canon anew had better have something fresh to say about it. Ted Rosenthal does. On Out Of This World (Playscape Recordings), the new collection featuring Rosenthal on piano, bassist Noriko Ueda and Quincy Davis on drums, 10 timeless classics from the golden era of ...

97

Festival

Arturo O'Farrill, Jimmy Heath, Jane Monheit, Ted Rosenthal at Usdan Festival Concerts

Arturo O'Farrill, Jimmy Heath, Jane Monheit, Ted Rosenthal at Usdan Festival Concerts

Source: Reva Cooper

Usdan Center For the Creative and Performing Arts, now entering its 43nd season and once again declared a “Best Of" class or camp for 2010 by TimeOutNY/Kids, will open its series of Festival Concerts, private on-site educational performances for its students, on Monday June 28 at the Center's 200-acre woodland campus. In addition to these concerts, special workshops and master classes will be offered by visiting guest artists throughout the summer.

The Center's 2010 season runs from June 28 to ...

112

Festival

Jazz Stars Jane Monheit, Ted Rosenthal and others at Usdan Center Festival Concerts

Jazz Stars Jane Monheit, Ted Rosenthal and others at Usdan Center Festival Concerts

Source: Reva Cooper

Singer Jane Monheit, acclaimed young Polish pianist Mateusz Kolakowski, tap dance team DeWitt Fleming and Jared Grimes and pianist/composer Ted Rosenthal are among the jazz stars appearing at Usdan Center For the Creative and Performing Arts' Festival Concerts, private 30-minute educational performances, just for Usdan students, at its on-site 1,000-seat McKinley Ampitheater, beginning Monday June 30. Jane Monheit, one of today's most eminent jazz vocalists, performs this summer at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival; Mateusz Kolakowski is a frequent guest artist ...

81

Performance / Tour

Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom Classical Jazz Concert

Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom Classical Jazz Concert

Source: All About Jazz

"Theme, Moods and Angles" for flute, cello and Jazz Trio" Friday, May 30, at 8PM Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom reprises their classical/Jazz crossover ensemble in a new program which premiere's pianist/composer Ted Rosenthal's recent chamber jazz composition, Theme, Moods and Angles for flute, cello and Jazz Trio, on Friday evening, May 30th, at 8pm in Schnurmacher Chapel. The guest ensemble, Rosenthal, piano, Cantor Rebecca Garfein, vocals, Susan Rotholz, flute, Eliot Bailen, cello and Artistic Director, Thomson Kneeland, ...

84

Event

Dance and Jazz - Ted Rosenthal New Work

Dance and Jazz - Ted Rosenthal New Work

Source: All About Jazz


76

Festival

Ted Rosenthal Featured at Bill Evans Festival in Louisiana

Ted Rosenthal Featured at Bill Evans Festival in Louisiana

Source: All About Jazz

Bill Evans will be honored by his Alma Mater the week of February 21-24. Ted Rosenthal will be featured at the conclusion of the four-day jazz festival at Southeastern Louisiana University, from where Evans graduated with honors in 1950. Evans was a recipient of 7 Grammy Awards and produced scores of recordings prior to his death in 1980. The Bill Evans Jazz Festival began four years ago, and since that time has welcomed Debby Evans (Bill's niece for whom he ...

"Rosenthal is a pianist of rarest skill, weaving rapid single note lines that span out into rich chordal patterns, parallel octaves and hints of the blues" —Leonard Feather, The Los Angeles Times "A new jazz leader" —John S. Wilson, The New York Times

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Fever: A Peggy Lee...

Palmetto Records
2023

buy

Thank You John: Our...

Arkadia Records
2022

buy

The Stars of Jazz #2

Arkadia Records
2022

buy

It​’​s About...

Arkadia Records
2022

buy

Thank You, Gerry!

Arkadia Records
2022

buy

Jazz Goes to The...

Shanachie Records
2018

buy

Black Coffee

From: Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration
By Ted Rosenthal

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.