 |
Minneapolis-based jazz pianist and composer, Mary Louise Knutson (k’NOOT-sen), has been called "one of the most exciting and innovative artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time." Her warm, inviting tone, broad range of emotional expression, and distinctive compositions have brought her much recognition on the national music scene.
Knutson’s debut jazz trio CD, "Call Me When You Get There", charted in the Top 50 in the United States and Canada for eight consecutive weeks following its release, and earned Knutson the award for Top New Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year from KWJL Radio, California, in 2001. Featured tracks include her award-winning compositions and signature arrangements of such jazz classics as "Tangerine", "Green Dolphin Street (mp3)", and "Gone With the Wind" and range from the joyful lyricism of "Call Me When You Get There" to the impassioned blaze of "Meridian".
In 2004, Knutson was the recipient of Lawrence University's distinguished Nathan M. Pusey Alumni Achievement Award for significant contributions and achievements in a career field, and in 2005, she was a Top 5 Finalist in the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams "Women in Jazz" Pianist Competition. In 2006 Knutson was a Minnesota Music Awards nominee for both Jazz Artist of the Year and Pianist of the Year.
Knutson has performed with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves, Kevin Mahogany, Nicholas Payton, Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, Slide Hampton, Richie Cole, Greg Abate, Von Freeman, Peter Erskine, Billy Hart, and Richard Davis. As a show player, she has performed with such musical acts as Jordin Sparks, Michael Bolton, Trisha Yearwood, Sam Moore, Donny Osmond, Smoky Robinson, the Osmond Brothers, and comedians Phyllis Diller, Jack Carter, Rob Schneider, Kevin Nealan, Judy Tenuta, and more.
An acclaimed composer, Knutson has won numerous awards, including two from Billboard magazine for her compositions "How Will I Know?" and "Meridian (mp3)". Her composition "How Will I Know? (mp3)" was also recorded by Prince's horn section, the Hornheads, for their "5 Heads Are Better Than 1" release on Bone 2 B Wild Music. Chosen as the music bed for the art documentary, Wellington Lee: 60 Years of Artistic Photography, Knutson’s composition, "Call Me When You Get There (mp3)", will soon be heard at major art museums across the country.
Inspired by successful concert tours in both Italy and the United States, Knutson is now composing music for her next recording project which is slated for release in 2011.
In the mean time, she can be heard regularly, with her group the Mary Louise Knutson Trio or as a soloist, at clubs, festivals, and concert halls here and abroad; with area vocalists Connie Evingson and Debbie Duncan; and with a variety of instrumental groups including the JazzMN Big Band and the Chuck Lazarus Quartet.
Formerly an instructor in jazz piano and improvisation at Carleton College, Knutson teaches privately and conducts a variety of masterclasses, including "Intro to Composition", "Freedom From the Written Page: Beginning Improv for Pianists", "Jazz Piano in the Big Band: Voicings, Rhythms, and Scales",
"The Press Kit", and "History of Jazz Overview: A Timeline of Styles & Recordings". Her newest masterclass, "Making Sense of Jazz", for non-musicians and/or budding enthusiasts, explores how jazz musicians communicate on stage, the typical structure of songs, and the use of improvisation.
Check Out Her CD!
Read the Reviews!
Find Out Where She’s Performing!
Get the Latest News!
See Photos!
Watch Videos!
Mary Louise is available for concerts and private engagements (with her group, the Mary Louise Knutson Trio, or as a soloist), as well as for guest artist appearances, private lessons, master classes, touring, recording, and more. To request more information, please send an email to: mlk@MaryLouiseKnutson.com.
|
|
 |
|
