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John Beasley
Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated, John Beasley, Pianist, Composer, Arranger and Producer has played with Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Steely Dan among others and composes for TV and film.
About Me
Beasley, the one-time keyboardist for Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis,
reflects a variety of generational influences, incorporating the emphatic
chordal clusters of Herbie Hancock, the rhythmic quirkiness of Monk
and the lush intelligence of Art Tatum into a highly refined personal
voice.
- Los Angeles Times
JOHN BEASLEY
Beasley's 2024 album releases with 3+ upcoming 2026 releases:
• ”El Trio: Live in Italy” Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez, Jose Gola, John Beasley (Challenge Records)
• ”Butterfly Effect”: sax & piano - John Beasley & Magnus Lindgren (ACT Records)
• ”Returning to Forever” with Frankfurt's HR Radio Big Band playing Chick Corea (Candid Records)
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JOHN BEASLEY BIOGRAPHY
PIANIST / COMPOSER / ARRANGER / MUSIC DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / CONDUCTOR / EDUCATOR
2x GRAMMY® winner and 14x nominee | Emmy nominee | 2x Latin Grammy nominee | Steinway artist
Pianist, composer, and arranger, John Beasley’s career brims with accomplishments that bridge musical
and visual media. An uncommonly versatile pianist, he backed jazz icons Miles Davis and Freddie
Hubbard in his 20s. Since then, he has performed with Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Chaka Khan,
Kenny Garrett, Stanley Clarke. He even performed one concert with James Brown reviving Brown’s Soul
on Top big band music. Beasley’s extensive work as a composer and arranger extends far beyond jazz,
with numerous credits in television and film, including blockbuster movies scored by 15x Oscar nominee
Thomas Newman. His 20+ recordings have earned him 2 GRAMMY® Awards, 14 nominations, 2 Latin
Grammy nominations, and an Emmy nod.
His vision and musical insight have brought him to the podium as Music director (MD) for the Herbie
Hancock Institute of Jazz since 2011, where he directs the annual global “International Jazz Day” concerts
and competition galas. The 2016 Jazz at the White House gala hosted by President Obama earned
Beasley an Emmy nomination for “Best Musical Direction.” He honed his craft as MD with Steely Dan,
Queen Latifah, AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), and Chucho Valdés “La Creación” tour. Beasley relied
on his MD instincts when directing various TV singing competitions, including Duets (Kelly Clarkson/John
Legend) and as Assoc MD for American Idol, where he contributed to Carrie Underwood’s win. He then
spent a decade working as Lead Arranger for American Idol and The Tonight Show with MD Rickey
Minor.
In 2017, Beasley decided to follow his teenage dream and form a big band, MONK’estra, which released
a trilogy of albums showcasing his unique arranging voice. These three albums earned six consecutive
GRAMMY® nominations and an award for “Best Arrangement” for Donna Lee. He brought the music of
MONK’estra to global stages, including to student big bands.
Beasley became an in-demand arranger for European jazz orchestras and have since conducted
commissions for Frankfurt’s HR Big Band, Stuttgart’s SWR Big Band, Sweden’s Blue House and
Bohuslän’s orchestras, and other big bands from Belgium to Latvia. Two big band projects, Somi: Holy
Room and SWR’s Bird Lives earned four GRAMMY® nominations and an award. He ventured into Fado-
jazz projects with Portuguese singer Maria Mendes and the Holland’s Metropole Orkest, which brought 2
Latin Grammy nominations and a Dutch Edison prize for “Best Jazz Vocal Album” with Close to Me.
Beasley began composing for TV at the age of 24, working for Paramount, Disney, and other studios on
shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Cheers, and Fame, among others. His performance can be
heard on films composed by Thomas Newman, including Elemental, 1917, James Bond’s Spectre &
Skyfall, Finding Dory, He Named Me Malala, Shawshank Redemption, among others. Newman invited
John to orchestrate and conduct his big band MONK’estra in Steven Soderbergh's Let them all Talk with
Meryl Streep.
Beasley's output remains prodigious and not just in the jazz genre. His recent collaborations have been with
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (symphonic commission), the music of Queen for Luxembourg
Philharmonic; and the pop music of Portugal's Rui Veloso for a symphonic band.
2024 album releases:
-Returning to Forever is a reimagination of Chick Corea/Return to Forever music.
-El Trio: Live in Italy is an Afro-Cuban jazz-rock fusion album.
-Butterfly Effect, a duo album with Swedish saxophonist Magnus Lindgren that earned 4.5 stars in Downbeat
As an educator, Beasley is committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. He conducts master
classes at music schools around the world or online, and his bands are often intergenerational. He has
been fortunate to write commissions for youth orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic's
YOLA and Carnegie Hall’s NYO.
In July 2024, Beasley was appointed President of the Board of Directors of the International Society of
Jazz Arrangers and Composers (ISJAC).
Bookings:
Myles Weinstein - Unlimited Myles
Lorna Chiu - John Beasley Music
Event Schedule + Info
www.JohnBeasleyMusic.com
