John Beasley

JOHN BEASLEY GRAMMY® and EMMY Award-nominated recording artist PIANIST / COMPOSER / ARRANGER / MUSIC DIRECTOR “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
Double GRAMMY® winning and 11x nominated recording artist / Emmy-nominated Music Director
John Beasley’s music career spans four decades with credits that read like a “who’s who” list in the music and film/TV entertainment.
HIGHLIGHTS OF JOHN BEASLEY’S CAREER as PIANIST/KEYBOARDIST Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Carly Simon, Christian McBride, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Lee Ritenour, Kenny Garrett, AR Rahman, Baaba Mal, Jon Hassell, Ivan Lins, Sergio Mendes, Yosvany Terry, Ruthie Foster, Dave Gruisin, even a stint with James Brown, to name a few.
DISCOGRAPHY
MONK’estra trilogy of albums: MONK'estra Vol 1, Vol 2 and MONK'estra plays John Beasley (Mack Avenue Records)
Bird Lives, Music of Charlie Parker (ACT Music)
3 Brave Souls: John Beasley, Ndugu Chancler, Darryl Jones (BFM Jazz)
Positootly! with Jeff Watts, Bennie Maupin, James Genus (Resonance Records) - Grammy nominated
Letter to Herbie with Jeff Watts, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride (Resonance Records)
One LIVE Night with Gary Novak, Dave Carpenter, Carlos Del Puerto (BFM Jazz)
Nuances solo piano (EWE Japan)
Surfacing with Vinnie Colaiuta, Robert Hurst (EWE Japan)
Cauldron with John Patittucci, Bill Summers, Rickey Minor, Peter Erskine (Windham Hill - producer Walter Becker)
A Change of Heart with John Patittucci, Terri Lynn Carrington, Freddie Washington (Windham Hill - producer Walter Becker)
10/10:The Music of Thelonious Monk John Beasley and Steve Cardenas (TDK Japan)
Commotion 2: Sampler of Windham Hill Jazz (Windham Hill)
Mose the Fireman (book on tape, narrator Michael Keaton, music by John Beasley and Walter Becker)

GUEST CONDUCTOR
SWR Big Band, HR Big Band, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Blue House Orchestra (Sweden), Russian Jazz Orchestra, Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, Bohusulan Jazz Orchestra, Bielefeld Philharmonie and college big bands, including Juiliard, Rutgers, U of Miami/Frost, Manhattan School of Music, University of South Florida playing the music of MONK’estra

MUSIC DIRECTOR, CONCERTS AND TOURS
• International Jazz Day galas: New York/Los Angeles (2022 & 2021), Melbourne (2019), St Petersburg (2018), Havana (2017), White House, DC (2016), Paris (2015+2012), Osaka (2014), Istanbul (2013) • New Orleans Tri-Centennial Celeb Concert (2018)

• Quincy Jones Celebration @ Lincoln Center 2018
• Dianne Reeves Many Rivers Civil Rights concert 2016
• Thelonious Monk Institute Tribute galas: Quincy Jones 2015, Bill Clinton 2014, George Duke 2013, 25th Anniversary Gala Tribute to Aretha Franklin 2012
• Tribute to George Duke, MD and co-producer with Darlene Chan/Festival West at Playboy Jazz Festival and Capitol Jazz Festival
• Jazz and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Disney Hall: Youth Concert series: Host/MD/Bandleader 2011 + 2014
• Steely Dan Art Crimes world tour
• Queen Latifah’s Travelin’ Lite 40-city US Tour • AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire composer) Jai Ho world tour • Carly Simon Aboard the Queen Mary PBS TV piano and conductor

RECORD PRODUCER
Bird Lives with SWR Big Band;
Maria Mendes Colors of Me & Close to Me;
Dr.Um & Second Opinion Peter Erskine and John Beasley (co-producers) Bob Sheppard, Ben Shepherd (2016) Dr.Um + Lost Pages Peter Erskine and John Beasley (co-producers) Janek Gwizdala, Bob Sheppard, Larry Koonse, Aaron Serfaty, Jack Fletcher –Fuzzy Music (2016) - Grammy nominated
A Twist of Rit Lee Ritenour and John Beasley (co-producers) – Concord Records EWE Records:
Yosvany Terry Metamorphis,
Chie Ayado:Time, Shine, Life
Yota Miyazato Colors

Miscellaneous: Bob Sheppard, Woong San

FILM AND TV COMPOSER, PERFORMER – selected list:
• Films: Elemental, 1917, James Bond: Spectre + Skyfall, Finding Dory + Finding Nemo, Get on Up (James Brown), Exotic Marigold Hotel I + II, He called me Malala, Wall-E, Shawshank Redemption, Godfather III, and 100+ films as drum/synthesizer programmer and pianist
• TV: 2016 National Democratic Convention underscore, Touchstone TV logo, Award-winning TV series: Fame, Cheers, Family Ties, Star Trek: Next Generation • Commercials: Oldsmobile, Blockbuster, Hyundai, Toyota, Dodge and 100+

MUSIC DIRECTOR, TV SHOWS • International Jazz Day in Cuba – BET 2017 • Jazz at the White House – 2016 Emmy Nomination for Best Music Direction - ABC • Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautiful, MD and theme composer - NBC 2014 • American Idol (multi-platinum Carrie Underwood victory in 2005, Associate Music Director) FOX 2005 • American Idol Lead Arranger FOX 2015 -2016 • Sing Your Face Off - ABC 2014 • Duets with John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Nettles - ABC 2012 • Search for the Next Pussycat Dolls - CW 2007 • Carly Simon A Moonlight Serenade aboard Queen Mary, Conductor - PBS 2005

ARRANGER ON PERFORMANCES AND ALBUMS AND MUSIC DIRECTOR REALITY TV SHOWS • Rhianna VMA performance 2016, Robert Glasper performance African American Museum 2016 Opening Concert ABC TV, SR Big Band Stuttgart-Germany, Luckman Jazz Orchestra • TV shows: American Idol (2005-2016), The Tonight Show, VHI Divas special, The Winner Is, America’s Got Talent, Singing Bee, Duets, Search for the Next Pussy Cat Doll

AWARDS AND HONORS • 2 GRAMMY awards and 11 GRAMMY® nominations:
Grammy Awards: Best Arranger: Scrapple from the Apple "Bird Lives" 2023 and "Donna Lee" MONK'estra 2020
Grammy Nominations:
Best Large Jazz Ensemble: MONK'estra Vol 1, Vol 2, MONK'estra plays John Beasley & Bird Lives
Best Jazz Vocal: Somi with HR Big Band - John Beasley Conductor
Best Arranger: Maria Mendes Asas Fechadas 2020, 3 songs from MONK'estra, 1 song from Bird Lives
Best Instrumental Jazz album - Positootly! 2011

• Emmy nomination: Jazz at the White House, Best Musical Direction, 2016

EDUCATOR/BOARD • Guest Lecturer: Juiliard NY, Rutgers NJ, Rotterdam Conservatory, ASCAP, I Create Music, GRAMMY® • Governor of the Board GRAMMY/The Recording Academy

CONCERT REVIEWS: John Beasley is one of the best pianists and improvisers on the jazz scene today. Beasley is a master musician, with total command of the jazz language, and his playing is always intense in both emotion and technique. All About Jazz Some of the most mesmerizing big band music of recent memory. Beasley’s arrangements captured Monk’s unique quirkiness, the offbeat accents, punchy dissonances and surprisingly soaring melodies with stunningly atmospheric ensemble textures. His obviously extraordinary orchestrating abilities, combined with superb individual soloing from virtually every musician, resulted in a definitive display of Big, Modern and Jazz Band. John Beasley’s MONK’estra Vol 1 album - Don Heckman, International Review of Music - www.johnbeasleymusic.com Pianist, composer, arranger: John Beasley’s career brims with accomplishments that bridge musical and visual media. An uncommonly versatile pianist, he has backed such jazz icons as Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard – playing in the bands of both these trumpet greats while still in his 20s – as well as with Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, and Christian McBride (and even, for one night, with James Brown). His extensive work as a composer-arranger extends way beyond jazz, with many credits in television and film– including a host of movies scored by multiple Oscar nominee Thomas Newman – that have earned him five GRAMMY® nominations and an Emmy nod along the way. The son of a professional bassoonist, Beasley started writing his own arrangements while still in junior high school. These caught the attention of Jimmy Lyons, founder of the Monterey Jazz Festival, who recommended him for a scholarship at the Stan Kenton summer jazz camp. Immediately after high school, Beasley headed for New York to immerse himself in the jazz scene. He soon moved to Los Angeles, where he was soon performing and recording with some of the best-known artists in the pop-music world, including Sergio Mendes, George Duke, and Queen Latifah. Living in Hollywood, Beasley juggled a touring musician’s schedule while composing for award-winning television programs such as Cheers, Fame, Family Ties, and the series premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Through his three-decade association with Thomas Newman, he has contributed to such films as Spectre and Skyfall (both starring Daniel Craig as James Bond), The Shawshank Redemption, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (I & II), Finding Nemo, Finding Dory and Wall-E. Beasley was the lead arranger for the juggernaut reality show American Idol, where as associate musical director he helped usher Carrie Underwood to victory in 2005. He has served as musical director for several other TV hits, including Duets, Sing Your Face Off, and the Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary special. In 1992 Beasley released Cauldron, the first of eleven recordings under his name (produced by Steely Dan’s Walter Becker), and he received his first GRAMMY nomination for the 2009 album Positootly! His two most recent releases, MONK’estra Vol.1 and MONK’estra Vol.2, each earned two GRAMMY nominations, for Best Large Jazz Ensemble and Best Arranging. Beasley has served as musical director for the Thelonious Monk Institute’s annual gala concerts since 2011, guiding legends as well as the next generation of jazz greats through all-star tributes to Quincy Jones, Bill Clinton, George Duke, and Aretha Franklin. Since UNESCO’s inauguration of International Jazz Day in 2012, Beasley has also directed the organization’s annual concerts broadcast globally from Paris, Istanbul, Osaka, and Cuba, and the notable 2016 concert at the White House, hosted by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Beasley seamlessly shaped that concert – starring Sting, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling, and Joey Alexander – into a televised night of swing and celebration, garnering his Emmy nomination in the process. Beasley wears enough hats to qualify as a haberdasher’s dream. In addition to all of the above, he has co- produced albums by legendary guitarist Lee Ritenour, oft-awarded vocalist Dianne Reeves, and former Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine, whose Dr.Um received a 2017 GRAMMY nomination. For two seasons, Beasley directed the Toyota Symphonies for Youth’s “Jazz and the Orchestra” for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His current worldwide tour with MONK’estra features stops in 25 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, New York, Tokyo, San Francisco, Rotterdam (North Sea Jazz Festival), London, Chicago, and Los Angeles. www.JohnBeasleyMusic.com

Awards

AWARDS AND HONORS • 2 GRAMMY awards and 11 GRAMMY® nominations:
Grammy Awards: Best Arranger: Scrapple from the Apple "Bird Lives" 2023 and "Donna Lee" MONK'estra 2020
Grammy Nominations:
Best Large Jazz Ensemble: MONK'estra Vol 1, Vol 2, MONK'estra plays John Beasley & Bird Lives
Best Jazz Vocal: Somi with HR Big Band - John Beasley Conductor
Best Arranger: Maria Mendes Asas Fechadas 2020, 3 songs from MONK'estra, 1 song from Bird Lives
Best Instrumental Jazz album - Positootly! 2011

• Emmy nomination: Jazz at the White House, Best Musical Direction, 2016

Gear

My Studio Equipment:

ProTools HD
Yamaha C7 grand piano
Neumann U 67 Microphone
2 Neumann KM 184 Microphones
FOCUS Rite 4-channel digital pre-amp
Scheffler 2-channel analog pre-amp
Universal audio 1176 Compressor Limitor
Fender Rhodes Suitcase Electric Piano
Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Kurzweil PC 3
NORD Lead 2
Kontakt 3
Reaktor 5
Massive
Battery 3
FM8 B4-2
Pro-53
Spectra Sonics Stylist RMX
Guitar Rig 3
Reason
LIVE Arranging:
For arranging, I use SIBELIUS. Files can be sent as Sibelius or PDF.
Endorsements:
Steinway Artist

Previous:
John Beasley is a Yamaha artist, who uses Native Instruments software, M-Audio hardware, Kurzweil synthesizers, iZotope Ozone plug-in, and Yamihiko piano pickups. Also, endorser for Rhodes and Behringer.

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Live Review

Album Review

Monk'estra, Vol. 2 by Angelo Leonardi

SoCal Jazz

John Beasley: Master of All Trades

Album Review

MONK'estra Plays John Beasley by Jim Worsley

SoCal Jazz

The Monk'estra Trilogy: The Genius of John Beasley and Thelonious Monk

Radio & Podcasts

Tributes to Monk, Part 2

SoCal Jazz

The Music of Thelonious Monk: John Beasley's MONK'estra Live

April 04, 2019

SiriusXM's New, Original jazz radio show on Jazz Arranging "Flipped"...

March 03, 2015

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova And UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador...

February 16, 2015

EastWest JazzScene Concert: Carl Allen, John Beasley, Eric Revis,...

October 02, 2013

3 Generations Of Freddie Hubbard Alumni at Blue Whale on October 11-12

May 22, 2012

John Beasley, Darryl Jones, and Ndugu Chancler Form Funk Power...

September 07, 2011

John Beasley Sept-Oct Gig Calendar

December 29, 2010

Concert: Jan 8 - John Beasley Positootly! Jazz Circle @ Blue Whale

September 29, 2010

Angel City Jazz Festival Opens October 2nd at REDCAT with Henry...

January 27, 2010

John Beasley Jazz Circle Concert: Live Webcast

September 01, 2009

Pianist John Beasley to Perform at Catalina's on October 1 Through 3 in...

John Beasley is one of the best pianists and improvisers on the jazz scene today. Beasley is a master musician, with total command of the jazz language, and his playing is always intense in both emotion and technique. —All About Jazz (Wilbert Sostre)

"The pianist and composer John Beasley has one of the most formidable tasks of anyone associated with today's International Jazz Day, the celebration produced by UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. He's music director of the centerpiece concert to be live-streamed from Istanbul ...That means Beasley put together the lineups from a star-studded international cast, with a set list meant to charm the world. His cast is headed by international superstars Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Eddie Palmieri, Robert Glasper, Ramsey Lewis, Esperanza Spalding, Joss Stone, Anat Cohen, Branford Marsalis, Hugh Masekela, Keiko Matsui, Lee Ritenour, Joe Louis Walker, Ruben Blades and Jean- Luc Ponty. They'll perform with Turkish musicians Husnu Senlendirici, Imer Demirer, Bilal Karaman and many others.... Having served as music director for artists ranging from Queen Latifah to Freddie Hubbard — and worked as MD for the first International Jazz Day concert in 2012 — Beasley seems well-prepared for the job." -NPR Music - A Supreme Blog (Howard Mandel)

Beasley is also a singular pianist who is chirpy and breaks up his dazzling melodic runs with staccato perfunctory harmonic statements that then bend the music in another surprising direction. Thus he is never predictable and always makes a new surprise flow through the tips of his fingers that take the keyboard to task every once and awhile. —Latin Jazz.Net (Raul da Gama)

“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.” —LA Times

CD REVIEWS: MONK'estra "Beasley hits us dead center with studio-smart takes on Monk’s deep book… features rapid-fire surprises, spiky asides and a quirky sense of truthful swing. Beasley’s band will leave you rapt. He brings Monk to life once again for modern-minded listeners. –Downbeat - 4.5/5 stars

‘'John Beasley’s bold refashionings of Thelonious Monk once again hit the jackpot. Beasley's not just breathing new life into Monk's repertoire - he's firing up the big band scene.” –BBC Music Magazine

“Beasley is a very clever arranger who works his charts hard, and this album is continuously surprising… an ingenious interpreter of Monk conducts like Thad Jones. ” –JazzTimes

“MONK’estra brought the project thrillingly to life with their razor-sharp ensemble work and rhythmic authenticity… hip-hop merges with swing and sensuous Ellingtonia sits on a sparse contemporary pulse. – Financial Times - 4 Beasley's Monk'estra set was a dazzling display of fresh interpretations scaled to take full advantage of his sixteen-piece ensemble. The enlightening set closed with vigorous applause from the house.” –AllAboutJazz

“Beasley takes Monk’s sturdy tunes on a joyride for MONK’estra.” –New Yorker 3 Brave Souls: “tangy, ass-wiggling funk...a groove so deep you could fall right in… potent pulse… great, greasy lines by Beasley…a fun romp ...more bite than a simple groove record …tasty stuff that needs to happen more often… contagious and penetrating grooves… honey dew sounds of southern soul… entertaining recipe of pop, world, R&B and soul injected with funk blasts and contemporary jazz class…. a fantastic recording that is simply pure funk…” “sumptuous potion of distinct, powerful and peerless music created by this superb Trio” “they collectively stir up a melting pot of jazz-funk, organic grooves, and soulful sounds resonate feverishly through the walls of these eleven songs is uplifted to greater heights by an extraordinary cast of guest performers” — Urban Funk, Urban Music, Something Else! Positootly! John is truly an amazing pianist, imaginative composer, creative improviser and arranger. And with Positootly he created an album that people will look back as one of the first Jazz classic albums of the 21th century. —JazzTimes One of the most energetic recordings of the past year. “Positootly!” accurately sums the spirit of this Grammy-nominated disc. —Jazz Police

“This recording is his finest effort, and stands proudly alongside his previous recording, a fine tribute to Herbie Hancock.” —All Music.com 4 ½ stars

“Positootly! is pure art…fasten your seatbelts…Beasley is masterful on keys.” —LaJazz.com

“Positootly!” swings and features Beasley’s lyrical piano playing. Jobim’s “Dindi” is as beautiful as ever and is rendered in a 5/4 tempo that is a testament to Beasley’s arranging skills. —Sounds of Timeless Jazz

Letter To Herbie (Resonance Records) Beasley opted for an all out tribute with an all star cast including Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Christian McBride and Roy Hargrove. In the true jazz tradition, Beasley has brilliantly interpreted Hancock’s music, transforming ‘4AM’ from its original funk into a swinging uptempo affair and juxtaposing ‘Tell Me A Bedtime Story’ and ‘Maiden Voyage’ into ‘Bedtime Voyage’. Herbie’s reply must surely be ‘You’ve done me proud’. —Drummer UK (Brent Keefe)

Song “Bedtime Voyage” Letter to Herbie (Resonance Records) Clever arrangements. Hancock never wrote a song called "Bedtime Voyage," but Beasley does a 'mash-up' of "Maiden Voyage" and "Tell Me A Bedtime Story," two of Herbie's finest compositions. This mash is a real banger, and I would go back for second helpings. Beasley is quite effective, especially as a rhythm section pianist, and has mastered a number of Hancock's signature devices. This is a strong performance and a notch above your typical tribute project. —Jazz.com: 4 stars (Ted Gioia)

A first call pianist/keyboardist has been one of the best kept secrets in jazz. “Letter to Herbie” is an extremely impressive recording that satisfies from end to end. The rhythmn section is two of the most important players in the last 20 years - Christian McBride and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Beasley, McBride and Watts immediately turn on the pots and get to smokin'! If you purchase this cd, you will get an immediate insight into what's happen in jazz at this moment. —Amazon 5 Solid Stars! (Skip Norris)

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Location

Los Angeles

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Beasley has led music/jazz/piano clinics and workshops worldwide over the past 25 years across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including The Grammy Foundation's camps, Frost School of Music, U of Miami Manhattan School of Music Julliard Rutgers University The Music School (Utah), ASCAP (I Create Music) Politrius Music School (Guatemala), CoDarts, Rotterdam Conservatory Maastricht Conservatory Amsterdam Conservatory... to name a few Private lessons - rates are negotiable Hours - when not on tour

Clinic/Workshop Information

Primary Instrument

Piano

Location

Los Angeles

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Clinic/Workshop Information

John Beasley is available to conduct master classes and workshops with solo or small ensemble playing.

Workshop/Clinic Topics:

Composition
Improvisation
Arrangement
Modern Jazz Harmony
Solo or Small Ensemble Playing
Functioning in the Rhythm Section
Writing for Television, Commercials, and Film
Electronic Studio Technology
Record Producer
Vocal Producer
Contemporary Singing
Musical Director
Preparation for Auditions and Performing As a clinician, Beasley can share his experiences and discuss:
Imparting lessons he has learned from playing in the rhythm section backing up many of the world’s greatest artists, including: Freddie Hubbard The role of the rhythm section; playing in the “pocket”; comping; the necessity of maintaining the high energy levels demanded by Hubbard; Chaka Khan Playing in an R&B rhythm section - simple and funky; Steely Dan The role of a musical director; learning interesting and unusual song forms; rehearsal techniques; and voicings; Miles Davis Phrasing, form, and contemporary jazz harmony; Carly Simon, Dianne Reeves, Queen Latifah, Kenny Rankin Accompanying a vocalist; Thomas Newman Film scoring techniques; incorporating samples and loops with orchestra.
Developing a unique sound – method and tools;
Composing and editing original material;
Playing in different styles, be it jazz, rock and roll, jazz, or R&B;
Production techniques using PRO TOOLS, synthesizer orchestration, sequencing, vocal comping, drum programming; and
Writing for TV commercials, overdubs and tracking for records, film scores, emphasizing practical workable methods. Beasley covers all of these topics under four general themes: Feel, Sound, Form, and Phrase. Beasley has led music/jazz/piano clinics and workshops worldwide over the past 25 years across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including The Grammy Foundation's camps, The Music School (Utah), Politrius Music School (Guatemala), CoArts Rotterdam Conservatory and Maastricht Conservatory Music (Holland), to name a few. BOOKING: Contact [email protected]@johnbeasleymusic.com. This e- mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it.