Mara Rosenbloom

Pianist, composer, & bandleader Mara Rosenbloom has been called “a whole-hearted poet of the piano,” – she is a builder & a synthesist; a fiercely lyrical composer & improviser (All About Jazz).

Originally from Wisconsin, Rosenbloom has spent the past decade in New York City, creating a distinctive body of work and establishing herself as a vibrant and respected part of the city’s diverse network of jazz & improvised music communities. Following the release of Prairie Burn (Fresh Sound/New Talent), Rosenbloom’s debut trio release with bassist Sean Conly & drummer Chad Taylor, The New York Times cast a spotlight on Rosenbloom, heralding Prairie Burn as a “…a trio recording of bristling provocation and full-bore group improvising…her strongest statement as a bandleader and her most dauntless effort as a pianist.” The album received a rare 4.5 stars from Downbeat Magazine, earning it a spot on the Magazine’s Best Albums of 2017 list. New York Music Daily praised the album as “[Rosenbloom's] quantum leap into greatness. An absolutely feral, largely improvisational suite...unbridled ferocity and a remarkable chemistry.” The following May, the trio made their Jazz at Lincoln Center debut, performing to a sold out house at Dizzy’s Jazz Club Coca-Cola. The following January, the group made a splash at New York City’s Winter Jazzfest, performing to a packed house, and receiving critical acclaim from Nate Chinen at WBGO, and The New York City Jazz Record.

This past year, Rosenbloom has been debuting a new ensemble, Flyways, featuring 2019 Van Lier Fellowship winner Anais Maviel (voice & surdo drum) & acclaimed bassist Rashaan Carter (Wallace Roney, Marc Carey, Cindy Blackman). The group's premier work, “I know what I dreamed” sets the text of one of Adrienne Rich's 21 Love Poems to melody, and extends it into a set length work, balancing composed narrative within a dynamic level of improvisation.

Prior to her work with both trios, Rosenbloom lead her long-running quartet with alto saxophonist Darius Jones, bassist Sean Conly, and drummer Nick Anderson - embarking on two US tours, performing monthly in New York, and releasing two albums to critical acclaim. Currently, in addition to her own projects, Rosenbloom recently recorded the music of William Parker on a new album of his compositions to be released Spring, 2019 & performed his tribute Blue Lime Light for Cecil Taylor, at Taylor's Memorial Concert in 2018. Rosenbloom is also a member of Iconoclast American Jazz Drummer William Hooker's Quartet MOON (feat: Jon Irabagon), Dawn Drake's global funk ensemble ZapOte, which just returned from a 10 day International US Embassy Tour of Belize (performing workshops for children with special needs, community concerts, and outreach & exchange with local musicians), and continues to perform with a variety of musicians across genres, including Cooper-Moore, William Parker, Nioka Workman, Sam Newsome, Michael Wimberly, Vinny Golia, Ken Filiano, Ava Mendoza, Rosa Avila, Gerald Cleaver, Ras Moshe, Omar Tamez, Jeff Davis, Billy Mintz, Daniel Carter, and Anais Maviel. Her mentors at the piano include the incomparable Cooper-Moore, and the late great Connie Crothers.

Recently Mara released her debut album as a leader, School of Fish, an album of Mara’s original compositions celebrating community and human interaction - how we forge unspoken bonds, react, drift apart, and out of inherent need, find each other again. Mara performs regularly in the New York area with her own quartet (the Mara Rosenbloom Quartet) featuring Darius Jones, Maeve Royce, and Nick Anderson, as well as wide variety of other ensembles. Mara’s works for large ensemble have been premiered at the Blue Note Jazz Club NY, as well as showcased and conducted by Jim McNeely. In addition to her own music, Mara also has a constantly growing interest in Afro-Peruvian music, and has arranged for and performed with Internationally acclaimed Peruvian singer Eva Ayllon, and the Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet (performance at Festival Jazz Peru 2008).

Mara is also a committed educator, and currently teaches both composition and piano privately out of her Brooklyn home.