Rick Germanson is an American jazz pianist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Germanson started playing piano at a young age and grew up playing in the Milwaukee jazz scene. After winning the grand prize at the 1996 American Pianists' Association Jazz Piano Competition in 1996, Germanson left Milwaukee for New York City.

After relocating, Germanson began quickly making his mark on the New York jazz scene, playing with notable acts and artists such as Elvin Jones

Elvin Jones

Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....

' Jazz Machine; Regina Carter

Regina Carter

Regina Carter is an American jazz violinist. She is the cousin of famous jazz saxophonist James Carter.-Early life:...

; Tom Harrell

Tom Harrell

Tom Harrell is a renowned American post-bop jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer and arranger.-Biography:Tom Harrell was born in Urbana, Illinois but moved to the San Francisco Bay Area at the age of five. He started playing trumpet at eight and within five years, started playing gigs with...

, Slide Hampton

Slide Hampton

Locksley Wellington "Slide" Hampton is an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger.He was a 1998 Grammy Award winner for "Best Jazz Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist", as arranger for "Cotton Tail" performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater...

, Frank Morgan

Frank Morgan

Frank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...

, Eric Alexander

Eric Alexander

Eric Alexander is an American jazz saxophonist, known for his sophisticated hard bop and post-bop style.Alexander began as a classical musician, studying alto saxophone at Indiana University with Eugene Rousseau in 1986...

, Frank Lacy

Frank Lacy

Ku-umba Frank Lacy is an American jazz trombonist.His father was a teacher who had played guitar with Illinois Jacquet, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, and Arnett Cobb; his mother sang gospel music. He played piano from age eight, and played trumpet, euphonium, and tuba before settling on trombone at age 16...

, Marlena Shaw

Marlena Shaw

Marlena Shaw is an American singer. Shaw began her singing career in the 1960s and is still singing today. Her music has often been sampled in hip hop music, and used in television commercials.-Biography:She was first introduced to music by her uncle Jimmy Burgess, a jazz trumpet player...

, Donald Harrison

Donald Harrison

Donald Harrison, Jr. is an American jazz saxophonist from New Orleans, Louisiana.-Biography:Harrison studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Berklee College of Music. He played with Roy Haynes, Jack McDuff, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Terence Blanchard and Don Pullen in the...

, Brian Lynch

Brian Lynch

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, Jim Rotondi

Jim Rotondi

James Robert Rotondi is an American jazz trumpeter, educator and conductor.Born in Butte, Montana and the youngest of 5 siblings, Rotondi lives in Graz, Austria and performs there and internationally with several groups, as well as being a Professor at the University for Music and Dramatic Arts...

, Charles McPherson, Charles Davis

Charles Davis

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, Craig Handy

Craig Handy

Craig Mitchell Handy is an American post-bop tenor saxophonist.Born in Oakland, California, Handy attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Abdullah Ibrahim, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, Betty Carter, George...

, Cecil Payne

Cecil Payne

Cecil Payne was a jazz baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, NY. Payne also played the alto saxophone and flute...

, and the George Gee

George Gee

George William Gee was the first person to be hanged in the town of Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada. He was tried for the murder of Miss Millie Gee, his cousin and ex-lover...

 Orchestra.

Since 2001, Germanson has been a member of the Cannonball Legacy Band, headed by Cannonball Adderley's original drummer Louis Hayes

Louis Hayes

Louis Hayes is an American jazz drummer.-Biography:His father played drums and piano and his mother the piano and he refers to the early influence of hearing jazz, especially that of big bands, on the radio...

. He has also toured with Pat Martino

Pat Martino

Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, fusion, mainstream jazz, soul jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...

's tribute to Wes Montgomery

Wes Montgomery

John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...

.

Germanson has appeared on recordings with Gerald Hayes

Gerald Hayes

Gerald Hayes is an American football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....

, David Gibson

David Gibson

David Gibson, , was a surveyor, farmer and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Forfarshire, Scotland in 1804. He apprenticed with a land surveyor in Scotland and came to Upper Canada seeking employment. In 1825, he was named a deputy surveyor of roads and, in 1828, surveyor of highways...

, Joe Magnarelli, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Brad Leali Jazz Orchestra, James Zollar, Peter Dominguez, Lance Bryant, Bill Cantrall, Gerald Cannon, and Louis Hayes

Louis Hayes

Louis Hayes is an American jazz drummer.-Biography:His father played drums and piano and his mother the piano and he refers to the early influence of hearing jazz, especially that of big bands, on the radio...

, among others.

Germanson has released three albums under his own name, 2003's Heights and 2005's You Tell Me on the Fresh Sounds New Talent label, and 2010's Off the Cuff on Owl Studios

Owl Studios

Owl Studios is an independent record label, started in 2005 by J. Allan Hall, that concentrates on jazz, R&B, and jam band genres. It is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and operates from its downtown offices on Monument Circle.-Formation:...

.

Discography

• 2003 - Heights - Fresh Sounds New Talent
• 2005 - You Tell Me - Fresh Sounds New Talent
• 2010 - Off the Cuff - Owl Studios

External links

• http://www.rickgermanson.net
• http://www.owlstudios.net