Zoe Rahman
Encyclopedia
Zoe Rahman is a British jazz composer
and pianist
.
, United Kingdom
. Rahman studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music
, a music degree at St Hugh's College
, University of Oxford
, and won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of Music
, Boston
, where she had lessons with the inspirational pianist JoAnne Brackeen
. While in America she formed her own trio, which featured bassist Joshua Davis and the renowned drummer Bob Moses
.
cultural roots, learning from musicians in London
and Bangladesh
. Some have inspired her later music.
's 'Jazz Crusade' on BBC Radio 2
, BBC Radio 4
's 'Woman's Hour
', BBC London
's 'Now's the Time', Andrea Oliver
's 'The Selector', Northern Broadcasting Internet Radio, Resonance FM
and Julian Joseph
's Jazz series for Meridian Television. She has performed live on the BBC World Service
and on Radio 3
's In Tune.
; Clark Tracey
's New Quintet; Soothsayers; Tony Bianco; JazzXchange Dance Company; Nyika Goremsandu; Netsayi Chigwendere; Gary Boyle; Keziah Jones
(2003/4 European tours); David Walcott (2003 Festival, Barbados); Mekaal Hasan
(2001 tour, Pakistan). She has co-written a jazz-based theatre show 'I'm a Fool to Want You', about the French writer/musician Boris Vian
, with 'Told by an Idiot' Theatre Company (UK / South American tours 2003-2005).
Other recent albums/DVDs include: Reem Kelani
‘Sprinting Gazelle’; Clark Tracey
Quintet ‘The Calling’ and ‘The Mighty Sas’; Tony Bianco ‘In A Western Sense’; Gary Boyle ‘Games’; Soothsayers ‘Tangled Roots’; Brigitte Escobar ‘Brigitte’; Terry Hall
/Mushtaq
's ‘The Hour of Two Lights’; Keziah Jones ‘Live at the Élysée Montmartre
’ DVD.
; Molde Jazz Festival; Palermo Jazz Festival; Algeria’s European Cultural Festival; Cork Jazz Festival
; Estonia’s Nargen Festival; Barbados Jazz Festival
among many others.
newspaper as "one of the finest young pianists in Europe" and “a remarkable pianist by any standard”, Zoë Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. "Melting Pot" has been hailed as "one of the most distinctive piano trio albums" (Jazzwise magazine
), a "fantastic new album" (Courtney Pine, BBC Radio 2), and "in every way, an impressive sequel to her debut" (Jazz Review
).
A vibrant and highly individual pianist/composer, her style is deeply rooted in jazz yet it reflects her classical background, Bengali
/English
heritage and her very broad musical taste. Known for her powerful technique, wide-ranging imagination and exuberant performance, she has become a highly sought-after musician.
1999
2001
2006
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Education
Born and raised in ChichesterChichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Rahman studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, a music degree at St Hugh's College
St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a fourteen and a half acre site on St Margaret's Road, to the North of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 as a women's college, and accepted its first male students in its centenary year in 1986...
, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where she had lessons with the inspirational pianist JoAnne Brackeen
Joanne Brackeen
Joanne Brackeen is an American jazz pianist and music educator.-Biography:She was born Joanne Grogan in Ventura, California. She attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, but devoted herself to jazz by imitating Frankie Carle albums...
. While in America she formed her own trio, which featured bassist Joshua Davis and the renowned drummer Bob Moses
Bob Moses (musician)
Rakalam Bob Moses is an American jazz drummer born in New York City.Moses played with Roland Kirk in 1964-65 while he was still a teenager. In 1966 he and Larry Coryell formed The Free Spirits, a jazz fusion ensemble, and from 1967 to 1969 he played in Gary Burton's quartet...
.
Background
Rahman is of British Bengali heritage, but describes her childhood in Chichester as being 'completely English'. Recently however she has explored her father's BengaliCulture of Bangladesh
Bangladesh has a long history in its culture. The land, the rivers, and the lives of the common people formed a rich heritage with marked differences from neighbouring regions. It has evolved over the centuries and encompasses the cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh...
cultural roots, learning from musicians in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Some have inspired her later music.
Radio and television appearances
Rahman has been the featured artist on radio and television programmes such as Courtney PineCourtney Pine
Courtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...
's 'Jazz Crusade' on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's 'Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
', BBC London
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
's 'Now's the Time', Andrea Oliver
Andrea Oliver
Andrea "Andi" Oliver is a British Television and Radio Broadcaster.-Early career:Andi is a former member of the band Rip Rig + Panic, one of their notable television appearances came when they performed in an episode of the cult comedy show The Young Ones...
's 'The Selector', Northern Broadcasting Internet Radio, Resonance FM
Resonance FM
Resonance 104.4 FM is a London based non-profit community radio station run by the London Musicians' Collective .The station is staffed by four permanent staff members, including programme controller Ed Baxter and over 300 volunteer technical and production staff.Until September 2007, ResonanceFM...
and Julian Joseph
Julian Joseph
Julian Joseph is a jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and broadcaster. Joseph has worked solo, in his all-star big band, trio, quartet, forum project band or electric band....
's Jazz series for Meridian Television. She has performed live on the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
and on Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
's In Tune.
Recording and performances
Aside from working with her own groups, she continues to perform, record (both in the UK and internationally) with a diverse range of other artists, most recently: Courtney PineCourtney Pine
Courtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...
; Clark Tracey
Clark Tracey
Clark Tracey is an English jazz drummer. He is the son of Stan Tracey.Tracey played piano and vibraphone before switching to drums at age 13, studying under Bryan Spring. Tracey played in several ensembles with his father, including in a quartet called Fathers and Sons with John and Alec Dankworth...
's New Quintet; Soothsayers; Tony Bianco; JazzXchange Dance Company; Nyika Goremsandu; Netsayi Chigwendere; Gary Boyle; Keziah Jones
Keziah Jones
Keziah Jones is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He describes his musical style as "Blufunk", which is a fusion between raw blues elements and hard, edgy funk rhythms...
(2003/4 European tours); David Walcott (2003 Festival, Barbados); Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the leader and composer for Mekaal Hasan...
(2001 tour, Pakistan). She has co-written a jazz-based theatre show 'I'm a Fool to Want You', about the French writer/musician Boris Vian
Boris Vian
Boris Vian was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered today for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of their...
, with 'Told by an Idiot' Theatre Company (UK / South American tours 2003-2005).
Other recent albums/DVDs include: Reem Kelani
Reem Kelani
Reem Kelani is a Palestinian musician, born in Manchester, England, and brought up in Kuwait. Initially influenced by the jazz music her father played on his record player, a family wedding Reem attended in her maternal home in Galilee in the seventies sparked her interest in Palestinian...
‘Sprinting Gazelle’; Clark Tracey
Clark Tracey
Clark Tracey is an English jazz drummer. He is the son of Stan Tracey.Tracey played piano and vibraphone before switching to drums at age 13, studying under Bryan Spring. Tracey played in several ensembles with his father, including in a quartet called Fathers and Sons with John and Alec Dankworth...
Quintet ‘The Calling’ and ‘The Mighty Sas’; Tony Bianco ‘In A Western Sense’; Gary Boyle ‘Games’; Soothsayers ‘Tangled Roots’; Brigitte Escobar ‘Brigitte’; Terry Hall
Terry Hall (singer)
Terry Hall is the lead singer of The Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka and Vegas. He has released two solo albums and has also collaborated with many artists including David A...
/Mushtaq
Fun-Da-Mental
Fun-Da-Mental is a British-based multi-ethnic hip-hop–ethno-techno–world fusion music group formed in 1991. The group is notable for its energetic fusion of Eastern and Western musical forms, for its outspoken political stance, and for its strong Islamic affiliation and advocacy. Fun-Da-Mental's...
's ‘The Hour of Two Lights’; Keziah Jones ‘Live at the Élysée Montmartre
Elysée Montmartre
Open in 1807, the Élysée Montmartre is a music venue, at 72 Boulevard de Rochechouart, in Paris, France. It has a capacity of 1,200 patrons. The nearest métro station is Anvers.In 1900, the venue was damaged by fire, and was re-decorated...
’ DVD.
Tours
She has toured extensively throughout the UK and internationally, including, most recently: North Sea Jazz FestivalNorth Sea Jazz Festival
The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam...
; Molde Jazz Festival; Palermo Jazz Festival; Algeria’s European Cultural Festival; Cork Jazz Festival
Cork Jazz Festival
The Cork Jazz Festival is an annual music festival held in Cork City, Ireland in late October every year since 1978.The festival is Ireland's biggest jazz event and attracts hundreds of musicians and thousands of music fans to the city each year....
; Estonia’s Nargen Festival; Barbados Jazz Festival
Barbados Jazz Festival
The Barbados Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival of the Caribbean island of Barbados. It is a week-long celebration held annually in January, a jubilant affair that attracts a cast of talented musical maestros to the streets of Bridgetown who play for hours every night in festivity...
among many others.
Reviews
Described in The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
newspaper as "one of the finest young pianists in Europe" and “a remarkable pianist by any standard”, Zoë Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. "Melting Pot" has been hailed as "one of the most distinctive piano trio albums" (Jazzwise magazine
Jazzwise
Jazzwise Publications Limited is a UK-based specialist jazz music publisher and education company. It was founded in 1984 as a mail-order company promoting jazz and improvisation through catalogues and short courses and workshops for musicians...
), a "fantastic new album" (Courtney Pine, BBC Radio 2), and "in every way, an impressive sequel to her debut" (Jazz Review
Jazz Review
Jazz Review was a British jazz magazine, founded in 1998 by a former editor of The Wire and jazz writer Richard Cook and Roger Spence of the talent management agency Direct Music. The magazine covered the entire range of jazz history from early jazz, through Swing to Bebop, Modern Jazz and the...
).
A vibrant and highly individual pianist/composer, her style is deeply rooted in jazz yet it reflects her classical background, Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
/English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
heritage and her very broad musical taste. Known for her powerful technique, wide-ranging imagination and exuberant performance, she has become a highly sought-after musician.
Awards and nominations
Rahman has received recognition of her work from various awarding bodies through short-listings and nominations, in addition to this her performance and written work is also included in projects that have secured major awards(*).1999
- 'Perrier Young Jazz Musician of the Year' Award.
2001
- Debut album “The Cynic” short-listed for the BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
'Jazz Album of the Year Review'. - Nominated in the “Rising Star” category of the BBC Jazz AwardsBBC Jazz AwardsThe BBC Jazz Awards were set up in 2001 and had the status of one of the premier jazz awards in the UK. There were awards for Best Musician, Best Vocalist, Rising Star, Best Album, Jazz Innovation, Radio 2 Jazz Artist, Services to Jazz, Best of Jazz amongst others....
.
2006
- Second album "Melting Pot" nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and voted 'Jazz Album of the Year' at the 2006 Parliamentary Jazz AwardsParliamentary Jazz AwardsThe Parliamentary Jazz Awards in the United Kingdom are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group at the Houses of Parliament in London. The group consists of over a hundred members drawn from across the UK political parties...
.
Discography
| Year | Title | Featuring |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Cynic | Winston Clifford - drums; Jeremy Brown - bass. |
| 2006 | Melting Pot | Gene Calderazzo - drums; Oli Hayhurst - bass; Pat Illingworth - Drums; Jeremy Brown - bass; Idris Rahman - clarinet; Adriano Itauna - percussion. |
| 2008 | Where Rivers Meet | Idris Rahman - clarinet; Arnob - vocals; Gaurob - vocals; Kuljit Bhamra - percussion; Gene Calderazzo - drums; Oli Hayhurst - bass; Samy Bishai - violin. |
| 2009 | Zoe Rahman Trio (Live) | Gene Calderazzo - drums; Oli Hayhurst - bass; Idris Rahman - clarinet. |
External links
- Zoe Rahman — official website
- Zoe Rahman discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Zoe Rahman at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Review of Zoe Rahman Trio, in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, dated 22 February 2005 - BritBangla | British Bengali Success Stories - Zoe Rahman
- Zoe Rahman biography