James Gelfand (born April 3, 1959) is a Canadian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist who has written scores for film and television.

Early life

Gelfand was born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada into a large

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family. He is the great-grandson of Jacob Pascal, founder of

J. Pascal's Hardware and Furniture J. Pascal's Hardware and Furniture was a Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based chain of hardware and furniture stores. History J. Pascal had long been a hardware chain only, but subsequently expanded to furniture retailing. Until the 1970s, the company' ...

. He is married with two children. He began

classical piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

training at the age of four. During his teens, Gelfand diverged into

and other styles. Performing and competing at jazz festivals throughout

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, he has won a number of prestigious awards.

Professional career

Gelfand recorded a number of

cross-over Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

albums combining jazz and classical styles. He has performed on over 40 albums, with 8 under his own name. During his earlier career, he established The James Gelfand Trio and The James Gelfand Group. With his ability to compose in various styles such as

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

, and

, Gelfand began writing score for film and television. He has composed the music for over 30 films and 300 television broadcasts.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* ''Neverland'' (CBC Records, 198

* ''Time Zones'' (Silence Records, 199

* ''Setting the Standard'' with Michel Donato (

Unidisc Unidisc Music is a Canadian independent record label. The label is known for releasing rare music, that was made between the mid-1960s and late 1980s. Genres include rock, electronic, funk, soul, hip hop, jazz, reggae, Latin, disco and a cap ...

, 1996) * ''Children's Standards +1+2+3'' (Lost Chart, 1998) * ''Mother Tree'' (Effendi, 2002) * ''Convergence'' (Unidisc, 2003) * ''Exploding Sun'' (Kronos/Moviescore, 2013) * ''Ground Midnight'' (Analekta, 201

As sideman or guest

With Michel Donato * 1997 ''Live'' * 2003 ''Setting the Standard Vol. 2'' With Sylvain Gagnon * 1991 ''Crepuscule'' * 1997 ''Readers of the Lost Chart'' With Jean-Pierre Zanella * 1995 ''Caminho'' * 1997 ''Mystic Infancy'' * 1999 ''Puzzle City'' * 2006 ''Villa-Lobos-Jobim'' With others * 1994 ''Hymn to the Earth'',

Sonny Greenwich Sonny Greenwich, (born January 1, 1936) is a Canadian guitarist. He has played in major Canadian and American cities including a concert at Carnegie Hall. He has performed with musicians such as Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Mc ...

* 1995 ''Rhythm 'n' Jazz'', Alain Caron * 1996 ''Welcome: Mother Earth'', Meantime * 1998 ''A Time for Love'', Charito * 1998 ''Marin Nasturica & Friends'', Marin Nasturica * 1998 ''Tricycle'', Helmut Lipsky * 2000 ''Arthur's Perfect Christmas'', Arthur * 2001 ''Arthur's Really Rockin' Music Mix'', Arthur & Friends

Film and television

*''Sous un Ciel Variable'' – 1995 *''

Virginie ''Virginie'' was a French-language Canadian television series that aired Monday through Thursday on Radio-Canada (the French-language CBC television network). It debuted in 1996. The show examined the public and private lives of teachers, stud ...

'' - 1996 *''Max the Cat'' - 1996 *''Investigating Tarzan'' - 1997 *''Kit & Kaboodle'' - 1998 *''

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures ''The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures'' is an animated television series co-produced by CINAR Films and France Animation, produced in association with Ravensburger Film & TV, WIC Entertainment, Reader's Digest (Season 1), TVOntario (S ...

'' - 1998 *''

Journey to the West – Legends of the Monkey King ''Journey to the West: Legends of the Monkey King'' is a 2000 animated series (1998 in the Chinese edition) produced by China Central Television and the CINAR Corporation. It is based on the 16th-century novel ''Journey to the West''. There are 2 ...

'' - 1999 (English version) *''

Are You Afraid of the Dark? ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' is a horror anthology television series. The original series aired on Nickelodeon from 1992 to 1996; the pilot episode aired respectively on YTV and Nickelodeon in 1990 and 1991. It led to two revival series, w ...

'' - 1999-2000 *''

The Orphan Muses ''The Orphan Muses'' (french: Les Muses orphelines) is a Canadian drama film, directed by Robert Favreau and released in 2000."Oh what tangled webs we weave: One lie changes the lives of four siblings in the film adaptation of Les Muses Orphelines ...

(Les Muses orphelines)'' - 2000 *''

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat ''Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat'', or simply ''Sagwa'', is a children's animated television series based on the children's book of the same name by Amy Tan which aired on PBS Kids, co-produced by Canada-based animation studio CinéGroupe and ' ...

'' - 2001 *''Wicked Minds'' - 2002 *''Deadly Betrayal'' - 2002 *''The Rendering'' - 2002 *''Scent of Danger'' - 2002 *''

Silent Night "Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...

'' - 2002 *''

Student Seduction ''Student Seduction'' is a 2003 television film directed by Peter Svatek and starring Elizabeth Berkley, Corey Sevier and Rick Roberts. It was produced by Lions Gate Entertainment's Lionsgate Television, filmed in Montréal, Québec, and premier ...

'' - 2003 *''Wicked Minds'' - 2003 *''Wall of Secrets'' - 2003 *''The Clinic'' - 2004 *'' Jack Paradise: Montreal by Night (Jack Paradise : Les nuits de Montréal)'' - 2004 *''

Fries with That? ''Fries with That?'' is a YTV produced sitcom. It first aired in April 2004. This sitcom revolves around a group of high school students who work at a local fast-food restaurant named Bulky's in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The sitcom follows pri ...

'' - 2004 *''

Pinocchio 3000 ''Pinocchio 3000'' (or ''P3K -'' ''Pinocchio 3000'') is a 2004 computer-animated science fantasy film directed by Daniel Robichaud and distributed by Christal Films. The film is a futuristic science fiction interpretation of the classic 1883 nov ...

'' - 2004 *''

Baby for Sale ''Baby for Sale'' is a 2004 television film that was premiered on the Lifetime Network on 12 July 2004. It stars Dana Delany and was directed by Peter Svatek. The filming took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The story is based on true life eve ...

'' - 2004 *''

False Pretenses In criminal law, property is obtained by false pretenses when the acquisition results from the intentional misrepresentation of a past or existing fact. Elements The elements of false pretenses are: *a false representation *of a material p ...

'' - 2004 *''Crimes of Passion'' - 2005 *''Lies and Deception'' - 2005 *''Forbidden Secrets'' - 2005 *''

Swarmed ''Swarmed'' is a 2005 Canadian film directed by Paul Miller (theatre director), Paul Ziller and starring Michael Shanks as a scientist trying to save a town from yellow jacket wasps. The film was Television film, made for television by Syfy, Sci ...

'' - 2005 *''Flirting with Danger'' - 2006 *''Black Widower'' - 2006 *''Proof of Lies'' - 2006 *''

Thrill of the Kill Thrill may refer to: Music * ''Thrill'', a 2000 album by Eleni Mandell * "Thrill", a 1995 song by Tomoyasu Hotei * "Thrill", a song by Band-Maid from the 2015 album '' New Beginning'' Other uses * Thrill (TV channel), a Southeast Asian movie cha ...

'' - 2006 *''Mind Over Murder'' - 2006 *''Legacy of Fear'' - 2006 *'' Doctor*ology'' - 2007 *''Housesitter'' - 2007 *''Blind Trust'' - 2007 *''

A Life Interrupted ''A Life Interrupted'' is a 2007 Lifetime Television film directed by Stefan Pleszczynski and starring Lea Thompson. It was nominated in 2008 for the Best TV Movie Gemini Award. It depicts events in the life of sexual assault victim Debbie Smith, ...

'' - 2007 *''

St. Urbain's Horseman ''St. Urbain's Horseman'' is the seventh novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler. First published in 1971 by McClelland & Stewart, it won the Governor General's Award for 1971. Plot and setting The novel is set in London and Montreal during th ...

'' - 2007 *'' The Double Life of Eleanor Kendall'' - 2008 *''

Swamp Devil ''Swamp Devil'' is a 2008 Canadian horror film directed by David Winning and starring Bruce Dern, Cindy Sampson and Nicolas Wright. It is the 13th film of the ''Maneater Series''. Plot Melanie Blaime returns to her hometown of Gibbington, Verm ...

'' - 2008 *''

Secrets of the Summer House Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

'' - 2008 *''

An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving ''An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving'' is a television film loosely based on a short story by Louisa May Alcott. Filmed on location in Canada, the film premiered on Hallmark Channel on November 22, 2008. It was followed by the sequel, ''An Old Fashione ...

'' - 2008 *''

Crusoe Crusoe may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Crusoe'' (film), a 1989 film by Caleb Deschanel based on the novel ''Robinson Crusoe'' * ''Crusoe'' (TV series), a 2008 television series based on the novel ''Robinson Crusoe'' * Crusoe the ...

'' - 2009 *''

The Christmas Choir ''The Christmas Choir'' is a 2008 American-Canadian made-for-television Christmas drama film written by Donald Martin and directed by Peter Svatek, and based upon a true story of a man who volunteered to work at a homeless shelter and started a ch ...

'' - 2008 *'' Hidden Crimes'' - 2009 *''

Final Verdict ''Final Verdict'' (1991) is a TNT drama film starring Treat Williams, Olivia Burnette and Glenn Ford. It was directed by Jack Fisk. The movie is based on the 1962 biography of the same title by Hearst journalist Adela Rogers St. Johns. The book ...

'' - 2009 *''

High Plains Invaders ''High Plains Invaders'' is a 2009 American Western science fiction television film that aired on the Syfy Channel. It is the 21st film of the ''Maneater Series''. The film stars James Marsters. Plot A man goes to a small Colorado town to be ...

'' - 2009 *''

Killer Hair Based on a book written by Ellen Byerrum (''Crimes of Fashion''), ''Killer Hair'' (also known as ''Crimes of Fashion: Killer Hair'') is a television film that aired on the Lifetime Movie Network in 2009. The storyline follows a fashion journalist, ...

'' - 2009 *'' Perfect Plan'' - 2010 *''The Night Before the Night Before Christmas'' - 2010 *''

The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog ''The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog'', also known as ''Les Mystères d'Alfred'', is an animated series that airs on several broadcast and cable networks around the world. The characters of the show consist of mainly the anthropomorphic woodland ani ...

'' - 2010 *''

Web of Lies Web most often refers to: * Spider web, a silken structure created by the animal * World Wide Web or the Web, an Internet-based hypertext system Web, WEB, or the Web may also refer to: Computing * WEB, a literate programming system created by ...

'' - 2009 *''

Naked Science ''Naked Science'' is an American documentary television series that premiered in 2004 on the National Geographic Channel and ran through November 2011. The program featured various subjects related to science and technology. Some of the views e ...

'' - 2008-2009 *''

Hostile Makeover ''Hostile Makeover'' is a Lifetime Movie Network film. It is a sequel to the 2009 television movie ''Killer Hair'' and is based on the third book in the "Crimes of Fashion" series by Ellen Byerrum. Cast * Maggie Lawson as Lacey Smithsonian * Sadi ...

'' - 2009 *''

Cyberbully Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using Electronic communication network, electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially ...

'' - 2011 *''

Desperately Seeking Santa ''Desperately Seeking Santa'' is a television movie starring Laura Vandervoort and Nick Zano. It premiered on ABC Family on November 27, 2011 in their Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas programming block. It is directed by Craig Pryce. It was fil ...

'' - 2011 *''

Bullet in the Face ''Bullet in the Face'' is a dark comedy television series developed by Alan Spencer. It premiered on IFC on August 16, 2012. It premiered in Canada on Super Channel on September 11, 2012. The series follows an ex-con, Gunter Vogler, who is rec ...

'' - 2012 *'' Northpole'' - 2014

Awards and honours

* 1989

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", "B ...

International Piano Competition - Performed in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

in semifinals * 1991 2nd Place The Great American Jazz Piano Competition

Jacksonville Jazz Festival The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is an annual Jazz Festival held in Jacksonville, Florida. Events MUSIC FESTIVAL: For more than 40 years, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has brought music lovers together to enjoy an incredible weekend of food, dri ...

- International Competition * 1992

ADISQ ADISQ (french: Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video; eng, Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries, link=yes) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the indepen ...

nomination - Arranger of the Year - ''Children's Standards'' * 1992 Winner of the

Montreal International Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...

Competition (James Gelfand Trio) * 1995

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

- Best Contemporary Jazz Album - ''The Merlin Factor'' * 1997 Juno nomination - Best Contemporary Jazz Album - ''Time Zones'' (James Gelfand Group) * 1997 Keyboardist of the Year - Jazz Report Magazine Awards * 1998 Keyboardist of the Year - Jazz Report Magazine Awards * 1999 Keyboardist of the Year - Jazz Report Magazine Awards * 2000 Keyboardist of the Year - Jazz Report Magazine Awards * 2001

Jutra Award The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec.Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

nomination - Best Dramatic Score - ''Silent Night'' * 2005 Jutra nomination - Best Music - ''Jack Paradise'' (Les nuits de Montréal) * 2005 SOCAN Award - International Television Series Music Award * 2006 SOCAN Award - International Television Series Music Award * 2007 SOCAN Award - International Film Series Music Award * 2008 Gemini Award nomination - Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Program, Mini-Series or TV Movie - ''St. Urbain's Horseman''

References

External links

*
Discogs.com
*

Allmusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gelfand, James 1959 births Canadian film score composers Canadian jazz pianists Juno Award winners Living people Male film score composers Musicians from Montreal Canadian male pianists 21st-century Canadian pianists 21st-century Canadian male musicians Canadian male jazz musicians