Stanley Cowell (May 5, 1941 – December 17, 2020) was an American

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 and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label.

Early life

Cowell was born in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

. He began playing the piano around the age of four, and became interested in jazz after seeing

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

at the age of six. Tatum was a family friend. After high school, Cowell studied at

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

and received a graduate degree in classical piano from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. During his time at college, he played with jazz multi-instrumentalist

Roland Kirk Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

, which proved to be formative for the pianist. He moved to New York in the mid-1960s.

Later life and career

Cowell played with

Marion Brown Marion Brown (September 8, 1931 – October 18, 2010) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, writer, visual artist, and ethnomusicologist. He was a member of the avant-garde jazz scene in New York City during the 1960s, playing alongsi ...

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...

Bobby Hutcherson Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note album '' Components'', is one of his best-known compositions.Huey, Steve. "Components – Bob ...

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after ...

Harold Land Harold de Vance Land (December 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001) was an American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/ Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style, often rivalling Cliffor ...

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

and

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

. Cowell played with trumpeter Charles Moore and others in the Detroit Artist's Workshop Jazz Ensemble in 1965–66. In 1971, Cowell co-founded the record label Strata-East with trumpeter Charles Tolliver. The label would become one of the most successful Black-led, independent labels of its day. During the late 1980s, Cowell was part of a regular quartet led by

J.J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biography ...

. Cowell taught in the Music Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

in New Jersey. On December 17, 2020, Cowell died at Bayhealth Hospital in Dover, Delaware, from hypovolemic shock. He was 79 years old.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With

Rashied Ali Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson (July 1, 1933 – August 12, 2009) was an American free jazz and avant-garde drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life. Biography Early life Patterson was born and ...

*''First Time Out: Live At Slugs 1967'' (Survival Records, 2020) With

Gary Bartz Gary Bartz (born September 26, 1940) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has won two Grammy Awards. Biography Bartz studied at the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, he performed with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Wor ...

*''

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'' (Milestone, 1969) With

*''

Three for Shepp ''Three for Shepp'' is an album by American saxophonist Marion Brown featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1967) *'' Why Not?'' (1968) *''

Vista Vista usually refers to a distant view. Vista may also refer to: Software *Windows Vista, the line of Microsoft Windows client operating systems released in 2006 and 2007 * VistA, (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture) ...

'' (Impulse!, 1975) With Larry Coryell *''

Equipoise Equipoise may refer to: * Clinical equipoise, or the principle of equipoise, a medical research term * Equilibrioception, the state of being balanced or in equilibrium * Boldenone undecylenate, an anabolic steroid, by the trade name ''Equipoise'' * ...

'' (Muse, 1985) *'' Toku Do'' (Muse, 1987) With Richard Davis *'' Way Out West'' (Muse, 1977 980 *''

Fancy Free Fancy Free may refer to: Music * Fancy Free (Donald Byrd album), ''Fancy Free'' (Donald Byrd album) (1969) * Fancy Free (Richard Davis album), ''Fancy Free'' (Richard Davis album) (1977) * Fancy Free (The Oak Ridge Boys album), ''Fancy Free'' (Th ...

'' (Galaxy) With

Sonny Fortune Cornelius "Sonny" Fortune (May 19, 1939 – October 25, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist. Fortune played soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, clarinet, and flute. Biography He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United Stat ...

*''

Long Before Our Mothers Cried ''Long Before Our Mothers Cried'' is an album by American saxophonist Sonny Fortune recorded in 1974 and released on the Strata-East label. Reception In ''The Village Voice'', Robert Christgau gave ''Long Before Our Mothers Cried'' a "B+" and ad ...

'' (Strata-East, 1974) With

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jazz ...

*'' Thank You Thank You'' (Galaxy, 1977) *'' Vistalite'' (Galaxy, 1977

979 Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...

With

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

*''

Love and Understanding "Love and Understanding" is a song by American singer and actress Cher from her 20th studio album, ''Love Hurts''. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Warren and Guy Roche, it was released as the album's lead single in 1991 for the North Ame ...

'' (Muse, 1973) *'' The Time and the Place'' (Landmark, 1974

994 Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish gener ...

With

The Heath Brothers The Heath Brothers was an American jazz group, formed in 1975 in Philadelphia, by the brothers Jimmy (tenor saxophone), Percy (bass), and Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums); and pianist Stanley Cowell. Tony Purrone (guitar) and Jimmy's son Mtume ( ...

*'' Marchin' On'' (1975) *'' Passing Thru'' (1978) *'' In Motion'' (1979) *'' Live at the Public Theater'' (1980) *'' Expressions of Life'' (1980) *'' Brotherly Love'' (1982) *'' Brothers and Others'' (1984) With

*''

The Song Is You "The Song Is You" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was written for their musical ''Music in the Air'' (1932) and sung in that show by Tullio Carminati. In the subsequent 1934 ...

'' (1969) With

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

*'' Birds and Ballads'' (1978) With

*''

Patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated l ...

'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

, 1968) *''

Spiral In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point. Helices Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are:979 Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...

*''

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

'' (Blue Note, 1969 980 *'' Now!'' (Blue Note, 1969) With

*'' Standards-Live At The Village Vanguard'' (1988) With

*''

Glass Bead Games ''Glass Bead Games'' is a double album by jazz saxophonist Clifford Jordan which was recorded in 1973 and released on the Strata-East label. The album was re-released on CD as part of ''The Complete Clifford Jordan Strata-East Sessions'' by Mo ...

'' (1973) With

James Mtume James Forman (January 3, 1946January 9, 2022), known professionally as Mtume or James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality. He came to prominence as a jazz musician, working ...

*''

Rebirth Cycle ''Rebirth Cycle'' is the second studio album by American musician James Mtume. It was produced by Mtume himself, and released on the Third Street Records label. It is one of a number of contemporary albums described as "some of the most compellin ...

'' (1977) With

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

*'' Swiss Suite'' (Flying Dutchman, 1971) With Jimmy Owens *''

Headin' Home ''Headin' Home'' is a 1920 American silent biopic sports film directed by Lawrence C. Windom. It attempts to create a mythology surrounding the life of baseball player Babe Ruth. The screenplay was written by Arthur "Bugs" Baer from a story b ...

'' (A&M/Horizon, 1978) With

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...

*'' Art Pepper Today'' (Galaxy, 1978) *'' Winter Moon'' (Galaxy, 1980) *'' One September Afternoon'' (Galaxy, 1980) With

*'' Members, Don't Git Weary'' (Atlantic, 1968) With Charles Sullivan *''

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

'' (Strata-East, 1974) With

Buddy Terry Edlin "Buddy" Terry (January 30, 1941 - November 29, 2019) was an American jazz musician and alto/tenor sax player. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. In the 1960s and 1970s Terry made albums for Prestige Records and Mainstream Records. He played w ...

*''

Awareness Awareness is the state of being conscious of something. More specifically, it is the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant of events. Another definition describes it as a state wherein a subject is aware of some inform ...

'' (Mainstream, 1971) With Charles Tolliver *'' The Ringer'' (Polydor, 1969) *''

Live at Slugs' ''Live at Slugs is a live album by American jazz trumpeter-composer Charles Tolliver and his quarter Music Inc. It was recorded in 1970 and released by Strata-East Records as two volumes in 1972. Reception The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow a ...

'' (Strata-East, 1970) *''

Music Inc. ''Music Inc.'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Charles Tolliver's Music Inc. with a Big Band recorded in 1970 and first released on the Strata-East label.

'' (Strata-East, 1971) *''

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Impac ...

'' (Enja, 1972) *'' Live in Tokyo'' (Strata-East, 1973) *''

'' (Strata-East, 1975)

References

External links

Rutgers U site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cowell, Stanley 1941 births 2020 deaths African-American pianists American jazz pianists American male pianists Hard bop pianists Musicians from Toledo, Ohio Strata-East Records artists DIW Records artists SteepleChase Records artists Arista Records artists ECM Records artists Galaxy Records artists 20th-century American pianists University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni Jazz musicians from Ohio 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Heath Brothers members Oberlin Conservatory of Music alumni Rutgers University faculty 21st-century African-American musicians