John Stetch: a biography (05/23/04)

John Stetch: a biography

John Stetch is appearing in concert at the Ukrainian Institute of America on Friday, June 4, celebrating his solo trilogy and the release of "Exponentially Monk." The concert begins at 8 p.m.

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Mr. Stetch has emerged on the world stage as one of the finest pianists of his generation, with solid press accolades from such publications as Downbeat and Billboard, as well as many similar publications from Europe and the Far East.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Mr. Stetch began playing the piano unusually late - at age 18. His musical interests began at age 9, when his father passed down his own clarinet and taught him the basics. After several years Mr. Stetch switched to saxophone - beginning with alto, then eventually completing his first year of university on classical tenor saxophone.

Mr. Stetch's life as a professional musician began when he moved to Montreal to attend McGill University. After working for several years on the Montreal scene, he recorded his first album, "Rectangle Man," which led to subsequent tours and recordings. He was a frequent guest on the CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Company) Jazzbeat.

Mr. Stetch moved to New York in 1992 and continued to work with his own trio and quartet. He also worked as a sideman with Rufus Reid for seven years and had occasion to work with James "Blood" Ulmer, Reggie Workman, Rashied Ali, Billy Hart, Mark Turner, Seamus Blake, Carmen Lundy and others.

Three of Stetch's recordings have been nominated for Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammies). He earned second place in the Thelonious Monk Composer's Competition and claimed first prize - Le Grand Prix du Jazz du Maurier - at the 1998 Montreal International Jazz Festival, which in turn led to his debut recording for Justin Time.

Mr. Stetch was featured on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" show on National Public Radio (NPR), and his solo concerts at the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival were broadcast on Branford Marsalis' NPR show, "Jazz Set."

In 2002, Mr. Stetch released "Ukrainianism," and in 2003 he released "Standards." With the release of "Exponentially Monk", Mr. Stetch completes his solo trilogy and joins the ranks of other piano masters in creating a collection of fresh solo repertoire.

Since beginning his solo series, Mr. Stetch has given solo concerts at some of the world's most prestigious jazz venues, including the Monterey and Montreal jazz festivals. In support of his career, the Canadian government has awarded Mr. Stetch numerous grants for touring, deve- lopment and composition, including a current yearlong grant to develop free improvisation. He has also been commissioned by several private foundations for his work.

Though his current primary focus is solo piano, Mr. Stetch's performance schedule still includes touring with his New York trio.

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