 Jazz pianist and composer, Mary Louise Knutson, is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has performed with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Dianne Reeves, Bobby McFerrin, Richie Cole, Greg Abate, Von Freeman, Billy Hart, and Richard Davis. As a show player, she has performed with such musical acts as Smoky Robinson, the Osmond Brothers, Engelbert Humperdinck, the Four Lads, the Platters, and comedians Phyllis Diller, Jack Carter, Rob Schneider, Kevin Nealan, The Amazing Jonathan, Judy Tenuta, and more. And from 1994-1998, Knutson performed and toured internationally as the lead keyboardist for Synergy (formerly Rupert's Orchestra).
An acclaimed composer, she has won numerous awards, including two from Billboard magazine for her compositions "How Will I Know?" and "Meridian". Her composition "How Will I Know?" was also recorded by Prince's hornsection, the Hornheads, for their "5 Heads Are Better Than 1" release on Bone 2 B Wild Records. Chosen as the music bed for the art documentary, Wellington Lee: 60 Years of Artistic Photography, Knutson's composition, "Call Me When You Get There", will soon be heard at major art museums across the country.
Knutson recently released her debut jazz trio CD, "Call Me When You Get There," on her own Meridian Jazz label. The CD includes 10 tracks featuring her award-winning compositions and signature arrangements of such jazz classics as "Green Dolphin Street", "Gone With the Wind", and "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face". The tracks range from the joyful lyricism of "Call Me When You Get There" to the impassioned blaze of "Meridian".
Knutson also teaches jazz piano at Carleton College, a top-ranking liberal arts institution.
Mary Louise Knutson - http://www.MaryLouiseKnutson.com
-source Twin Cities Jazz Society |
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Sunday, 07 September 2008
