Stanley Cowell (May 5, 1941 – December 17, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label.
Early life Cowell was born in Toledo, Ohio. He began playing the piano around the age of four, and became interested in jazz after seeing Art Tatum, at the age of six, playing You Took Advantage of Me at his parents' house. Tatum was a family friend.
After high school, Cowell studied classical piano with Emil Danenberg at Oberlin Conservatory of MusicStanley Cowell ’62, Jazz Pianist, Composer, and Educator, Dies at 79, Oberlin College Conservatory News and Events, December 20, 2020 He included "Emil Danenberg" in his 1973 suite "Musa: Ancestral Dreams".Stanley Cowell – Musa - Ancestral Streams (2018, Gatefold, Vinyl) - Discogs During his time at Oberlin, he played with jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk, which proved to be formative. He went on to receive a graduate degree in classical piano from the University of Michigan. He moved to New York in the mid-1960s.
Later life and career
Cowell played with Marion Brown, Max Roach, Bobby Hutcherson, Clifford Jordan, Harold Land, Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz. 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. Cowell taught in the Music Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University 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 Recording date Title Label Year released Notes 1969–06 Blues for the Viet Cong Freedom 1969Trio, with Steve Novosel (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums); also released as Travellin' Man by Black Lion 1969–09 Brilliant Circles Freedom 1972With Woody Shaw (trumpet, maracas), Tyrone Washington (tenor sax, flute, clarinet, maracas, tambourine), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Reggie Workman (bass, electric bass), Joe Chambers (drums) 1972–06,1972–10 Handscapes Strata-East 1973As The Piano Choir; with Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis, Harold Mabern, Danny Mixon and Sonelius Smith (piano, electric piano, vocals, percussion, African piano, harpsichord) 1972-11 Illusion Suite ECM 1973 Trio, with Stanley Clarke (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums) 1973-11 Musa: Ancestral Streams Strata-East 1974Solo piano, electric piano, kalimba 1974–08 –1974–12 Handscapes 2 Strata-East 1975As The Piano Choir; with Sonelius Smith (piano, electric piano), Ron Burton, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis and Harold Mabern (piano), Mtume, Jimmy Hopps and John Lewis (percussion) 1975–04 Regeneration Strata-East 1976With Marion Brown (wooden flute), Jimmy Heath (soprano sax, flute, alto flute), John Stubblefield (zuna), Jerry Venable (guitar), Psyche Wanzandae (harmonica, flute), Bill Lee (bass), Aleke Kanonu (bass drum, vocals), Billy Higgins (drums, gembhre, percussion), Ed Blackwell (water drum, parade drum, percussion), Nadi Quamar (mama-lekimbe, percussion, Madigascan harp), Charles Fowlkes (vocals, electric bass), Glenda Barnes and Kareema (vocals) 1977–06 Waiting for the Moment Galaxy 1977Solo piano, electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer, kalimba 1977 Talkin' 'bout Love Galaxy 1978 With Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums), Keith Hatchel (electric bass), Clifford Coulter (guitar), Kenneth Nash (finger cymbals, gong, congas), Julian Priester (trombone), Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Charles B. Fowlkes, Jr. (vocals), Loretta Devine (vocals) 1978-11 Equipoise Galaxy 1979 Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Roy Haynes (drums) 1978–11 New World Galaxy 1981 Large ensemble, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet, electric trumpet, flugelhorn), Julian Priester (trombone (alto, tenor, bass)), Pat Patrick (piccolo flute, flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone), Cecil McBee (bass), Nate Rubin (violin), Terry Adams (cello), Roy Haynes (drums), Kenneth Nash (percussion), Judy Lacey (vocals), Linda Mandolph (vocals), Robert Mandolph (vocals) 1983–07 Such Great Friends Strata-East 1991Quartet, with Billy Harper (tenor sax), Reggie Workman (bass), Billy Hart (drums) 1985–06 Live at Cafe Des Copains Unisson 1986 Solo piano; in concert 1987–12 We Three DIW 1989Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Frederick Waits (drums) 1989–07 Back to the Beautiful Concord Jazz 1989One track solo piano; most tracks trio, with Santi Debriano (bass), Joe Chambers (drums); some tracks quartet, with Steve Coleman (alto sax, soprano sax) added 1989–07 Sienna SteepleChase 1989Trio, with Ron McClure (bass), Keith Copeland (drums) 1990–03 Departure No. 2 SteepleChase 1990Trio, with Bob Cranshaw (bass), Keith Copeland (drums) 1990–06 Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Five Concord Jazz 1990 Solo piano; in concert 1990–08 Close to You Alone DIW 1990Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Ronnie Burrage (drums) 1991–08 Games SteepleChase 1991Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums) 1993–04 Bright Passion SteepleChase 1993Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums) 1993–04 Angel Eyes SteepleChase 1994Solo piano 1993–04 Live at Copenhagen Jazz House SteepleChase 1995Trio, with Cheyney Thomas (bass), Wardell Thomas (drums); in concert 1993–10 Setup SteepleChase 1994Sextet, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Dick Griffin (trombone), Rick Margitza (tenor sax), Peter Washington (bass), Billy Hart (drums) 1995–11 Mandara Blossoms SteepleChase 1996With Billy Pierce (tenor sax), Jeff Halsey (bass), Ralph Peterson (drums), Karen Francis (vocals) 1996–10 Hear Me One SteepleChase 1997With Bruce Williams (alto sax), Dwayne Burno, Keith Copeland (drums) 1999–06 Dancers in Love Venus 2000Trio, with Tarus Mateen (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums) 2010–02 Prayer for Peace SteepleChase 2010 Trio, with Mike Richmond (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2011–12 It's Time SteepleChase 2012 Trio, with Tom DiCarlo (bass), Chris Brown (drums) 2011–12 Welcome to This New World SteepleChase 2013 Empathlectrik Quartet With Vic Juris (guitar), Tom DiCarlo (bass), Chris Brown (drums) 2014–03 Are You Real? SteepleChase 2014Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) 2014–11 Juneteenth Vision Fugitive 2015Solo piano 2015–02 Reminiscent SteepleChase 2015Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) 2015–12 No Illusions SteepleChase 2017Quartet, with Bruce Williams (alto sax, flute), Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) 2019–10 Live at Keystone Korner Baltimore SteepleChase 2020 Quintet, with Freddie Hendrix (trumpet), Bruce Williams (alto sax), Tom DiCarlo (bass), Vince Ector (drums), Sunny Cowell (vocal); in concert
As a member The Heath Brothers Marchin' On (Strata-East, 1976) Passing Thru (Columbia, 1978) In Motion (Columbia, 1979) Live at the Public Theater (Columbia, 1980) – live Expressions of Life (Columbia, 1980) Brotherly Love (Antilles, 1981) Brothers and Others (Antilles, 1984) – rec. 1983
As sideman With Marion Brown Three for Shepp (Impulse!, 1967) – rec. 1966 Why Not? (ESP-Disk, 1968) – rec. 1966 Vista (Impulse!, 1975)
With Larry Coryell Equipoise (Muse, 1985) Toku Do (Muse, 1987)
With Richard Davis Fancy Free (Galaxy, 1977) Way Out West (Muse, 1980) – rec. 1977
With Roy Haynes Thank You Thank You (Galaxy, 1977) Vistalite (Galaxy, 1979) – rec. 1977
With Jimmy Heath Love and Understanding (Muse, 1973) The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1994) – rec. 1977
With Bobby Hutcherson Now! (Blue Note, 1970) – rec. 1969 Spiral (Blue Note, 1979) – rec. 1968 Patterns (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1968 Medina (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1969
With Art Pepper Art Pepper Today (Galaxy, 1978) Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980) One September Afternoon (Galaxy, 1980)
With Charles Tolliver The Ringer (Polydor, 1969) Live at Slugs' (Strata-East, 1970) Music Inc. (Strata-East, 1971) Impact (Enja, 1972) Live in Tokyo (Strata-East, 1973) Impact (Strata-East, 1975) With Love (Blue Note, 2006) Emperor March: Live at the Blue Note (Half Note, 2009)
With others Rashied Ali, First Time Out: Live at Slugs 1967 (Survival, 2020) Jay Clayton, Live at Jazz Alley (ITM Pacific, 1991) Gary Bartz, Another Earth (Milestone, 1969) Sonny Fortune, Long Before Our Mothers Cried (Strata-East, 1974) Stan Getz, The Song Is You (Laserlight, 1996) Johnny Griffin, Birds and Ballads (Galaxy,1978) J.J. Johnson, Standards-Live At The Village Vanguard (Antilles, 1991) Clifford Jordan, Glass Bead Games (Strata-East, 1974) James Mtume, Rebirth Cycle (Third Street, 1977) Oliver Nelson, Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1972) Jimmy Owens, Headin' Home (A&M/Horizon, 1978) Max Roach, Members, Don't Git Weary (Atlantic, 1968) Charles Sullivan, Genesis (Strata-East, 1974) Buddy Terry, Awareness (Mainstream, 1971)
References
External links Rutgers U site