Jazz pianist, composer, and artist Jason Moran hails from Houston, TX. He's an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Jaki Byard, Andrew Hill, and Muhal Richard Abrams. Moran's 18-year relationship with Blue Note Records produced 9 acclaimed recordings, and his trio The Bandwagon (with Tarus Mateen and Nasheet Waits) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. He has collaborated with Cassandra Wilson, Charles Lloyd, Sam Rivers, and visual artists including Adrian Piper, Glenn Ligon, and Kara Walker. Recent honours include fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and Ford Foundation.
History is a recurring theme in Moran's work, with major touring projects on Thelonious Monk, Fats Waller (Grammy-nominated All Rise), and James Reese Europe. His first solo museum exhibition opened at the Walker Art Center in 2018, later travelling to ICA/Boston and the Whitney Museum. Moran was the Artistic Director for Jazz at The Kennedy Center for over a decade, and continues to teach at New England Conservatory and curate the Artist's Studio series for Park Avenue Armory. In 2022 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2023 released From The Dance Hall To The Battlefield, a tribute to James Reese Europe.
