Alan Blackman

About the Artist

ALAN BLACKMAN- Baltimore based pianist, educator and award-winning composer. He and his various ensembles have performed at Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center, and many festivals and venues from San Francisco to New York. Recent performances have been with Donny McCaslin, Joe Locke, Michael Formanek, Helen Sung, Vardan Ovsepian, Orrin Evans, Ferenc Nemeth, Mike Pope, Warren Wolf, Tim Green, Richie Cole and Othello Molineaux. He was awarded the eastern regional songwriting award by the Gospel Music Association and was selected to be part of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center. Additionally, he has received grants from the Maryland State Arts Council in jazz composition and performance for the years 2007, 2009-2015 and Baltimore Creative Fund grants for 2009 and 2010. The Chamber Music of America Society awarded the prestigious New Jazz Works Commission to Alan for the years 2011-2013. Original arrangements and performances of his music have been featured on NPR’s Talk of the Nation as well as current TV shows Parenthood, Grey’s Anatomy, Nashville and Redemption as well as Stephen King’s movie 1408. Alan released his first CD of original music, Shadowdance, in 2000. His second as a leader, Turning Point featuring Donny McCaslin, was released in 2010 on Top Floor Records. His 3rd recording The 2 Piano Project, Alone Together features duets with 4 other pianists and was released in 2012. His latest recording, The Coastal Suite, a multimedia concept piece, is now out in enhanced CD format. He participated in the Banff Center (Canada) residency program in November of 2013 and JazzAhead in Germany 2014. Alan is currently working on his first jazz composition book tentatively entitled, Changing Standards, which will be accompanied by an audio CD of his original arrangements.