Jason Moran & The Bandwagon

Pianist Jason Moran is red hot! His most recent exploits are chronicled in the March 11 issue of the New Yorker Magazine in a brilliant article titled: Jazz Hands: How Jason Moran Bends the Rules. (Well worth the read.)

Moran is a specialist in the field of jazz abstraction. As leader of the trio Bandwagon, he has a rich knowledge of the music’s history and context — part of the reason, no doubt, that he serves as the Kennedy Center’s Artistic Adviser for Jazz. But Jason rarely reads it straight: He prefers to dissect, fragment, distill and subvert it.

In almost every category that matters – improvisation, composition, group concept, repertoire, technique and experimentation – Moran and The Bandwagon – with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits – have challenged the status quo and earned the reputation as “the future of jazz.” Jason has topped The Downbeat Critics Poll in three categories, and his most recent release – TEN – celebrates his 10th anniversary with The Bandwagon. This trailblazing trio has proven to be one of the most enduring and creative piano trios in jazz today and TEN represents their most assured and focused album to date.

Moran is a recent recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for his “extraordinary originality and dedication in his creative pursuits.” Commonly known as the “genius grant,” the MacArthur Foundation awards each fellow in the hopes of fostering creativity and future advances in any field... The Jazz Bakery is proud to present yet another MacArthur Fellow.  This will be a concert to remember!!

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