Stanley Cowell (1941 - )
Related: jazz - Strata-East Records - USA
Biography
Stanley Cowell (born 1941) is an American jazz pianist and founder of Strata-East Records label. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cowell [Jan 2006]Profile
Strata-East Records, now in its 28th year, was created by CHARLES TOLLIVER & STANLEY COWELL. Their first recording, "MUSIC INC" & BIG BAND (SECD 9010), launched the label in 1971. Since then the Strata-East concept, a first of its kind, has provided the professional vehicle by which many important artist-produced recordings have reached the marketplace.
An excellent modern mainstream pianist who is adaptable to many acoustic jazz settings, Stanley Cowell has long been underrated except among knowing musicians. He studied the piano from the time he was four and Art Tatum made an early impact. After attending Oberlin College Conservatory and the University of Michigan, Cowell (who had played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk while at Oberlin) moved to New York in 1966. He played regularly with Marion Brown (1966-67), Max Roach (1967-70) and the Bobby Hutcherson-Harold Land Quintet (1968-71). In the early '70s Cowell worked in Music Inc. with Charles Tolliver and they co-founded the label Strata-East. He played regularly with the Heath Brothers during 1974-83 and since 1981 has been a busy jazz educator. Cowell has recorded as a leader for Arista-Freedom (1969), ECM (1972), Strata East, Galaxy, Unisson, DIW, Concord and SteepleChase. -- Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide