James Arthur Beard (August 26, 1960 – March 2, 2024) was an American
jazz pianist and keyboardist, composer, arranger and producer who worked with
Steely Dan,
Wayne Shorter,
John McLaughlin,
Pat Metheny,
John Scofield,
Mike Stern,
Dennis Chambers, and
Bob Berg, among others. First performing professionally in college alongside a bar band, Beard then became the pianist of McLaughlin's band,
Mahavishnu, after moving to New York in 1985. He also produced seven albums from 1990 through 2019, and wrote several compositions for jazz artists.
Beard moved to New York in 1985 and became the pianist of John McLaughlin's
Mahavishnu,[9] started working relationships with
Bill Evans and
Mike Stern and had recorded with
Dave Liebman.[10][11] He also began producing many successful recordings for artists such as Mike Stern,
Bob Berg, Evans and
Eliane Elias.[10] In 1986, he began a working relationship with
Wayne Shorter that lasted until 2000.[12] In 1988, he became a member of
John Scofield's band and toured the world with
Pat Metheny from 1992–1993.
During his early New York period, he wrote compositions for
Michael Brecker and John McLaughlin.[13] Many of Beard's compositions have been recorded by top jazz artists, such as "The Wait," by John McLaughlin; "Riddle Me This," by Bob Berg; "In the Hat," by
Victor Bailey; "The Gentleman and Hizcaine," by
Michael Brecker; and "I'll Miss You," by Bill Evans.[14]
Albums and awards
Beard's albums include Song of the Sun (1990), which features Wayne Shorter and Michael Brecker; Lost at the Carnival (1995); Truly (1997); Advocate (2000); Revolutions (2008); Show of Hands (2013); and Chunks and Chairknobs (2019).[15]
His music productions and compositions have been nominated for seven
Grammy Awards. He won a Grammy in 2007 as a featured performer on Some Skunk Funk (Randy and Michael Brecker).[10]