Musical artist
Mitchel Forman (born January 24, 1956) is a
jazz and
fusion keyboard player.
Biography and music career
Photo by Simon Vitale
Mitchel Forman began studying classical piano at the age of seven. At 17 he entered the
Manhattan School of Music (MSM) for three years of study and began working with bands in New York. Shortly after graduating from MSM he began touring and recording with
Gerry Mulligan , playing in both Mulligan's big band and quartet, and work with
Stan Getz followed. In 1980 Forman's solo career began with a piano performance at the
Newport Jazz Festival . This recording became his first album, Live at Newport . In subsequent years he worked on the road with
Phil Woods ,
Carla Bley ,
Mel Tormé , and
Astrud Gilberto . Forman also recorded two solo piano albums for
Soul Note and toured in Europe regularly. He joined guitarist
John McLaughlin for a year and a half on the road, recording and contributing to two of the band's recordings - the seminal
Mahavishnu and
Adventures in Radioland . Forman then joined ex-
Weather Report saxophonist
Wayne Shorter , touring, recording and contributing to Shorter's
Phantom Navigator .
In 1985, Forman began leading his own band and recorded his group debut for Magenta Records (a division of
Windham Hill ), Train of Thought . At the same time he continued to work with other well-known jazz and music figures, including guitarist
John Scofield ("Blue Matter"),
Mike Stern ("Upside Downside"),
Janis Siegel of
The Manhattan Transfer ,
Dave Samuels ,
Diane Schuur ,
Gary Burton ("Reunion"),
Pat Metheny ,
Simon Phillips ,
Jimmy Earl ,
Freddie Hubbard , saxophonist
Bill Evans and
Rickie Lee Jones . Forman's 1992 tribute to the late pianist
Bill Evans , Now & Then , was particularly well regarded.
[1] Most of Forman's recordings are of the fusion or jazz genre, however, 1998's Harvest Song features 15 solo piano tracks.
[2]
Forman started the record label Marsis Jazz. He has led the band Metro with guitarist
Chuck Loeb , has toured in a quartet with
Wolfgang Haffner , been a member of the
Rick Braun band, a member of
BWB band , and has been featured on albums by
Jeff Golub .
Forman has cited as influences
Oscar Peterson ,
Bill Evans ,
McCoy Tyner ,
Herbie Hancock ,
Keith Jarrett and
Chick Corea .
[3]
Discography
As leader
Childhood Dreams (Soul Note, 1982)
Only a Memory (Soul Note, 1983)
Train of Thought (Magenta, 1985)
What Else? (RCA, 1992)
Hand Made (Lipstick, 1993)
Now and Then (BMG/Novus 1993)
Harvest Song (Jazzline, 1997)
New Standards (UnReel, 1999)
Patience (Skip, 2001)
Mr. Clean: Live at the Baked Potato (Skip, 2002)
Perspectives (Marsis, 2006)
Lost and Found (Marsis, 2010)
With Metro
Metro (Lipstick, 1994)
Tree People (Lipstick, 1995)
Metrocafe (Hip Bop, 2000)
Grapevine (Silva Screen/Hip Bop, 2002)
Live at the A-Trane (Marsis, 2004)
Express (Marsis, 2007)
Big Band Boom (Jazzline, 2015)
As sideman
With
Bill Evans
Living in the Crest of a Wave (Elektra Musician, 1984)
The Alternative Man (Blue Note, 1985)
The Gambler (Jazz City 1990)
With
Brian Bromberg
It's About Time (Nova, 1991)
Brian Bromberg (Nova, 1993)
You Know That Feeling (Zebra, 1998)
Compared to That (Artistry Music, 2012)
With
Rick Braun
Full Stride (Atlantic, 1998)
Kisses in the Rain (Warner Bros., 2001)
Esperanto (Warner Bros., 2003)
Yours Truly (Artizen, 2005)
Sessions Vol. 1 (Artizen, 2006)
With
Mark Egan
Mosaic (Hip Pocket, 1985)
Truth Be Told (Wavetone, 2010)
About Now (Wavetone, 2014)
Direction Home (Wavetone, 2015)
With
Jeff Golub
Nightlife (Bluemoon, 1997)
Dangerous Curves (GRP, 2000)
Grand Central (Narada, 2007)
With
Chuck Loeb
Mediterranean (DMP, 1993)
The Music Inside (Shanachie, 1996)
The Moon, the Stars, and the Setting Sun (Shanachie, 1998)
Presence (Heads Up, 2007)
Silhouette (Shanachie, 2013)
Unspoken (Shanachie, 2016)
With others
Jeff Beal , Perpetual Motion (Island, 1989)
Joe Beck , Back to Beck (DMP, 1988)
Randy Bernsen , Paradise Citizens (Zebra, 1988)
Bill Berry , Awkward Stage (Songwriter's Square, 2016)
Bob Boykin , Hazardous Material (Legato, 1996)
Till Bronner , The Movie Album (Verve, 2014)
Gary Burton , Reunion (GRP, 1990)
Terri Lyne Carrington , More to Say (E1, 2009)
Sandeep Chowta , Matters of the Heart (Sony, 2013)
Doky Brothers , 2 (Blue Note, 1997)
Thomas Dolby , The Gate to the Mind's Eye (Giant, 1994)
Jimmy Earl , Jimmy Earl (Legato, 1995)
Jimmy Earl, Stratosphere (Pacific Time 1999)
Richard Elliot , Jumpin' Off (Metro Blue, 1997)
Richard Elliot, Chill Factor (Capitol, 1999)
David Foster , River of Love (Atlantic, 1990)
Fourplay , Silver (Heads Up, 2015)
Stan Getz ,
Billy Highstreet Samba (EmArcy, 1990)
Danny Gottlieb , Aquamarine (Atlantic, 1987)
Danny Gottlieb, Whirlwind (Atlantic, 1989)
Charles Gross , Punchline (A&M, 1988)
Charles Gross, A Family Thing (Cinerama, 1996)
Jonas Hellborg , Axis (Day Eight Music, 1986)
Enrique Iglesias , Vivir (FonoVisa/Strauss 1997)
Anthony Jackson , Interspirit (Abstract Logix, 2010)
Alphonso Johnson , Metaphors (Embamba Music, 2017)
Bobby Kimball , We're Not in Kansas Anymore (Inakustik, 2016)
Kathy Kosins , Uncovered Soul (Maristar, 2018)
Kevyn Lettau , Universal Language (JVC, 1995)
Bob Leatherbarrow , Bumpin' in the Basement (Cherimoya/Chartmaker 1998)
John McLaughlin ,
Mahavishnu (Warner Bros., 1984)
John McLaughlin,
Adventures in Radioland (Relativity, 1986)
Mike Miller , Save the Moon (Marsis, 2001)
Wendy Moten , Timeless (Woodward Avenue 2014)
Gerry Mulligan ,
Walk on the Water (DRG, 1980)
Najee , Just an Illusion (EMI, 1992)
Billy Ocean , Tear Down These Walls (Jive, 1988)
Petite Blonde , Petite Blonde (Lipstick, 1992)
Simon Phillips , Symbiosis (Lipstick, 1995)
Dave Samuels , Living Colors (MCA, 1988)
Diane Schuur , Talkin' 'Bout You (GRP, 1988)
John Scofield , Blue Matter (Gramavision, 1987)
Tom Scott , Smokin' Section (Windham Hill, 1999)
James Senese , Passpartu (Itwhy, 2003)
Cosy Sheridan , Grand Design (Bonneville, 1998)
Wayne Shorter , Phantom Navigator (Columbia, 1987)
Janis Siegel , At Home (Atlantic, 1987)
Chris Standring , Sunlight (Ultimate Vibe, 2018)
Steps Ahead , Magnetic (Elektra 1986)
Mike Stern , Upside Downside (Atlantic, 1986)
Curtis Stigers , Time Was (Arista, 1995)
Andy Summers , World Gone Strange (Private Music, 1991)
Andy Summers, Synaesthesia (CMP, 1995)
Mel Torme , Gerry Mulligan, George Shearing, The Classic Concert Live (Concord Jazz, 2005)
Frankie Valli , ...Is the Word (Warner Bros., 1978)
Dave Valentin , Light Struck (GRP, 1986)
Carl Verheyen , Mustang Run (Cranktone, 2013)
Georg Wadenius , Cleo (Four Leaf Clover 1987)
Peter White , Glow (Columbia, 2001)
References
External links
International National Artists Other