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Declared a "brilliant young pianist" by All About Jazz,
Jesse Stacken is one of the most exciting performers and
composers emerging on today's jazz and creative music scenes. With
his memorable compositions and personal piano style, Jesse
brings welcomed elements of sincerity and honesty to audiences
everywhere.
Jesse began studying piano at the age of ten and quickly
developed a passion for jazz improvisation. As a recipient
of various scholarships, he received his bachelor's degree
in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
in 2001. At UWEC, Jesse studied classical piano with
Penelope Cecchini, from whom he continues to draw musical
inspiration. He also performed and recorded with the
Downbeat Award-winning Jazz Ensemble I, which gave him the
experience of performing with respected musicians Christian
McBride, Lewis Nash, Slide Hampton, Jon Faddis, Ingrid Jensen,
and Chris Botti. While attending UWEC, Jesse was selected
as the pianist and the assistant director for the Disney
Collegiate All-Star Band where he performed with top Los
Angeles studio musicians including Rick Baptist, Gregg Field,
Alex Iles, and Wayne Bergeron, as well as prominent jazz
musicians including John Clayton, Bob Florence, Steve Houghton,
and Jiggs Wigham.
In search of greater musical opportunities, Jesse moved
to New York City in 2002. As a recipient of the George
MacDonald Scholarship, he attended the prestigious Manhattan
School of Music, where he studied piano with Garry Dial and
composition with Ludmilla Ulehla. During his two years
at MSM, Jesse began to seriously explore composition and
amalgamate his wide range of influences into a unique and
sincere voice.
Composition has had a profound effect on my music." says
Jesse. "It slows down the musical process and forces me to
make choices about what sounds, melodic motives, harmony
and textures I like. It sounds simple, but
in that process I am continuing to discover what I truly
feel and what I want to say through music."
Jesse quickly became one of the busiest pianists at the
Manhattan School of Music, performing with Bobby Sanabria's
Afro-Cuban Band, the Concert Jazz Band directed by Justin
DiCioccio, and several small groups. He worked with
well-known musicians including Chris Potter, David Sanchez,
and Dave Valentin, and played over a dozen student recitals. Jesse
Graduated in 2004 with a Master's degree in jazz piano performance.
Since graduating, Jesse has been active on the creative
music scene, recording and touring with rising artists including
Peter Van Huffel, Sherisse Rogers, and Erica Von Kleist. He
appears on Sherisse Rogers' debut CD "Sleight of Hand" which
features saxophonists Dave Liebman, Donny McCaslin, and Joel
Frahm. The album recently received a 4.5 star rave
review in Downbeat Magazine, and Jack Bowers (All About Jazz)
writes, "Stacken helps to make the haunting Time Remembered the
album's most rewarding track." Jesse performs regularly
in New York City and has appeared at top venues such as The
Jazz Standard, Smoke, 55bar, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Jazz
Gallery, Detour, and Tea Lounge.
Jesse recently completed a demo recording with his trio
of Eivind Opsvik and Jeff Davis and plans to record a full
album of original music in 2006. He is an artist with
a vision, who continues to explore the many paths of creativity
through music. |
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