From Oakland CA, Pianist/Composer/Educator Michele Rosewoman began playing piano at age 6, studied jazz traditions with pianist Edwin Kelly and Cuban folkloric music with master percussionists. Before moving to New York in 1978, she had performed at major venues in the Bay Area with Julian Priester, Julius Hemphill, Baikida Carroll and Oliver Lake, as well as with her own ensembles. In New York, Rosewoman formed new ensembles and became known for bringing together musicians who became some of this generation’s most inventive voices, including saxophonists Steve Coleman, Greg Osby and Gary Thomas--all the while, nurturing associations with notable New York -based artists such as Julius Hemphill, Rufus Reid, Reggie Workman, Freddie Waits, James Spaulding and Billy Hart, Cuban master drummer/vocalist, Orlando ‘Puntilla’ Rios, and other musicians in this folkloric musical realm.
In 1983,she received both a National Endowment for the Arts grant for the formation of "New Yor-Uba",a 14-piece ensemble integrating Cuban folkloric music and cutting-edge jazz(debuting at Joseph Papp's Public Theater in December 1983 and the ASCAP/Meet the Composer Commission for Emerging Composers resulting in a work performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra. Formed in 1986, her "Quintessence" ensemble debuted at the Cooper Union Great Hall in NYC, followed by tours in the US and abroad and four recordings on Enja records. Michele and her Quintessence ensemble are 2002-2003 recipients of the Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Jazz Ensemble Project Grant for the Creation and Presentation of New Works. A school in its own right, many have cited the experience of playing within the context of this highly-acclaimed ensemble as notably influential in their own development as musicians, composers and bandleaders. Past and current members include saxophonists Steve Coleman, Greg Osby, Gary Thomas, David Sanchez, Steve Wilson, Mark Shim and Miguel Zenon; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington, Gene Jackson and Derrek Phillips; and bassists Lonnie Plaxico, and Kenny Davis.
With seven recordings to date, Michele Rosewoman has presented her various ensembles at jazz festivals, concert halls and jazz clubs throughout the US, Canada and Europe. She has always been active as a music educator-- current and former positions include the New School and New York University. She teaches privately and has conducted workshops and clinics in colleges and universities throughout the US.
"No other pianist-composer in jazz brings the music of the African diaspora together quite like Michele Rosewoman. One of the most compelling inside-out pianists in jazz, Rosewoman combines a myriad of influences, including Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, and Thelonious Monk …in her playing and writing, Rosewoman is way past collecting influences. Simply put, she's one of the most creative and fully realized jazz artists on the scene today." CD NOW
"With delicate beauty and intensity, Michele's music bends the borders of cultures, not just notes.…She has pickedup up a variety of torches and created a bonfire." JAZZ IZ MAGAZINE
"Shecommunicates assurance and ardor whether on the cutting edge of jazz or within the mainstream. What musicianship and moving expression! Bring on the future." DOWNBEAT