James Weidman

Pianist James Weidman is indisputably an essential addition to whatever bandstand he graces. A partial list of Weidman’s affiliations is staggering in depth & breadth: Max Roach, Woody Herman, Archie Shepp, James Moody, Greg Osby, Bobby Hutcherson, Slide Hampton, Jay Hoggard, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Gloria Lynne, Dakota Staton, MBase Collective, Cassandra Wilson, TK Blue (co-leader of Taja), Abbey Lincoln, Ruth Naomi Floyd (Producer), Kevin Mahogany (Music Director), Joe Lovano, Marty Ehrlich and Ray Anderson. That list includes several NEA Jazz Masters, musical trailblazers, and great singers; relationships requiring both the skilled touch of an adept soloist as well as superior accompaniment expertise. The gifted Mr. Weidman has it all.

Adroit in myriad styles, Weidman’s resourcefulness has served him well. “The more genres you’re comfortable with, the deeper your understanding of music,” is how Weidman characterizes his broad range of associations. Such versatility has helped Weidman develop his brilliant technique and, as his mantra to his students at William Paterson University suggests, “the better your technique, the better your communication.” However, the content of that communication is the most important thing. “You’re really telling a story to your audience,” he says. “It’s a shared journey. That’s why I called my first solo album People Music, because we are all supposed to share this music.”

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Weidman was born into a musical family, learning jazz from his saxophonist-bandleading father at age seven. At 14 he was playing organ in his father’s band. Throughout his years at Youngstown State University (graduating cum laude with a degree in classical piano & music education), Weidman divided his time between studies and performance, becoming a first call player. “I’ve never forgotten my father’s advice the first time I ever played with him: ’Keep the time, stay out of the way, and tell a story.’”

Weidman’s move to the jazz cauldron of New York was inevitable. Not long after relocating he found himself on the bandstand with jazz greats Cecil Payne, Harold Ousley, Bobby Watson, and Pepper Adams, before aligning himself with conceptualist Steve Coleman and the MBase Collective. “Steve’s compositions force you to think differently; playing his very demanding rhythms and harmonies is really challenging. It gave me a freer outlook on music.” Challenging himself musically continues to be of paramount importance to Weidman.

James Weidman has benefited greatly from his fertile 35-year partnership with acclaimed saxophonist TK Blue, Randy Weston’s longtime musical director. “When I first met TK in 1978 we were both writing and our band Taja was a great laboratory for both of us in terms of trying out our ideas. We continue to constantly challenge each other,” says Weidman, “our playing together nowadays is more about intuition than notes. TK is more of a spiritual brother, which takes our learning process to a whole different level,” says Weidman.

Peter Hand: Blue Topaz

Read "Blue Topaz" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
February 24, 2024

Peter Hand has a hand in almost everything on Blue Topaz, playing masterful guitar, writing seven of the album's ten engaging numbers and arranging all of them. He also spliced together a pair of blue-chip ensembles for his first small-group recording after three well-received big-band albums, and invited his longtime friend--and legendary tenor saxophonist--Houston Person to sit in on two tracks. Person had also guested on one of the guitarist's big-band recordings, Out of Hand (2014). Hand's ...

Album Review

Jay Hoggard: Raise Your Spirit Consciousness

Read "Raise Your Spirit Consciousness" reviewed by La-Faithia White

by La-Faithia White
February 12, 2023

American jazz vibraphonist and composer Jay Hoggard is raising the spiritual consciousness with songs such as “Holy Spirit Consciousness," “Peace To You My Children," “Worship God in Spirit" and “Truth and Love" on Raise Your Spirit Consciousness Raise Your Spirit Consciousness has eight original compositions from Hoggard as well as recreations of original classics by Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, and Thad Jones. Hoggard has played with Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, and Tito Puente, other vibraphonists throughout ...

Album Review

James Weidman: Spiritual Impressions

Read "Spiritual Impressions" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson
March 16, 2018

There is a long tradition of using traditional African-American spirituals as a basis for jazz explorations, but that is rarely done in one session with the breadth of approaches James Weidman uses on Spiritual Impressions. From the loping reggae beat on “Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" to the New Orleans rumba rhythm on “No Hiding Place," he and his excellent band always find a way to bring something new to these old songs. The aforementioned “No Hiding Place" ...

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Album Review

James Weidman: Three Worlds

Read "Three Worlds" reviewed by Donald Elfman

by Donald Elfman
November 12, 2009

Three Worlds is the product of a thoughtful musical soul. Pianist James Weidman is well-versed in the traditional and modern jazz vocabulary and has found ways of deftly incorporating what's he's heard into his playing and composing. And here he adds color to his pianistics with melodica and the exotic xaphoon, a single-reed keyless bamboo wind instrument.

He's found a great assemblage of modern players to realize his various musical visions. Particularly and delightfully surprising are reedman Marty Ehrlich and ...

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Album Review

T.K. Blue: Eyes of the Elders

Read "Eyes of the Elders" reviewed by James Nichols

by James Nichols
May 1, 2001

Saxophonist and flutist T.K. Blue, the artist formerly known as Talib Kibwe, continues to evolve his own brand of post-bop on Eyes of the Elders, his second release as a leader for Arkadia Jazz. Despite the pretentious title, this album contains some worthy performances by a cadre of jazz veterans and young lions. Though T.K. Blue fits the ubiquitous description of the contemporary jazzer infatuated with jazz tradition, he actually spent years paying his dues with jazz veterans including Abdullah ...

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Album Review

T.K. Blue: Eyes Of The Elders

Read "Eyes Of The Elders" reviewed by AAJ Staff

by AAJ Staff
February 1, 2001

When he was the artist known as Talib Qadir Kibwe, T.K. Blue spent a good many years as Randy Weston's musical director, and he performed on some of Weston's now-classic recordings with Melba Liston like The Spirits Of Our Ancestors and Volcano Blues. Previously, Kibwe lived in Paris for eight years after a three-year association with Abdullah Ibrahim in the late 1970's. Journeying to Africa from his Paris base throughout the 1980's, Kibwe delved deeper and deeper into the spiritual ...

119

Album Review

T.K. Blue: Another Blue

Read "Another Blue" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
October 1, 1999

Here’s a generous helping of flavorsome post–bop Jazz deliciously home–cooked by T. K. Blue (also known as Talib Kibwe, and as a conspicuously talented woodwind player, often with Randy Weston’s Spirit of Life Orchestra) and his enterprising companions. Group sizes range from duo to sextet with Blue (alto) and Weston duetting wonderfully on Dizzy’s “Night in Tunisia” and trumpet master Eddie Henderson augmenting Blue’s quartet on the impulsive finale, Miles Davis’ “Solar.” Blue plays alto on seven tracks, soprano on ...

Interview

Unsung but First Call: James Weidman

Source: The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
March 29, 2010

Pianist James Weidman is a thoughtful, exceedingly pleasant man who is an understated personality but as versatile a pianist as you will find.

Weidman's discography as a leader is relatively short but potent. His current release is Three Worlds, on the Inner Circle Music label. On the heels of that release it was about time for some questions for Mr. Weidman.

According to some folks, public perception has put you in a kind of box. I suppose some of that ...
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Radio

The Jazz Session #136: James Weidman

Source: Michael Ricci
January 21, 2010

Pianist James Weidman is well known as an accompanist to some of the most heralded singers of our time, from Abbey Lincoln to Cassandra Wilson. In recent years hes travelled the world as a member of Joe Lovanos band. On his new CD, Three Worlds (Inner Circle, 2009), Weidman leads an eclectic ensemble of improvisers through his own creative compositions. In this interview, Weidman talks about his early decision not to be pigeonholed; why he usually writes music away from ...
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Performance / Tour

James Weidman Trio at an Die Musik Live in Baltimore on Saturday, March 29th

Source: All About Jazz
March 26, 2008

Sat, 03/29/08 From: 08:00 PM To: 09:00 PM An die Musik LIVE! 409 North Charles Street Second Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21201 888.221.6170 410.385.2638 James Weidman, piano Jay Hoggard, vibes Belden Bullock, bass James Weidman, piano New York-based pianist James Weidman is indisputably one of the world's top sidemen. Over the years he has played and recorded with musicians as diverse as Max ...
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Performance / Tour

Bob Cunningham Trio: James Weidman - Piano,Ben Dixon - Drums,Vocals: Ayayna Lowe

Source: All About Jazz
July 29, 2005

Jazz at TWO BOOTS BROOKLYN Cajun & Italian Restaurant & Bar JULY 30, 2005 Saturday - 10:00PM –12:00AM Straight Up Jazz and Romantic Vocals The Bob Cunningham Trio - TWO BOOTS BROOKLYN Bob Cunningham – Bass Fabulous, Brilliant, Master Bassist, recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and Yusaf Lateef! James Weidman – Piano, Powerful, Impeccable Timing-Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach, Cassandra Wilson, James Moody www.jamesweidman.com Ben Dixon – Drums, epitome of Jazz drumming for Lionel Hampton, Lou Donaldson, Gloria Lynn, Kenny ...
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Event

Singer Sofia Laiti w. James Weidman at Kavehaz on Monday May 23rd at 10 pm

Source: All About Jazz
May 16, 2005

Kavehaz 37 West 26th Street (6th&b'way) No cover Sofia Laiti who has been called one of the finest jazz singers performing today by critics, will be performing jazz standards and songs by B. Dylan, L. Cohen, Piaf etc. Sofia Laiti braves the U.S. jazz scene armed with a sultry, sensual voice some say is reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich and a fresh, new sound that takes jazz in a new direction. Her latest CD “You Don't Know Me" is available at: ...
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What the press is saying about JAMES WEIDMAN…

“…A walking encyclopedia of jazz and jazz styles…” - Richard Kamins

“A pianist with a broad resume and a graceful style who decorates a song like many decorate the favorite room in their house – one carefully-chosen piece at a time.”

- The New York Times

“Perhaps it was only a natural that all of these musical experiences fed into Weidman’s own sound, his stately piano embracing every style without sounding specific to any of them.” - JazzTimes Magazine

“…His stunning work with Joe Lovano has helped bring him to wider attention.” - Doug Ramsey, Rifftides