Joanne Brackeen is one of jazz's most prized possessions: a virtuoso pianist and master composer who epitomizes the history and evolution of jazz from traditional to free, and everything in between; all with a contemporary edge. Born in Southern California, she began jamming at an early age. Joanne's unique sound was honed through a period of apprenticeship with some of the world's greatest names on the West Coast - playing with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson and Billy Higgins - before moving to New York after marrying saxophonist Charles Brackeen, where she began to command the attention of the upper echelon of jazz players and played with Woody Shaw and Dave Liebman while raising four children.
She became one of the most lauded pianists of the day, working for several years with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, then with two major saxophonists: Joe Henderson for three years followed by two years with Stan Getz. Joanne has been at the forefront of new music, recording over 20 albums as a leader with some of the most respected musicians in jazz including Jack DeJohnette, Billy Hart, and Eddie Gomez. Her playful and complex sense of time, rhythm and mood permeates her repertoire, which now numbers close to 300 original compositions, 100 of which have been recorded.
