Kris Bowers
| Kris Bowers | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 5, 1989 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Film score, jazz, electronic, ambient |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Piano, keyboards |
| Years active | Early 2010s–present |
| Website | krisbowers.com |
Kristopher Bowers (born April 5, 1989) is an American film score composer, pianist, and keyboardist.
Life and career
Bowers was born in Los Angeles[1] on April 5, 1989. His father is a film and television writer, and his mother is a television executive.[2] They wanted their son to play the piano, so played recordings of pianists when he was still in the womb, and sent him to lessons from the age of 4.[2] He had private classical music lessons from around the age of 9.[2]
He initially listened to "classic soul records and hip-hop before falling under the spell of jazz, classical music, and film scores."[1] At Los Angeles County High School for the Arts he studied jazz and classical piano,[1] including being taught by Mulgrew Miller and Donald Vega,[3] and also studied jazz at Colburn School for Performing Arts.[4] He graduated in 2006,[4] and then attended Juilliard, and obtained a bachelor's and master's degree in jazz performance there.[1] While a student, he had frequent gigs in New York.[1]
Bowers was the winner of the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.[1] In the same year, he played on Watch the Throne, a Jay Z and Kanye West album.[1] Bowers toured with Marcus Miller for the whole of 2012.[5] Bowers recorded Heroes + Misfits late in 2014, and the album was released by Concord Records in 2014.[6] An AllMusic reviewer commented that the pianist was "Based in jazz but with an ear for contemporary R&B, film scores, and electronic music".[6]
In 2014, Bowers performed at the International Jazz Day Concert in Japan,[7] the Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain,[8] and at the London Jazz Festival.[9]
Bowers is also interested in composing, including film scores.[5] He wrote the music for the documentaries Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me,[10] and Seeds of Time[11] before his first album was released.[12] Between then and mid-2016, he composed for seven more documentaries.[12]
Influences
Bowers' influences include "Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly ('for his comping and incredible feel'), Duke Ellington ('for his compositions'), Ahmad Jamal and Count Basie.[5]
Personal life
Rapper Murs is a cousin of Bowers.[13]
Discography
An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.
As leader/co-leader
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Heroes + Misfits | Concord | With Adam Agati (guitar), Burniss Earl Travis II (electric bass), Jamire Williams (drums); some tracks with Casey Benjamin (alto sax, vocoder) added; some tracks with Kenneth Whalum III (tenor sax) added; vocalists added are Chris Turner (3 tracks), Julia Easterlin (1 track), José James (1 track) |
As sideman
| Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Jay Z, Jay Z and Kanye West | Watch the Throne | Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam |
| 2013* | Charles, EtienneEtienne Charles | Creole Soul | Culture Shock |
| 2013* | Next Collective, Next Collective | Cover Art | Concord |
| 2014* | Eubanks, RobinRobin Eubanks | Klassik Rock, Vol. 1 | Artist Share |
| 2014* | James, JoséJosé James | While You Were Sleeping | Blue Note |
| 2014* | Kuroda, TakuyaTakuya Kuroda | Rising Son | Blue Note |
Soundtracks
- Seeds of Time (2013)[11]
- Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (2013)[10]
- Kobe Bryant's Muse (2015)[14]
- I Am Giant: Victor Cruz[12]
- Play It Forward[12]
- Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You[12]
- Little Boxes[12]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Collar, Matt "Kris Bowers". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Thomas, Greg (January 26, 2012) "Still a Juilliard Jazz Student, Kris Bowers Plays Award-Winning Monk with Knowing, Modern Edge". New York Daily News.
- ↑ Murph, John (March 25, 2014) "Kris Bowers: New Power Generation". JazzTimes.
- 1 2 Beener, Angelika "On the Rise: A Conversation with Kris Bowers". nextbop.com. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Micallef, Ken (April 2014) "Kris Bowers – Cinematic Listening". Down Beat. p. 24.
- 1 2 Collar, Matt "Kris Bowers – Heroes + Misfits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ↑ Murph, John (July 2014) "All-Star Lineup Raises the Stakes at International Jazz Day Concert". Down Beat. p.14.
- ↑ "Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz". (May 2014) Down Beat. p. 135.
- ↑ de Lacey, Alex (November 27, 2014) "Kris Bowers at XOYO, London – EFG London Jazz Festival". Jazzwise Magazine.
- 1 2 Holden, Stephen (February 20, 2014). "Recalling Velvet, Pretzels and Beer, She's Still Here". The New York Times.
- 1 2 DeFore, John (March 25, 2014) "Seeds of Time: SXSW Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Murph, John (July 2016) "Kris Bowers". Down Beat. p. 33.
- ↑ "Get to Know Jazz Fellowship Awards Finalist Kris Bowers". (February 10, 2015) American Pianists Association.
- ↑ Lowry, Brian (February 17, 2015) "TV Review: 'Kobe Bryant's Muse'". Variety.
External links
- "Piano Jazz with John Weber". NPR 2012 interview and solo and duo piano performances.