Lynne Arriale
Biography
"One of the most exciting pianists in contemporary jazz" (The Guardian- UK), pianist Lynne Arriale has performed on international concert stages over the past 25 years. Jazz Police called her "the poet laureate of her generation". She has been consistently praised as having a "singular voice" as a pianist, bandleader and composer. JazzTimes said of her, "Lynne Arriale's music lies at the synaptic intersection where brain meets heart, where body meets soul. She is one of jazzdom's most intensely unique voices."
Lynne was the first prize winner of the 1993 International Great American Jazz Piano Competition. Her 15 albums as a leader have topped the JazzWeek radio charts including: Inspiration #1, Arise #1, Come Together #3, Nuance #4, Convergence #4, Chimes of Freedom #8 and were recognized on numerous "Best Of" lists, including The New Yorker and United Press International. LIVE (CD/DVD) was named one of UPI's Best Jazz CDs and among The New Yorker magazine's Best CDs of the year. Solo was named one of the top CDs of 2012 by JAZZIZ magazine, and Convergence was named one of the top 50 CDs of 2011 by JazzTimes. Her release, Give Us These Days, was included in the top Jazz CDs of 2018 by Jazz History Online and the Best New Jazz Releases of 2018 by Artsfuse. Chimes of Freedom was named one of the Best CDs of 2020 by Downbeat and Best Jazz Instrumental Releases of 2020 by Jazz History Online. Lynne was voted #13, #17 and #18 in the piano category for the 2015, 2016 and 2018 Downbeat Reader's Poll.
She toured Japan with "100 Golden Fingers", a group that included iconic jazz pianists Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Monty Alexander, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Harold Mabern, Roger Kellaway, Junior Mance and Ray Bryant. She has performed and/or recorded with jazz masters, Randy Brecker, George Mraz, Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Larry Coyell and Marian McPartland, to name a few.
The world's great jazz festivals and concert stages have invited Lynne to perform, including five performances at the Kennedy Center and additional performances at Lincoln Center, Montreux, Burghausen, Gilmore, Spoleto Arts, Montreal, Monterey, North Sea, Stuttgart, Pori, San Francisco, Ottawa, Zagreb, Perth, Brisbane, Rouen, Cannes MIDEM, Sardinia, Rochester, Wigan, Poznan, Estoril, Palermo, Inverness, Cork and San Javier.
Lynne's tours have taken her to Brazil, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Australia, Japan, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, China, South Africa and the U.S.
Her live TV and radio appearances and concert performances include Profile of a Recording Artist, NPR's Weekend Edition, Jazz Set, Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland. Her print media features include Billboard, Downbeat, JazzTimes, JAZZIZ, BBC Magazine, and the London Times. Lynne was the first woman to have the cover story for JazzEd magazine, and additional cover stories include One Way and M magazines. Her live media appearances include CNN/FN' Biz, NPR's Jazz Piano Christmas – Live from The Kennedy Center, and radio/TV interviews throughout the U.S., U.K., and Europe, including the BBC, Radio France and German National Television.
Lynne is also an active educator and adjudicator. She has conducted master classes and clinics internationally throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. She adjudicated the Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works, the Montreux Jazz Competition, American Pianists Association Fellowship Awards, The Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Competition, The American Jazz Pianist Competition and the Jacksonville Piano Competition. She was a featured mentor at The Mary Lou Williams Emerging Artist Workshop at the Kennedy Center.
Lynne is a Yamaha artist and is currently Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at The University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In 2018, she was awarded the UNF Presidential Leader Award and was runner-up for the 2020 UNF Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award.
