Jane Ira Bloom (born January 12, 1955) is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer.
Jane Ira Bloom | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 12, 1955 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument | soprano saxophone |
| Labels | Columbia, Outline, Arabesque, Enja |
| Website | www |
Early years
editBloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Joel and Evelyn Bloom. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophone, and eventually settling on the soprano saxophone as her primary instrument.[1] She first began playing the saxophone at age 9, studying with woodwind virtuoso Joseph Viola, chair of the Berklee College of Music Woodwinds Department,[2] from 1968 to 1979, and studying music at Yale University from which she received a liberal arts degree and a master's degree in music (1977). Following Yale, Bloom relocated to New York City. She founded Outline Records while in New Haven and released several recordings under that label.[3]
Career
editShe was the first musician to be commissioned by the NASA Art Program.[4] in 1989 she created three original musical compositions: Most Distant Galaxy, for soprano saxophone and live electronics, prepared tape, bass, drums, and electroacoustic percussion; Fire & Imagination, for soprano saxophone, improvisors, and chamber orchestra; and Beyond the Sky, for wind ensemble.[5][6][7]
In 2007, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition.[8]
Bloom is a tenured professor at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City's Greenwich Village.[9]
Her 2013 release, Sixteen Sunsets, received a Grammy nomination for the 56th Grammy Awards in the Best Surround Sound category, with sound engineer Jim Anderson.[10]
Bloom won the Chamber Music America New Jazz Works award in 2015 for a new composition inspired by the 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson.[11]
The resulting work, entitled "Wild Lines" premiered in 2016 to positive reviews.[12]
Bloom won the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound category at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards for her album “Early Americans.”[13]
Legacy
editThe asteroid 6083 Janeirabloom was named after her.[5]
Discography
editAs leader
edit- Second Wind (Outline, 1980)
- Mighty Lights (Enja, 1982)
- As One (JMT, 1985)
- Modern Drama (Columbia, 1987)
- Slalom (Columbia, 1988)
- Art and Aviation (Arabesque, 1992)
- The Nearness (Arabesque, 1996)
- The Red Quartets (Arabesque, 1999)
- Sometimes the Magic (Arabesque, 2001)
- Chasing Paint (Arabesque, 2003)
- Like Silver, Like Song (ArtistShare, 2005)
- Mental Weather (Outline, 2008)
- Wingwalker (Outline, 2010)
- Sixteen Sunsets (Outline, 2013)
- Early Americans (Outline, 2016)
- Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickenson (Outline, 2017)
- Some Kind of Tomorrow (Outline, 2021)
- Tues Days (Outline, 2021)
- Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1 (Outline, 2022)
As guest
edit- Sandra Boynton, Philadelphia Chickens (Rounder, 2004)
- Jay Clayton, All-Out (Anima, 1981)
- Anthony Davis, Return from Space (Gramavision, 1985)
- Giora Feidman, Klezmer Celebration (Plane 1997)
- David Friedman, Of the Wind's Eye (Enja, 1981)
- Jerry Granelli, Another Place (veraBra, 1993)
- Frederic Hand, Frederick Hand's Baroque and On the Street (CBS, 1981)
- Frederic Hand, Frederic Hand's Jazzantiqua (Musical Heritage Society, 1984)
- Frederic Hand, Jazzantiqua (Musical Heritage Society, 1985)
- Ron Horton, Genius Envy (Omnitone, 1999)
- Daniel Humair, Surrounded 1964/87 (Blue Flame, 1987)
- Cleo Laine, Jazz (RCA Victor, 1991)
- Bobby Previte, The 23 Constellations of Joan Miro (Tzadik, 2001)
- M'lumbo, Celestial Ghetto (Pursuance, 2011)
- M'lumbo, Tuning In To Tomorrow (Pursuance, 2012)
- M'lumbo, Popular Science (Pursuance, 2013)
- M'lumbo, Celestial Mechanics (Ropeadope, 2020)
References
edit- ^ Holmes, Jeffrey (2001). "Bloom, Jane Ira". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.
- ^ Hale, James (August 2017). "Jane Ira Bloom: Chasing a Mercurial Sound". Downbeat. 84 (8): 46.
- ^ Kennedy, Gary W. (2001). "Bloom, Jane Ira". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.
- ^ Kernfeld, Barry, ed. (2002). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2 ed.). London, England: Grove's Dictionaries, Inc. p. 243. ISBN 033369189X.
- ^ a b "(6083) Janeirabloom". Archived from the original on 2006-07-10. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ "Jane Ira Bloom: Space". Archived from the original on 2006-07-22. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ "Jane Ira Bloom: Compositions". Archived from the original on 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ "John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Jane Ira Bloom". Gf.org. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Jane Ira Bloom - Professor, the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music". Archived from the original on 2015-05-30. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
- ^ "Grammys 2014: The complete list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
- ^ McNally, Owen (27 April 2016). "Saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom Presents Work Inspired by Emily Dickinson at UMass Concert". Wnpr.org. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ West, Michael. "Saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom adds the right notes to Emily Dickinson". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ Bloom, Jane_Ira. "Jane Ira Bloom". Grammy.com. Retrieved November 21, 2018.