Jason Moran w/ The Bandwagon

Winner of numerous awards and honors, including a coveted MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship in 2010, the 47-year-old pianist has released a series of projects as satisfying conceptually as they are sonically, showcasing his capacious intelligence, rollicking touch, and road-less-traveled sensibility. In many ways Moran’s music builds on the work of his illustrious mentors. As an undergraduate at the Manhattan School of Music, the Houston-native fell under the sway of the brilliant pianist Jaki Byard, a player who carried the entire history of jazz in his fingers. He went on to study with Muhal Richard Abrams and Andrew Hill, left of center innovators who devised their own approaches to rhythm, form and group interaction.

Since he emerged in the late-90s in the quartet of alto saxophonist and ace talent scout Greg Osby, Moran has developed at an exponential rate in the company of his supremely flexible trio, the Bandwagon. First documented on Moran’s 2000 sophomore Blue Note release Facing Left, the group had forged a uniquely extrasensory level of communication.