Connie Crothers (May 2, 1941 – August 13, 2016) was an American jazz improviser and pianist.

Early life

Crothers began studying classical piano at age 9 and went on to major in composition at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. At Berkeley, her teachers emphasized "procedure and structure" and "compositional rigor" over emotional expression, which did not sit well with Crothers. Inspired by his recording of "C Minor Complex," one of the first examples on record of free improvisation, she relocated to New York City to become a student of

Lennie Tristano Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation. Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...

Later life and career

After Tristano's death in November 1978, Crothers founded the Lennie Jazz Foundation and recorded a memorial concert album in his honor. In 1982, she recorded an album with drummer

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He wo ...

for New Artists Records, a label she and Roach founded. She also recorded in groups with, among others,

Richard Tabnik Richard Tabnik (born 1952) is an American jazz saxophonist who lives in New York City. History Tabnik studied with jazz alto saxophonist Lee Konitz from 1970 to 1972. From 1975 through 1979, he lived in Buffalo, N.Y. and played lead alto sax in ...

and Cameron Brown. Crothers died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

in Manhattan on August 13, 2016.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Sources:

As sidewoman

* 1992? ''Lennie Tristano Memorial Concert'', Tristanos Disciples * 1999? ''The Way I Am'', Linda Satin * 2002? ''Primal Elegance'', Bud Tristano

References

External links

Official website

Jazz in the New Depression: Interview with Connie Crothers

''NewMusicBox'' obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crothers, Connie 1941 births 2016 deaths American jazz pianists American women pianists University of California, Berkeley alumni Women jazz pianists RogueArt artists Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state) 21st-century American women