John Kelly Colianni (January 7, 1962 – November 28, 2023) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist.

Early life

The son of Patricia Colaianni and journalist James F. Colaianni, John Colianni was born in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

performed a concert in 1974 at Georgetown University. Colianni was mesmerized by Ellington's piano work, orchestrations, and stage presence. Weekly lessons began at the age of 14.

Career

Colianni played in jazz clubs in Washington D.C., and appeared as a teen with a traveling group of young musicians known as Jazz Stars of the Future. This group performed under the direction of

Keter Betts William Thomas "Keter" Betts (July 22, 1928 – August 6, 2005) was an American jazz double bassist. Early life and education Born in Port Chester, New York, he was nicknamed "Keter", a short form of the word mosquito. He graduated from Port C ...

. During his last year of high school, Colianni moved to New Jersey with his family. Colianni became a pianist in

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

's big band for three years. His debut album was released by Concord Records. He came in third in the 1987 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition in Washington D.C. From 1987 to 1990 he played with film director and clarinetist

Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...

's Ragtime and Funeral Orchestra. He recorded with

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arrangement, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roa ...

and toured with him in the early 1990s. From 2003–2009 he was a member of a trio led by guitarist

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...

. From 2010–2013 he toured and recorded with the trio of

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock ...

. In 2004 he worked with vocalist

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

. He recorded with

Joe Wilder Joseph Benjamin Wilder (February 22, 1922 – May 9, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Wilder was awarded the Temple University Jazz Master's Hall of Fame Award in 2006. The National Endowment for the Arts honored h ...

Connie Kay Conrad Henry Kirnon (April 27, 1927 – November 30, 1994) known professionally as Connie Kay, was an American jazz and R&B drummer, who was a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Biography Self-taught on drums, Kay began performing in Los Ange ...

Emily Remler Emily Remler (September 18, 1957 – May 4, 1990) was an American jazz guitarist, active from the late 1970s until her death in 1990. Early life and influences Born in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Remler began playing guitar at age ten. She li ...

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

, and

Lew Tabackin Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s. Biography Tabackin started learning flute at age 1 ...

Death

Colianni died in

Langhorne, Pennsylvania Langhorne Borough, formerly known as Attleboro, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,643 at the time of the 2020 census. The mailing address "Langhorne" is used for Langhorne Borough but also broadly ...

, on November 28, 2023, at the age of 61.

Discography

As leader

* ''John Colianni'' (Concord Jazz, 1986) * ''Blues-o-Matic'' (Concord Jazz, 1989) * ''At Maybeck'' (Concord Jazz, 1995) * ''Colianni & Company'' (1998) * ''Swings'' (Amosaya, 1999) * ''Johnny Chops'' (Patuxent, 2008) * ''On Target'' (Patuxent, 2011) * ''After Hours'' (Patuxent, 2015) * ''I Never Knew'' (Patuxent, 2018) * ''Ahead of the Crowd'' (Patuxent, 2021)

As sideman

With

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

* ''Christmas Songs'' (Telarc, 1992) * ''Nothing Without You'' (Concord Jazz, 1992) * ''Sing, Sing, Sing'' (Concord Jazz, 1993) * ''The Great American Songbook: Live at Michael's Pub'' (Telarc, 1993) * ''A Tribute to Bing Crosby'' (Concord Jazz, 1994) With others *

Muriel Anderson Muriel Anderson (born June 17, 1960) is an American fingerstyle guitarist and harp guitarist who plays in many genres. She is the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship. Career Muriel Anderson was born in Downers Grove ...

, ''Wildcat'' (Heartstrings Attached, 2005) *

, ''Montgomery'' (Patuxent, 2011) *

, ''Made in Japan'' (Timeless, 1983) * Lionel Hampton, ''Mostly Ballads'' (Musicmasters, 1990)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colianni, John 1962 births 2023 deaths 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American pianists American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Musicians from Paterson, New Jersey 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians Jazz musicians from New Jersey Jazz musicians from Maryland