The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project.
The Artistry of… John Beasley
“Beasley, the one-time keyboardist for Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis, reflects a variety of generational influences, incorporating the emphatic chordal clusters of Herbie Hancock, the rhythmic quirkiness of Monk and the lush intelligence of Art Tatum into a highly refined personal voice.”
That most impressive paragraph is a quote from the LA Times. He and the birthplace home state of jazz, Louisiana, are like kin. He has a couple of generations of musicians behind him in his family — and a band’s worth of instruments, too. His parents played brass, woodwinds, piano and drums, and were composers and arrangers. His mother was a bandleader, his grandfather a trombonist. He was surrounded — artistic creativity wherever he turned.
His playing is adventurous. It is a fresh perspective on the foundations, coming directly from those very foundations. He is generous, combining heart and soul into his artistic energy. The heart and soul does not end there. There is an extensive body of work for commercials, television and film. His heart shines in the music he has written for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Doctors Without Borders’ videos — pro bono. Artistry with a heart.
