AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bill Cunliffe

Artist:Bill Cunliffe

Song:Stolen Moments

Album:Blues and the Abstract Truth Take 2

Jazz pianist Bill Cunliffe started out as a big band arranger. He moved to Los Angeles and started recording as a leader after winning the 1989 Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition. He was born June 26, 1956 in Andover, MA which is north of Boston. His mother played piano so he took lessons as a child. After graduating from Phillips Academy in 1974, Cunliffe attended Wesleyan University and played in a rock band. After hearing Oscar Peterson for the first time, Cunliffe decided to be a jazz musician. After graduating from Duke University, Cunliffe earned a masters degree in music from Eastman School of Music. After teaching music at Central State University in Ohio, Cunliffe toured as a pianist and arranger with the Buddy Rich Big Band. Then he was house pianist at the Greenwich Tavern in Cincinnati playing with touring musicians like Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard. Cunliffe moved to Los Angeles in 1989 and won the 1989 Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition. Then he joined the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the Clayton Brothers Quartet. Then he signed with Discovery Records. His debut as a leader was the 1993 album A Paul Simon Songbook. Stolen Moments is from the 2007 album The Blues and the Abstract Truth Take 2. It is a tribute to Oliver Nelson. The band is a trio with a horn section. The trio is Cunliffe, Tom Warrington on bass and Mark Ferber on drums. The horns are Brian Scanlon on alto sax, Bob Sheppard on tenor and soprano sax, Larry Lunetta on trumpet and Andy Martin on trombone. Sheppard works a lot with Cunliffe. Trumpeter Terrell Stafford and alto saxophonist Jeff Clayton make guest appearances. The album is on Resonance Records and is available as a budget CD. Cunliffe has recorded for several labels but he currently records for his own label. He last released an album in 2019. Cunliffe is currently Professor of Music at Cal State Fullerton. Here's Bill Cunliffe with Bob Sheppard on alto sax, Rickey Woodard on tenor sax, Bob Summers on trumpet, Andy Martin on trombone, Tom Warrington on bass and Paul Kreibich on drums performing Stolen Moments at the Culver Club in Culver City, CA June, 17, 2011. Solos are by Sheppard, Cunliffe and Martin.