Jesse Green

American jazz pianist, composer and arranger

Jesse Green (born 1971) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer. He has recorded three albums as a leader, all released by Chiaroscuro Records.

Green is the son of trombonist Urbie Green and vocalist Kathy Preston. "He started tinkering on the piano picking out tunes as early as age three. When he was six he began piano lessons but the young musician did not decide to make a career out of music until he was already in junior college." Green's first classical piano influence was his cousin Erin. When he was ten, he was a finalist in a nationwide talent competition; winning for his piano rendition of Count Basie’s Jumping at the Woodside. At high school, he played trombone with numerous bands: District Concert Band, Regional Concert Band, All State Jazz Ensemble, Fred Waring's U. S. Chorus, National Honors Jazz Band, District Chorus Instrument Ensemble, and the John Philip Sousa Memorial Concert Band. During his junior year in high school, he became a member of the East Stroudsburg University Jazz Ensemble. He was piano accompanist for District Chorus as well as the high school chorus, and, for five consecutive years, he was pianist for the Celebration of the Arts Festival COTA Cats (a big band founded by Phil Woods). As a student at East Stroudsburg University, Green played trombone in the Concert Band and Brass Ensemble, and piano in the Jazz Ensemble. With this Jazz Ensemble, Green performed with Clark Terry, Lew Tabackin, Freddie Hubbard, Al Grey, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Dave Liebman, Benny Carter, and Jimmy Heath. As a trombonist, Jesse was selected two years in a row for the Inter Collegiate Concert Band. At age 17, Jesse won the National Downbeat Student Award for "best extended composition and arrangement" with his original "Half & Half". He has since written many other arrangements for big band as well as small groups. "Blues for Dad", written for his father, was performed by the COTA Cats at the 1989 COTA Jazz Festival.

Green signed to Chiaroscuro Records in 1992. His debut album, Lift Off, featured Paul Rostock on bass, Bobby Durham on drums, and guest Joe Cohn on guitar. Green's second album, Sea Journey, was released in 1995. This was a live recording on the S. S. Norway and included Jackie Williams on drums, Michael Moore on bass, and guest Gary Burton on vibes. In 1995 Jesse appeared with the Urbie Green Quintet on the Royal Caribbean “Majesty of the Seas”; a live recording of the quintet, Sea Jam Blues, was released in 1997. Jesse's 2002 album, Sylvan Treasure, featured guest saxophonists Phil Woods, Dave Liebman and Chris Potter, as well as Pat Dorian on trumpet, Bruce Cox on drums, and Frank Hauch on bass. In 1998, Green took first place at the American Pianists Association's Fourth Biennial Jazz Piano Competition in Indianapolis, from judges Dr. Billy Taylor, Danilo Perez and Jim Turner. As a result, he was named the first Jazz Fellow of the American Pianists Association. These awards brought Green many opportunities to perform internationally. In 2002 Green was selected fourth in the world in the largest jazz piano competition – the Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition held in France. In 2006 he won first place in The Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2009, NPR reported that Green "spends most of his time teaching piano and trombone out of the home he shares [in Delaware Water Gap] with his wife and three daughters". Green was sentenced in May 2014, and is currently serving his term in SCI Camp Hill, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.