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BILLYWHITEMUSIC.COM
Pianist/Keyboardist
 

    Billy White is a Brooklyn-based pianist, keyboardist and composer.  With a solid education and career in jazz, he also Bridging the music of the 20th and 21st centuries: Winner of the the Duke Ellington Awards,  collaborator with musicians like Ambrose Akinmusire and Bilal, and earning positive reviews in Down Beat magazine for his original compositions, he is an emerging name in contemporary jazz.  His talents are also sought-after by electronica artists,  musician for Grammy- winning and -nominated R&B artists, and in the world of gospel, an in-demand pianist, organist and Musical Director.   Easy to work with, and an extremely sensitive and supportive accompanist for vocalists, if you're a booker, manager or a groups/performer, he can be reached at billywhitemusic@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resume/Highlights

Sideman
    Jazz:  Marcus Shelby, Cathy Harley, Bashir Shakur, California Honeydrops, Paula West
    R&B/Soul: Bilal (Grammy Winner), Maiysha (Grammy nominee)
    Gospel : Norman Whitfield III, James Hall

Leader (jazz)
Played with Dayna Stephens, Ambrose Akinmusire, Kenny Brooks, Obed Calvaire, Jaz Sawyer, Yunior Terry, Steve Belvilus, Rodney Green, Joe Sanders, Jerome Sabbagh

Studio Work
       "Orange Factory-Sunrise fron the East"/"Hot Shit" by producer Scott Jacoby (Grammy Winner),
        "Speakin' Nuyorican/Fumando" by Captain Planet (featured frequently on several television shows,
            including Keeping up with the Kardashians),
        "The California Honeydrops" self-titled debut album,
        "All my Love ft. Dwight Trible" by Teeko
        "Redo" by Grace Woods & Lit by Lightning.
        "[untitled]" Pablo Ygal, Plug Research records

Discography

   2010 - "First Things First".  "One of the year's most impressive debuts", SF Chronicle.   "Impressive", Down Beat magazine.  Click here to read full reviews.

Past Touring
     2004  - Heezbus (Universal France)- France
     2008 - Wallace Gary & Blackout  - Morocco

Dance Accompanying

    2007-2009 - accompanist for the Martha Graham School of Dance, Mark Morris at BAM, and Peridance
    2009-10, 2011-12 - accompanist at Long Island University with Graham company dancer Whitney V.
            Hunter.

Gospel

    2010-present - Musical Director, New Journey Baptist Church (formerly St. John's Baptist), Brooklyn, NY.

Formal Education
    Classical: Juliet MacComas, Bill Wellborn. 
    Jazz: Jim Rowsey, Mark Levine, Don Haas, Tom Ranier, Kenny Burrell, Roberto Miranda, Barry
                    Harris, Steve Coleman, Luis Perdomo
    Arranging: Gordon Fels, Llew Matthews, Gerald Wilson
    Latin:  Rebecca Mauleon ,Bobby Rodriguez

      B.A., Ethnomusicology, 2005, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),.

Awards and Scholarships:
      1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 - Command Performance, California Music Educators Association,

    UCLA (full scholarship):
        2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005
        David A. Abell piano scholarship,
        Duke Ellington Jazz Award
        Martin Feldman Award