Mitchel Forman

Biography and music career

Mitchel Forman began studying classical piano at the age of seven. At 17 he entered the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) for three years of study and began working with bands in New York. Shortly after graduating from MSM he began touring and recording with Gerry Mulligan, playing in both Mulligan's big band and quartet, and work with Stan Getz followed. In 1980 Forman's solo career began with a piano performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. This recording became his first album, Live at Newport. In subsequent years he worked on the road with Phil Woods, Carla Bley, Mel Tormé, and Astrud Gilberto. Forman also recorded two solo piano albums for Soul Note and toured in Europe regularly. He joined guitarist John McLaughlin for a year and a half on the road, recording and contributing to two of the band's recordings - the seminal Mahavishnu and Adventures in Radioland. Forman then joined ex-Weather Report saxophonist Wayne Shorter, touring, recording and contributing to Shorter's Phantom Navigator.

In 1985, Forman began leading his own band and recorded his group debut for Magenta Records (a division of Windham Hill), Train of Thought. At the same time he continued to work with other well-known jazz and music figures, including guitarist John Scofield ("Blue Matter"), Mike Stern ("Upside Downside"), Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer, Dave Samuels, Diane Schuur, Gary Burton ("Reunion"), Pat Metheny, Simon Phillips, Jimmy Earl, Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Bill Evans and Rickie Lee Jones. Forman's 1992 tribute to the late pianist Bill Evans, Now & Then, was particularly well regarded. Most of Forman's recordings are of the fusion or jazz genre, however, 1998's Harvest Song features 15 solo piano tracks.

Forman continues to record and play under his own name and has recently started his own record label, Marsis Jazz. Recent releases include Mr. Clean and Patience, both on Marsis. He also co-leads the band Metro with guitarist Chuck Loeb. Metro's five albums, the debut Metro, the follow-up Tree People (Lipstick), Metrocafé, Grapevine and Metrolive have all met with critical acclaim. The quartet with Wolfgang Haffner on drums and Mel Brown on bass tours annually in Europe. Forman has been a member of the Rick Braun band for the last three years, a member of the new BWB band, has been featured on the last three Jeff Golub CDs, and as of 2006 was performing around Los Angeles with drummer Virgil Donati, as well as with his own groups.

Influences

Forman has pointed to a number of legendary jazz pianists as his "first heroes", including Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea.

Solo

As sideman

With Stan Getz

With Danny Gottlieb

With Metro

With John McLaughlin

With Gerry Mulligan

With John Scofield

With Dino Betti Van Der Noot