Biography
A gifted pianist and composer, Lynne Arriale has earned acclaim for her refined, graceful approach to post-bop jazz. After claiming first place at the 1993 International Great American Jazz Piano Competition, she has issued a succession of well-received recordings such as 1993’s The Eyes Have It, 1997’s The Long Road Home, and 2002’s Inspiration. Outside her own performances she serves on the faculty of the University of North Florida. Although she is best known for trio settings, Arriale has welcomed guest artists such as trumpeter Randy Brecker on 2009’s Nuance, saxophonist Bill McHenry on 2011’s Convergence, and vocalist K.J. Denhert on 2020’s Chimes of Freedom; the last of these explored social-justice themes and paired her originals with sensitively interpreted material by Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Comparable civic and political concerns shaped 2023’s The Lights Are Always On, most notably in the track “The Notorious RBG,” her homage to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Arriale entered the world in 1957 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was adopted shortly after birth, and began playing a toy piano at age three. During childhood she first developed her skills by ear, assembling a catalog of pieces heard on the radio and drawn from Broadway shows. Classical instruction followed, leading to an undergraduate degree in music from UW-Madison and a master’s degree from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Around age twenty-five she turned to jazz, finding guidance in the work of Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock. Upon completing her studies she established a performing career, fronting her own trio and joining the 1991 Japanese tour “100 Golden Fingers,” where she shared stages with nine established pianists that included Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Cedar Walton.
Widespread recognition arrived with her victory at the 1993 International Great American Jazz Piano Competition. That year she also appeared at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and signed with DMP, issuing her first leader date, 1994’s The Eyes Have It. The recording introduced her working trio of bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Steve Davis, a partnership that continued for the next decade. Two further DMP releases followed—1995’s When You Listen and 1996’s With Words Unspoken—both featuring Drew Gress in place of Anderson. After those three projects Arriale moved to TCB for 1997’s The Long Road Home, which paired her with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Davis. Melody appeared two years later with Davis and bassist Scott Colley. Following 2000’s Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival she concluded her TCB tenure with 2002’s Inspiration, reuniting the original trio of Davis and Jay Anderson.
Beyond her own sessions she has recorded with Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Larry Coryell, and Marian McPartland, among many others. In tandem with her performing schedule Arriale maintains an active teaching role as Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Beginning with 2003’s Arise she forged a sustained association with Motéma Music; that album again featured Anderson and Davis. The trio later documented a concert set, Live, captured at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and returned to the studio for 2004’s Come Together. On 2009’s Nuance Arriale departed from her long-standing trio, enlisting bassist George Mraz and drummer Anthony Pinciotti while adding guest trumpeter Randy Brecker. She shifted direction once more for 2011’s Convergence, recorded with Pinciotti, bassist Omer Avital, and saxophonist Bill McHenry. Her first solo-piano recording, simply titled Solo, appeared in 2012.
Arriale resurfaced in 2018 with Give Us These Days, a trio session made with Dutch bassist Jasper Somsen and drummer Jasper Van Hulten; issued on Challenge Records, the album also included vocalist Kate McGarry. Two years later the label released the socially and politically oriented Chimes of Freedom, again featuring Somsen and drummer E.J. Strickland and spotlighting several Bob Dylan and Paul Simon songs interpreted by guest vocalist K.J. Denhert. The same trio produced 2022’s The Lights Are Always On, another socially conscious effort that paid tribute to public figures including pioneering Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Representative John Lewis.
Arriale entered the world in 1957 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was adopted shortly after birth, and began playing a toy piano at age three. During childhood she first developed her skills by ear, assembling a catalog of pieces heard on the radio and drawn from Broadway shows. Classical instruction followed, leading to an undergraduate degree in music from UW-Madison and a master’s degree from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Around age twenty-five she turned to jazz, finding guidance in the work of Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock. Upon completing her studies she established a performing career, fronting her own trio and joining the 1991 Japanese tour “100 Golden Fingers,” where she shared stages with nine established pianists that included Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Cedar Walton.
Widespread recognition arrived with her victory at the 1993 International Great American Jazz Piano Competition. That year she also appeared at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and signed with DMP, issuing her first leader date, 1994’s The Eyes Have It. The recording introduced her working trio of bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Steve Davis, a partnership that continued for the next decade. Two further DMP releases followed—1995’s When You Listen and 1996’s With Words Unspoken—both featuring Drew Gress in place of Anderson. After those three projects Arriale moved to TCB for 1997’s The Long Road Home, which paired her with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Davis. Melody appeared two years later with Davis and bassist Scott Colley. Following 2000’s Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival she concluded her TCB tenure with 2002’s Inspiration, reuniting the original trio of Davis and Jay Anderson.
Beyond her own sessions she has recorded with Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Larry Coryell, and Marian McPartland, among many others. In tandem with her performing schedule Arriale maintains an active teaching role as Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Beginning with 2003’s Arise she forged a sustained association with Motéma Music; that album again featured Anderson and Davis. The trio later documented a concert set, Live, captured at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and returned to the studio for 2004’s Come Together. On 2009’s Nuance Arriale departed from her long-standing trio, enlisting bassist George Mraz and drummer Anthony Pinciotti while adding guest trumpeter Randy Brecker. She shifted direction once more for 2011’s Convergence, recorded with Pinciotti, bassist Omer Avital, and saxophonist Bill McHenry. Her first solo-piano recording, simply titled Solo, appeared in 2012.
Arriale resurfaced in 2018 with Give Us These Days, a trio session made with Dutch bassist Jasper Somsen and drummer Jasper Van Hulten; issued on Challenge Records, the album also included vocalist Kate McGarry. Two years later the label released the socially and politically oriented Chimes of Freedom, again featuring Somsen and drummer E.J. Strickland and spotlighting several Bob Dylan and Paul Simon songs interpreted by guest vocalist K.J. Denhert. The same trio produced 2022’s The Lights Are Always On, another socially conscious effort that paid tribute to public figures including pioneering Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Representative John Lewis.
Albums
