Biography
From an early age, pianist Peter Delano exhibited prodigious talent that he has continued to affirm without interruption. Drawing inspiration from Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, and Keith Jarrett, he developed a distinctive personal approach to jazz while still young. For a brief interval he belonged to the pop-rap collective Digable Planets, trained under Garry Dial during the latter’s tenure with Red Rodney’s ensemble, and received endorsements from both Rodney and author Ira Gitler. After earning his diploma from Collegiate High School in Manhattan in 1993, the seventeen-year-old attracted the notice of Guy Eckstine, offspring of the celebrated bandleader and vocalist Billy Eckstine. Guy Eckstine actively championed the emerging pianist, resulting in the appearance of Delano’s self-titled debut on the Verve label that same year. He completed coursework at The New School before commencing studies at Columbia University. While steering clear of full-time industry involvement, he prepared his second Verve album, Bite of the Apple, issued in 1994. Within a compressed period he established working relationships in New York with an array of distinguished jazz musicians that included Michael Brecker, Gary Bartz, Chris Potter, Craig Handy, Dick Oatts, Tim Hagans, Joe Locke, Ray Mantilla, Eddie Gomez, Tomas Ulrich, Gary Peacock, Adam Nussbaum, Victor Lewis, and Joe Chambers. He also interrupted his academic schedule to serve as sideman with the touring and recording groups of Mark Whitfield and Dewey Redman. A spinal injury sustained in 2004 paralyzed his left foot. Emergency surgery corrected the immediate crisis yet threatened his future as a performer. Through an extended rehabilitation, Delano achieved gradual recovery over three years. Restored to health, he moved steadily toward complete recuperation and resumed his place in jazz. The 1998 Sunnyside recording For Dewey, made with Redman, reached the public in 2008 following the saxophonist’s death.
Albums