David Gleason
Pianist, Band Leader, Composer and Music Educator
David Gleason is a pianist, composer, music educator and ethnomusicologist living in New York's Capital Region. He received an M.A. in music from Tufts University where he studied ethnomusicology and composition. As an ethnomusicologist he researched Caribbean folk and popular music in Puerto Rico and Cuba. His fieldwork culminated in a thesis entitled "La Parranda Puertorriquena: The Music, Symbolism and Cultural Nationalism of Puerto Rico's Christmas Serenading Tradition."
As a jazz and Latin pianist he has performed with ensembles such as RumbaNaMa, The Boston Latin Band, The Either/Orchestra, Altiplano, Mojive, and the Kinewe African Drum Ensemble as well as renown musicians like Laurel Masse, Fred Wesley, Danilo Perez, and John Fedchock. He currently leads the acclaimed Latin jazz ensemble, Sensemaya
Mr. Gleason studied music education and jazz studies at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York. He also studied jazz piano with Capital Region guru Lee Shaw. He has taught Music Theory, I.B. Music, and Jazz Ensemble at the Sayles School of Fine Arts and World Music at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, New York.
Sample Recordings:
Yesterdays- by Jerome Kern from the Pete Sweeney album "Forward Motion"
- Skylark
- by Hoagie Carmichael from the Pete Sweeney album "Forward Motion"
- Take The A Train
- by Duke Ellington from the Soul Session Promotional CD "Soul Session Plays Jazz"
- The Girl From Impanema
- by Antonio Carlos Jobim from the Soul Session Promotional CD "Soul Session Plays Jazz"
- In A Sentimental Mood
- by Duke Ellington from a live recording of the Kris Farrow Group in 2001
- Piano Suite in Six Movements (2003)
by David Gleason
I. Antiguo, II. First Interlude, III. Lagrimas, IV. Winter, V. Second Interlude, VI. Waltz
- Mantanzas 1958
- by David Gleason. Demo recording all parts played by David Gleason
- Dust
- by Ryan Lukas, David Gleason, Ben Acrish, Tim Williams, Dickie Ogden and Matthew "Smittie" Smith from the Mojive album "Tales from the Tundra" (1999)
- D Minor Fugue in the Style of J.S. Bach
- by David Gleason
Upcoming Performances:
Wednseday, June 2nd. Aperitivo, Schenectady 5:30-8:30.w/ Keith Pray
Friday, June 4th. Trio at the Stockade Inn, Schenectady 7-10.w/ Keith Pray and Mike Lawrence
Thursday, June 17th. Trio at Justin's in Albany.
David Gleason is also member of the bands below, visit their sites for information about upcoming shows:
Keith Pray's Big Soul Ensemble
VIDEOS
"Transconfiguration" with The Big Soul Ensemble
"Cedar's Blues" with The Steve Lambert Sextet
"My May" with the Brian Kaplan Band
jazz or latin piano lessons,improvisation instruction composition lessons or to book solo, duo, trio jazz performances or Sensemaya
Photo by Rudy Lu
Academic Research:
