MySpace a place for friends

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Ryan Cohan maintains a busy schedule as a pianist, composer, and producer with the top regional musicians and has also performed with other master jazz artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Milt Hinton, Jon Faddis, Joe Locke, Curtis Fuller, Pat La Barbera, Paquito D'Rivera, Andy Narell, Regina Carter, Nick Brignola, Ed Shaughnessey, Andy Bey, Kurt Elling, Kent Jordan, and Michal Urbaniak among others. Ryan is a member of Orbert Davis’ various ensembles(including the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic) and is featured on Orbert’s three most recent releases. Ryan's diverse resume also includes a substantial list of commercial studio performing credits, a guest artist appearance with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, arranging for the Grant Park Symphony with Otis Clay, and the 2001 music director position with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. As an educator, Ryan has been on the faculty of the Skidmore Jazz Institute in New York, an accompanist and instructor at the Bloom School Of Jazz, and works independently as a clinician with students throughout the country. 2003 marked Ryan’s film scoring debut when he composed and produced the soundtrack to the independently released short film, Dog Walker, and early in 2007 Ryan completed scoring his first feature length film, Tapioca, starring Ben Vereen.

Chamber Music America New York awarded Ryan their highly competitive New Works: Creation and Presentation Grant in 2005 to compose a new suite for his sextet. This extensive new work entitled, One Sky: Tone Poems For Humanity, was premiered in July 2006 at Skidmore College’s Bernhard Theatre in upstate New York and was received with a standing ovation and a rave review from albanyjazz.com. See www.ryancohan.com for other awards.

Ryan has worked closely with NEA Jazz Master Ramsey Lewis penning over a dozen compositions and arrangemennts that have appeared on four Lewis releases since 1997 including Appassionata(Narada Jazz)-named “jazz album of the year” in Billboard Magazine’s first annual music awards(2000). Ryan has also performed on tour with Ramsey and composed the theme song to The Legends Of Jazz TV program.

The Ryan Cohan Quartet was chosen by a panel led by Wynton Marsalis for the 2008 Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad Program. Sponsored by Jazz At Lincoln Center and The U.S. State Department, the RCQ will embark on an extended international tour as “Jazz Ambassadors” to perform concerts and conduct clinics in countries less familiar with the indigenous American art form. Additional performances will be given at Lincoln Center in New York and in Washington D.C.

Leading his own group performing his compositions at prominent jazz clubs and festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as on his own recordings, Ryan has distinguished himself as a vital original voice to be heard amongst the best young musicians on the global scene. Real World(1997) was Ryan’s first album as a solo artist. Co-produced with Cliff Colnot, it features many outstanding Chicago jazz instrumentalists as well as members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ryan’s next recording, Here and Now(2001), was released internationally on the U.K. based Sirocco Jazz label and was met with critical acclaim and unanimous praise from reviewers in Europe as well as the U.S. In the summer of 2007, the forward thinking New York label Motema Music signed Ryan and released One Sky-his most compelling work to date-on October 16, 2007.