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Larry Ham is a noted jazz pianist, composer
and arranger, based in New York City since 1985. Best known as a sideman,
he performs, tours, and records with many of today’s great jazz
artists. He is also gaining recognition as a band leader, with the release
of his CD "Carousel" featuring his compositions and arrangements
for piano trio and solo piano. His recent New York appearances include
Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, The Village Vanguard,
and The Tavern on the Green.
Larry Ham began his professional career in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra
in 1986-87. He was pianist in the Illinois Jacquet Big Band 1990-95 and
has also worked with countless other jazz legends. He has appeared at
jazz festivals, concerts and nightclubs throughout the United States,
Europe, West Africa, and Japan. He is currently pianist in the Earl May
Quartet, pianist with alto saxophonist Dave Glasser, and accompanist
for vocalist Catherine Russell. He is the pianist and arranger for JazzImpact,
an international arts-based corporate enrichment program. He also organizes
and promotes jazz performances through his company, West Village Music.
Larry Ham's jazz festival performances include the Grande Parade du
Jazz in Nice, France, the North Sea Festival in The Hague, Holland, the
Pori
Jazz Festival in Finland, Jazz Yatra in Bombay, India, The Charlie Parker
Festival in New York, the Ottawa Jazz Festival, and at the Kennedy Center
in Washington DC. He also performed at the White House for President
Reagan and for President Clinton’s 1992 Inaugural Ball. Larry appeared
in the jazz film "Texas Tenor" and has been a guest on TV programs
including "The Today Show" (NBC) "Breakfast Time" (FX)
and has been featured on NPR programs such as “Jazz Set with Dee
Dee Bridgewater” and on Judy Carmichael’s “Jazz Inspired.”
As a United States Department of State Jazz Ambassador, Larry Ham toured
eleven West African nations in 2001-02 in a cultural exchange program,
performing in concert, and conducting workshops on the art of playing
jazz. From 2002-05 he was pianist and musical director for the New York
Tapdance Festival, also touring the United States and Russia, Greece
and Italy. He recently joined longtime colleagues Illinois Jacquet and
Renee Fleming in a reunion performance for "Soundcheck" on
WNYC-FM Public Radio, later broadcast on National Public Radio. In 2005-06,
he toured extensively in the US, and performed in Japan, Germany and
Poland.
Larry Ham earned a BA in Musical Studies from the Crane School of Music
at SUNY Potsdam, and an MA in Jazz Performance from the Aaron Copland
School of Music at Queens College in New York City.
What People Are Saying about Larry Ham "After a rubato statement of the melody of Rodgers and Hart’s
lovely show tune ‘My Romance’ Larry Ham uses a vamp to set
up and add excitement to a very swinging solo on the revised harmonic
structure of the song."
-Dr. Billy Taylor
"Pianist Larry Ham is a master accompanist to vocalists-in the
legacy of Hank Jones and Jimmy Rowles."
- Nat Hentoff
"Larry Ham is, perhaps, the most unrecognized great pianist on
the scene. He is a terrific accompanist, and a wonderfully creative soloist."
-Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz
"There was no letup in the resilient beat of Earl May, pianist
Larry Ham and drummer Eddie Locke.
- Ira Gitler, Jazz Times
"Pianist Larry Ham - he’s worth investigating."
- The New Yorker
"Pianist Larry Ham often contrasted light, ringing ideas from the
right hand with denser, heartier thoughts from the left. It all had a
song-like quality." Ham’s ‘Under African Skies’ had the flavor of a Duke
Ellington song. His improvisation found one line unfurling, then another.
It was a pleasure to see where he took his thoughts."
- Zan Stewart, Newark Star-Ledger
"Larry Ham is a master accompanist."
-Winthrop Bedford, JazzImprov Magazine
"…a series of quartet arrangements nicely underpinned by
pianist Larry Ham."
- Mike Joyce, The Washington Post
"Larry Ham has that delightful ability to surprise the listener,
keeping you constantly listening for what comes next."
- Charlie Selvard, The Marlboro Enterprise
Discography
Larry Ham Trio, Carousel (West Village Music)
with Lee Hudson-bass and Tom Melito-drums
Dave Glasser, Above The Clouds (Arbors)
Dave Glasser-alto sax, Larry Ham-piano, Dennis Irwin-bass, Carl Allen-drums
Dan Block, Almost Modern (Sackville; Spring '07 release)
Dan Block-woodwinds, Jon Kellso-trumpet, Chris Flory-guitar, Larry Ham-piano
Lee Hudson-bass, Chuck Riggs-drums
Bill Easley, Untitled (Upcoming Release)
Bill Easley-woodwinds, Larry Ham-piano, Hassan Shakur-bass, Michael Carvin-drums
Earl May Quartet, Swingin’ the Blues (Arbors)
Earl May-bass, Larry Ham-piano, Dave Glasser-alto sax, Eddie Locke-drums
Earl May Quintet, Live at Shanghai Jazz
Earl May-bass, Catherine Russell-vocals, Dave Glasser-alto sax, Larry
Ham-piano,
Eddie Locke-drums
Nabuko Kiryu, We Two (West Village Music)
Nabuko Kiryu-vocals, Larry Ham-piano
Scott Robinson, Melody from The Sky (Arbors)
Scott Robinson-C melody saxophone, Larry Ham-piano, Pat O’Leary-bass,
Klaus Suonsaari-drums
Scott Robinson, Jazz Ambassadors (Arbors)
Scott Robinson-woodwinds, Larry Ham-piano, Pat O’Leary-bass, Klaus
Suonsaari-drums
Yvette Glover, Dreams Do Come True (Spring '07 release)
Yvette Glover-vocals, Larry Ham-piano, Earl May-bass, Brian Grice-drums |
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