James Gelfand

James Gelfand
Gelfand in 2012
Gelfand in 2012
Background information
Born (1959-04-03) April 3, 1959 (age 67)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
GenresJazz, classical
OccupationsMusician, composer, arranger
InstrumentsPiano, keyboards
Years active1989–present

James Gelfand (born April 3, 1959) is a Canadian jazz pianist who has written scores for film and television.

Early life

Gelfand was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada into a large Jewish family. He is the great-grandson of Jacob Pascal, founder of J. Pascal's Hardware and Furniture. He is married with two children.

He began classical piano training at the age of four. During his teens, Gelfand diverged into jazz and other styles. Performing and competing at jazz festivals throughout North America and Europe, he has won a number of prestigious awards.

Professional career

Gelfand recorded a number of cross-over albums combining jazz and classical styles. He has performed on over 40 albums, with 8 under his own name. During his earlier career, he established The James Gelfand Trio and The James Gelfand Group.

With his ability to compose in various styles such as techno, orchestral, folk, and jazz, Gelfand began writing score for film and television. He has composed the music for over 30 films and 300 television broadcasts.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

  • Neverland (CBC Records, 1988)
  • Time Zones (Silence Records, 1996)
  • Setting the Standard with Michel Donato (Unidisc, 1996)
  • Children's Standards +1+2+3 (Lost Chart, 1998)
  • Mother Tree (Effendi, 2002)
  • Convergence (Unidisc, 2003)
  • Exploding Sun (Kronos/Moviescore, 2013)
  • Ground Midnight (Analekta, 2018)

As sideman or guest

With Michel Donato

  • 1997 Live
  • 2003 Setting the Standard Vol. 2

With Sylvain Gagnon

  • 1991 Crepuscule
  • 1997 Readers of the Lost Chart

With Jean-Pierre Zanella

  • 1995 Caminho
  • 1997 Mystic Infancy
  • 1999 Puzzle City
  • 2006 Villa-Lobos-Jobim

With others

  • 1994 Hymn to the Earth, Sonny Greenwich
  • 1995 Rhythm 'n' Jazz, Alain Caron
  • 1996 Welcome: Mother Earth, Meantime
  • 1998 A Time for Love, Charito
  • 1998 Marin Nasturica & Friends, Marin Nasturica
  • 1998 Tricycle, Helmut Lipsky
  • 2000 Arthur's Perfect Christmas, Arthur
  • 2001 Arthur's Really Rockin' Music Mix, Arthur & Friends

Film and television

Awards and honours

References

  1. ↑ James Gelfand - Music
  2. ↑ "Gelfand, James". Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  3. ↑ "James Gelfand | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 July 2018.