JASON LINDNER

Visionary keyboard wizard Jason Lindner made his mark during the 1990s in part as leader of a big band that played at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City He was also the club's house pianist around the time it opened in 1994. He went on to work as pianist and arranger for vocalist Claudia Acuna. By 2004 Lindner had transitioned away from traditional acoustic jazz, commenting that "I wasn't playing jazz quartet gigs anymore. I was playing in a place where we could really experiment sonically, using electric bass, the drummer playing more groove-oriented beats and less straight ahead swing. I wanted to appeal to ordinary people and not just a jazz audience.” In 2015 he was recruited by David Bowie and was a key player in the sound and atmosphere of the album “Black Star,” Bowie’s final masterpiece. For this recording, he used nine keyboards and a grand piano.