Composer, Guitar, Voice
Freddie Bryant received a master’s degree in classical guitar from Yale School of Music and is in demand in the New York jazz and Brazilian scenes where he has worked with Eliane Elias, Tom Harrell and many others. He was a member of Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet and has played with the Mingus Orchestra for two decades. He leads his own group, Kaleidoscope, and has released eight CDs as a leader. His impressive array of guitar styles have been featured on numerous CDs showcasing his work on acoustic and electric guitars.
His touring has brought him to 55 countries where he collaborated with musicians from a variety of backgrounds, including Indian classical musicians, African singers, oud players, traditional Arab groups and klezmer bands. In 2006, Bryant spent a week in Cuba, performing solo and working with other Cuban musicians. As an impassioned educator, he has taught jazz to all ages around the world and is on the faculties of Berklee College of Music in Boston and Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen, Holland. 2017 saw the World premiere at the London Human Rights Watch Film Festival of Complicit with his music score.
He was a recipient of the CMA New Jazz Works Composition Grant and the resulting piece, Upper West Side Love Story: a song cycle was premiered in 2022 and will be released as a double CD in 2023. It is an epic work – 16 movements/92 minutes for a nine-piece jazz ensemble featuring the all-star cast of Carla Cook, Regina Carter, Donny McCaslin, Steve Wilson, Akua Dixon, Gwen Laster, John Benitez and Alvester Garnett. For more info visit https://upperwestsidelovestory.com/ or https://www.freddiebryant.com/.
His eight CDs include: Monk Restrung, celebrating the music of Thelonious Monk, Dreamscape: Solo, Duo, Trio featuring Chris Potter and Scott Colley, Live Grooves…Epic Tales with his band Kaleidoscope including Donny McCaslin and Yosvany Terry, Brazilian Rosewood, Boogaloo Brasileiro, Live at Smoke with Steve Wilson, Chris Cheek, Diego Urcola, Edward Simon, Edsel Gomez, Avishai Cohen and Jordi Rossy, Take Your Dance into Battle with Don Braden, Ira Coleman and Billy Drummond as well as Trio del Sol co-led with Misha Piatigorsky and Gilad.
2017 saw the World premier at the London Human Rights Watch Film Festival of Complicit with his music score. His new project, the extended song cycle, Upper West Side Love Story began as a grant from Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works program and features an all-star cast of Carla Cook, Regina Carter, Gwen Laster, Akua Dixon, Donny McCaslin, Steve Wilson, John Benitez and Alvester Garnett. Visit his website, www.freddiebryant.com, for more info and itinerary.