Zoe Rahman

{{Short description|English jazz composer and pianist (born 1971)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Zoe Rahman

| image = Zoe Rahman photo.jpg

| image_size = 220

| caption = Rahman performing in June 2008

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| native_name_lang = bn

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|01|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Chichester, West Sussex, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| genre = Jazz

| occupation = {{flat list |

Musician
composer

}}

| instrument = {{flat list |

Piano
harmonium

}}

| years_active = 1998–present

| label = Manushi

| associated_acts = Idris Rahman

| website = {{URL|http://zoerahman.com}}

}}

Zoe Rahman (born 20 January 1971) is an English jazz composer and pianist.

Early life

Rahman was born and brought up in Chichester, West Sussex, England,{{cite web |last=Ridge|first=Rachel|url=http://www.londoncalling.com/show/zoe-rahman-jazz|title=Zoe Rahman: Jazz|website=London Calling|date=30 April 2013|access-date=1 September 2015}} by a Bengali father, Mizan Rahman,{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music/bengali-music-inspires-zoe-rahmans-973513|title=Bengali music inspires Zoe Rahman's new album|location=Manchester|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=18 April 2010|access-date=1 September 2015}} and an English-Irish mother.{{cite news |last=May|first=Chris|url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/dailyplanet/lucky-oceans-daily-planet-zoe-rahman-kindred-spirits/5087360|title=Zoe Rahman – 'Kindred Spirits'|location=Australia|website=ABC Online|date=9 November 2013 |access-date=1 September 2015}} Her mother was a doctor who grew up in New Zealand.{{cite web |last=Shackleton|first=Kathryn|url=http://www.londonjazznews.com/2015/03/interview-zoe-rahman-career-influences.html|title=INTERVIEW: Zoe Rahman – Career Influences / #IWD2015|location=London|website=London Jazz News|date=7 March 2015|access-date=1 September 2015}} Rahman describes her childhood as being "completely English"{{cite news |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/2008/09/21/zoe-idris-rahman-where-rivers-meet-511433/|title=Zoe & Idris Rahman: Where Rivers Meet|newspaper=Metro|date=21 September 2008|access-date=1 September 2015}} and has described herself as culturally "very English".{{cite magazine |last=May|first=Chris|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/where-rivers-meet-zoe-and-idris-rahman-manushi-records-review-by-chris-may.php|title=Zoe & Idris Rahman: Where Rivers Meet (2008)|magazine=All About Jazz|date=27 September 2008|access-date=1 September 2015}} Her father's family is from Dhaka. Her maternal grandmother is from Ireland.{{cite news |last=Parker|first=Chris|url=http://www.londonjazznews.com/2012/01/cd-review-zoe-rahman-kindred-spirits.html|title=CD Review: Zoe Rahman – Kindred Spirits|website=London Jazz News |date=22 January 2012|access-date=1 September 2015}}

Rahman started off playing classical piano when she was about four years old. Her family had a piano that her parents had bought for £10 and Rahman's older sister started to play; her other two siblings and Rahman followed her footsteps. Rahman and her younger brother, Idris, got into listening to jazz when they were teenagers and tried to work out how to play. Rahman had jazz piano lessons with various teachers and found opportunities to gig with other musicians.

She studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music, received a music degree at St Hugh's College, University of Oxford, and won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she had lessons with pianist Joanne Brackeen.{{cite web |url=http://www.oitijjo.org/zoe-rahman-idris-rahman/|title=Zoe Rahman|publisher=Oitij-jo|access-date=1 August 2015}} While in America she formed her own trio, which featured bassist Joshua Davis and drummer Bob Moses.

In 2002, Rahman discovered Bengali music, when her father was hospitalised and she had transferred some of his cassette tapes of 1950s Bengali music to CDs for him to listen to while he recuperated. Rahman became intrigued by the sounds and subsequent trips to Bangladesh allowed Rahman to learn about her background through music.

Later life and career

=Radio and television appearances=

Rahman has been the featured artist on radio and television programmes such as Courtney Pine's Jazz Crusade on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, BBC London's Now's the Time, Andrea Oliver's The Selector, Northern Broadcasting Internet Radio, Resonance FM and Julian Joseph's Jazz series for Meridian Television. She has performed live on the BBC World Service and on BBC Radio 3's In Tune.

=Recording and performances=

In 2001, her debut album The Cynic was released. In July 2006, her second album Melting Pot was released.{{cite news |last=Fordham|first=John|author-link=John Fordham (jazz critic)|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/nov/18/jazz.shopping1|title=Zoe Rahman, Melting Pot|newspaper=The Guardian|date=18 November 2005|access-date=15 February 2010}} Melting Pot was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize Album of the Year and won Jazz Album of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in 2006.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5190396.stm#4|title=Mercury Music Prize: The nominee|work=BBC News|date=18 July 2006|access-date=1 September 2015}} In September 2008, her third album Where Rivers Meet was released. In May 2009, her fourth album Zoe Rahman Trio: Live was released.{{cite news |last=Fordham|first=John|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/28/zoe-rahman-trio-live|title=Zoe Rahman Trio: Live|newspaper=The Guardian|date=29 May 2009|access-date=1 September 2015}} In January 2012, her fifth album Kindred Spirits was released.{{cite news |last=Fordham|first=John|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/09/zoe-rahman-kindred-spirits-review|title=Zoe Rahman: Kindred Spirits – review|newspaper=The Guardian|date=9 February 2012|access-date=1 September 2015}} Kindred Spirits won the Best Jazz Act award at the 2012 MOBO Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.thejazzmann.com/news/article/zoe-rahman-wins-jazz-category-at-2012-mobo-awards/|title=Zoe Rahman wins Jazz category at 2012 MOBO awards.|website=The Jazz Mann |date=9 November 2012|access-date=1 September 2015}}

Rahman was sought out by music producer Paul Vlcek to play with George Mraz. In July 2013, their album Unison was released.{{cite web |last=Arloff|first=Steve|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/jazz/2013/Mraz_Rahman.htm|title=George Mraz and Zoe Rahman|website=MusicWeb International |year=2013|access-date=1 September 2015}} Rahman's first solo piano album, Dreamland, was recorded in 2015 and released by Manushi.{{cite news |last=Gelly|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Gelly|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/19/zoe-rahman-dreamland-review-solo-piano-album-single-petal-from-rose-red-squirrel-j-berg|title=Zoe Rahman: Dreamland review – an exciting solo set, brilliantly performed|newspaper=The Observer|date=19 June 2016}}Eales, Geoff [http://www.jazzviews.net/zoe-rahman-ndash-dreamland.html "Zoe Rahman – Dreamland"]. Jazz Views. Retrieved 28 October 2017.

File:WiKi CourtneyPine20100611f.jpg

Aside from working with her own groups, Rahman continues to perform and record (both in the UK and internationally) with a diverse range of other artists. These have included: Courtney Pine; Clark Tracey's New Quintet; Soothsayers; Jerry Dammers' Spatial AKA Orchestra; Keziah Jones (2003/2004 European tours); David Walcott (2003 Festival, Barbados); Mekaal Hasan (2001 tour, Pakistan). She co-wrote a jazz-based theatre show, I'm a Fool to Want You, about the French writer/musician Boris Vian, with Told by an Idiot Theatre Company (UK / South American tours 2003–2005).

Other albums or DVDs that she has appeared on include: Courtney Pine's Song (The Ballad Book) and Europa; Reem Kelani's Sprinting Gazelle; the Clark Tracey Quintet's The Calling and The Mighty Sa; Tony Bianco's In a Western Sense; Gary Boyle's Games; Soothsayers' Tangled Roots; Brigitte Escobar's Brigitte; Terry Hall/Mushtaq's The Hour of Two Lights; Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian's Big Ears; and Keziah Jones's Live at the Élysée Montmartre DVD.

=Composer=

Rahman composed the piano score for the 2020 touring production of The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.{{cite news |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2020/the-strange-tale-of-charlie-chaplin-and-stan-laurel-review-at-wiltons-music-hall-london-expressive-physical-comedy/|title=The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel review at Wilton's Music Hall, London|first=Natasha |last=Tripney|website=The Stage|date= 16 January 2020 | access-date=19 January 2020}}

=Tours=

Rahman has toured extensively throughout the UK and internationally, including North Sea Jazz Festival, Molde Jazz Festival, Palermo Jazz Festival, Algeria's European Cultural Festival, Cork Jazz Festival, Estonia's Nargen Festival, Barbados Jazz Festival and Rochester International Jazz Festival.

From 2009 to 2012, Rahman toured with Jerry Dammers' The Spatial AKA Orchestra, bringing Sun Ra to a new audience. She also worked with bands led by bassist Danny Thompson, exploring the legacy of songwriter Nick Drake; singer Martha Wainwright; and saxophonist Courtney Pine.{{cite magazine |last=May|first=Chris|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/zoe-rahman-kindred-spirits-by-chris-may.php|title=Zoe Rahman: Kindred Spirits|magazine=All About Jazz|date=26 January 2012|access-date=1 September 2015}}

=Personal life=

Rahman has a son, who was born in 2014.

Reception

Rahman has been described in The Observer as "one of the finest young pianists in Europe" and "a remarkable pianist by any standard".

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable"

style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"

! Year

! Work

! Award

! Category

! Result

rowspan="1"| 1999

| Perrier Young Jazz Award

| Young Jazz Musician of the Year

| {{won}}

rowspan="2"| 2001

| The Cynic

| BBC Radio 3

| Jazz Album of the Year Review

| {{shortlist}}

| BBC Jazz Awards

| Rising Star

| {{nom}}

rowspan="2"| 2006

| rowspan="2"| Melting Pot

| Mercury Music Prize

| Album of the Year

| {{nom}}

Parliamentary Jazz Awards

| Jazz Album of the Year

| {{won}}

rowspan="1"| 2012

| Kindred Spirits

| MOBO Awards

| Best Jazz Act

| {{won}}

2021

|[https://ivorsacademy.com/nominee/zoe-rahman/ Ivor Novello Awards]

|Impact Award

| {{won}}

Discography

An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

=As leader/co-leader=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year recorded

!Title

!Label

!Notes

2001*

|The Cynic

|Manushi

|Trio, with Jeremy Brown (bass), Winston Clifford (drums)

2006*

|Melting Pot

|Manushi

|Trio, most tracks with Oli Hayhurst (bass), Gene Calderazzo (drums); one track with Jeremy Brown (bass), Pat Illingworth (drums); one track with Idris Rahman (clarinet), Adriano Adewale Itaúna (udu)

2007

|Zoe Rahman Trio: Live

|Manushi

|Most tracks trio, with Oli Hayhurst (bass), Gene Calderazzo (drums); two tracks quartet, with Idris Rahman (clarinet) added; in concert; released 2009

2007

|Where Rivers Meet

|Manushi

|Co-led with Idris Rahman (clarinet); most tracks also with Samy Bishai (violin), Oli Hayhurst (bass), Gene Calderazzo (drums), Kuljit Bhamra (tabla); some tracks with Arnob, Gaurob, Joseph Aquilina, Mizan Rahman (vocals) added; released 2008

2011

|Kindred Spirits

|Manushi

|Some tracks trio, with Oli Hayhurst (bass), Gene Calderazzo (drums); some tracks quartet, with Idris Rahman (clarinet, bass clarinet) or Courtney Pine (alto flute) added; released 2012

2013*

|Unison

|Cube-Metier

|Duo, co-led with George Mraz (bass)

2015

|Dreamland

|Manushi

|Solo piano

2023

|Colour of Sound

|Manushi

|Eight-piece band, including Idris Rahman, Gene Caldarazzo (drums), Alec Dankworth (bass), Alex Ridout (trumpet), Rosie Turton (trombone), Rowland Sutherland (flute) and Byron Wallen (trumpet){{cite web |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/colour-of-sound-zoe-rahman-proper-records | first=Neil | last=Duggan | title=Zoe Rahman: Colour Of Sound | website=AllAboutJazz |date=4 July 2023| access-date=7 September 2023 }}