Alan Broadbent

musical journey
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As a soloist and with his jazz trio, Broadbent has been nominated for Grammys twice for best instrumental performance, in the company of such artists as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and Keith Jarrett. In 2007 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit, an honor he holds in high regard.

Biography

Alan Broadbent

  • Orgin
    Auckland, New Zealand
  • Email
    info@alanbroadbent.com
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Long long time ago.

Alan Broadbent was born in Auckland, New Zealand and in 1966, at the age of 19, received a Downbeat Magazine scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1969 he was asked to join Woody Herman’s band as his pianist and arranger for 3 years. In 1972 he settled in Los Angeles, beginning a musical relationship with the legendary singer Irene Kral (no relation to Diana Krall). Soon he was also invited into the studio scene as a pianist for the great Nelson Riddle, David Rose and Johnny Mandel. In the early 90s he was asked to be a part of Natalie Cole’s famous “Unforgettable” cd, at which time he toured as her pianist and, a little while later, as her conductor. At this time he wrote an orchestral arrangement for her second video with her dad, “When I Fall In Love”, which won him his first Grammy for “best orchestral arrangement accompanying a vocal”.

Shortly after, he became a member of Charlie Haden’s Quartet West, touring the festivals of Europe, UK and the USA. It was while with this group that he won his second Grammy, an orchestral accompaniment written for Shirley Horn of Leonard Bernstein’s “Lonely Town”. As a soloist and with his jazz trio, Broadbent has been nominated for Grammys twice for best instrumental performance, in the company of such artists as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and Keith Jarrett. In 2007 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit, an honor he holds in high regard.

Broadbent is Diana Krall’s conductor for her occasional orchestra concerts and is the conductor on her “Live in Paris” DVD. Recently he has been the arranger on Glenn Frey’s cd with strings, “After Hours”, and wrote six string arrangements for Sir Paul McCartney’s “Kisses On The Bottom” with the London Symphony. He has just returned from solo piano concerts in the UK, Poland and France. It has been his lifelong goal, through his orchestral arrangements and jazz improvisations, to discover, in popular music and standard songs, deeper feelings of communication and love.

 

Discography.

2012 Alan Broadbent Trio Live at Giannelli Square, Vol. 2
2011 Charlie Haden Quartet West Sophisticated Ladies
2010 Alan Broadbent Trio Live at Giannelli Square, Vol. 1 Grammy Nomination (Best Improv. Solo “Solar”)
2009 Alan Broadbent Trio Moment’s Notice
2009 Broadbent / Gibson / Smith Together Again
2008 Natalie Cole Still Unforgettable
2007 Charlie Haden Quartet West The Best of Quartet West
2007 Alan Broadbent Trio Over The Fence
2006 Alan Broadbent (with strings) Every Time I Think of You
2006 Alan Broadbent You And the Night and The Music Grammy Nomination (Best Improv. Solo “What’s New”)
2005 Alan Broadbent ‘Round Midnight Grammy Nomination (Best Improv. Solo “Round Midnight”)
2002 Natalie Cole Ask A Woman Who Knows Grammy Nomination for “I’m Glad There Is You”
2002 Charlie Haden with Michael Brecker American Dreams
1999 Charlie Haden Quartet West The Art of the Song The Art Of The Song Grammy for “Lonely Town” arrangement
1997 Alan Broadbent Personal Standards Grammy Nomination (Best Composition “Every Time I Think Of You”)
1996 Natalie Cole Stardust Grammy Award for “When I Fall In Love”
1995 Alan Broadbent Pacific Standard Time
1995 Charlie Haden Quartet West Now Is the Hour
1994 Natalie Cole Holly and Ivy
1993 Alan Broadbent / Gary Foster Live at Maybeck Recital Hall
1993 Natalie Cole Take A Look
1993 Charlie Haden Quartet West Always Say Goodbye Always Say Goodbye
1991 Natalie Cole Unforgettable
1991 Alan Broadbent Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 14
1991 Charlie Haden Quartet West Haunted Heart
1989 Alan Broadbent Trio Away From You
1988 Charlie Haden Quartet West In Angel City
1987 Alan Broadbent Trio Another Time
1987 Charlie Haden Quartet West Quartet West
1986 Alan Broadbent Trio Everything I Love
1985 Alan Broadbent Trio Song of Home

Developing

Story.

Home

at last.