John Serry

John Serry is a jazz pianist who has been praised as an excellent keyboardist and composer by musicians, critics and fans. His distinct sound as a composer has been remarked as having been ahead of the times and singular in composition. He is also a talented percussionist who overlayed himself playing drum set and keyboard percussion on his albums.

Biography

John Serry was born in New York City January 19, 1954. His family descent is Campanese (originally Serrapica) and Sicilian. He was a student at the Eastman School of Music when he entered the Notre Dame Jazz Festival and won Best Composer and Best Pianist (Jack DeJohnette and Sonny Rollins, judges). In 1978, he joined a jazz-fusion band called Auracle and recorded and toured its album, "Glider" (produced by Miles Davis producer, Teo Macero.) The group won the Columbia Records Battle of the Bands, and was well received by the public, who, in the USA, Europe, and Japan, praised the band in magazine polls.

As a recording artist, leader and composer, Serry signed with Chrysalis Records in 1979 to create his first album, "Exhibition". This album, a mix of all sorts of jazz and fusion, was remarkable in its use of keyboard and electric sounds, and had much compositional integrity. It received a Grammy nomination that year. Its follow-up "Jazziz" in 1980, was also a success. A well received and equally well-made album, the acclaimed "Jazziz Magazine" took its name from this album, while "Downbeat Magazine" gave the album a full four-star rating.

In the 1980s, he ventured into other areas of musical composition, including film scoring and concert works, as well as more jazz composing and arranging. In addition to writing and performing with his own band, he has worked in production, arrangement, conducting, composing, and performing with or for other well known artists and shows. As a film scorer, his works ranged from music for Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios, ABC, CNN, and many other documentaries and television advertisements.

Much of his work has been based in New York, particularly in the 1990s, when he worked as a conductor, arranger, pianist and percussionist, and eventually became orchestra director for Graciela Daniele at the Radio City Music Hall. Amongst the musicians he has worked with are Doc Severinsen, The Canadian Brass, Leigh Howard Stevens, Liza Minneli, Patti Austin and Aretha Franklin as well as numerous players in his groups and recordings, including John Riley, Peter Erskine, Carlos Vega, Anthony Jackson, Jimmy Johnson, Bob Sheppard, Gerry Niewood, Ted Nash, Mike Sembello, Barry Finnerty and others. He has also done extensive work for Broadway shows including "Les Misérables", " Beauty and the Beast", "Cats", "Jekyll & Hyde", Saturday Night Fever and "Jesus Christ Superstar". He has also had a career as an educator, clinician, and music professor for several universities, conservatories and music schools in the U.S. and Europe.

In 1995, Serry won the grand prize in "Jazziz Magazine" in the "Key Players" competition, which was a serious keyboard/composer contest judged by Dave Brubeck and Bob James.

In 1996, Serry released a new album, "Enchantress". Compared to the previous, turn-of-the-80's albums, this was a lot more subtle and refined. Tracks like "Heartfelt" display Serry's musical background with a definite New York jazz sound.

A traveler, art enthusiast and dual citizen of Italy, Serry moved to London (UK) in 2004, is currently writing a book and has recorded a new CD, The Shift, scheduled for release in February 2008.