Zoe Rahman

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

Education

Rahman was born and raised in Chichester, England. She studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music, a music degree at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, and won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of Music, Boston, where she had lessons with the inspirational pianist JoAnne Brackeen.^[1] While in America she formed her own trio, which featured bassist Joshua Davis and the renowned drummer Bob Moses.

Background

Rahman is of mixed Bangladeshi and English descent, but describes her childhood in Chichester as being ‘completely English.’ Recently however she has explored her father’s Bengali cultural roots, learning from musicians in London and Bangladesh. Some have inspired her later music.^[2]

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 Radio 3’s In Tune.

Recording and performances

Aside from working with her own groups, Rahman continues to perform, record (both in the UK and internationally) with a diverse range of other artists, most recently: Courtney Pine; Clark Tracey’s New Quintet; Soothsayers; Tony Bianco; JazzXchange Dance Company; Nyika Goremsandu; Netsayi Chigwendere; Gary Boyle; Keziah Jones (2003/4 European tours); David Walcott (2003 Festival, Barbados); Mekaal Hasan (2001 tour, Pakistan). She has co-written 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 recent albums/DVDs include: Reem Kelani ‘Sprinting Gazelle’; Clark Tracey Quintet ‘The Calling’ and ‘The Mighty Sas’; Tony Bianco ‘In A Western Sense’; Gary Boyle ‘Games’; Soothsayers ‘Tangled Roots’; Brigitte Escobar ‘Brigitte’; Terry Hall/Mushtaq's ‘The Hour of Two Lights’; Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian 'Big Ears', Keziah Jones ‘Live at the Élysée Montmartre’ DVD.

Tours

Rahman has toured extensively throughout the UK and internationally, including, most recently: 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.

Reviews

Described in The Observer newspaper as “one of the finest young pianists in Europe” and “a remarkable pianist by any standard”, Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. “Melting Pot” has been hailed as “one of the most distinctive piano trio albums” (Jazzwise magazine), a “fantastic new album” (Courtney Pine, BBC Radio 2), and "in every way, an impressive sequel to her debut" (Jazz Review).

Awards and nominations

Discography

See also

• British Bangladeshi
• List of British Bangladeshis

References

External links

• Official Website
• Zoe Rahman on Twitter
• Zoe Rahman on Myspace
• Zoe Rahman discography at Discogs
• Griffiths, James. Review of Zoe Rahman Trio. The Guardian. 22 February 2005
• Lusk, John. Zoe & Idris Rahman Where Rivers Meet Review. BBC Music. 19 September 2008
• Bengali music inspires Zoe Rahman's new album. Manchester Evening News. 19 November 2008
• BritBangla - British Bengali Success Stories - Zoe Rahman
• Zoe Rahman biography