Joel Futterman

© Photo by Michael Wilderman/Jazz Visions

Discography

1980 Cafeteria, Joel Futterman Duet. JDF Records JDF-1

1981 The End Is The Beginning, Joel Futterman Duet. JDF Records JDF-2

1984 Inneraction, Joel Futterman Quartet with Jimmy Lyons. JDF Records JDF-3

1988 Vision In Time, Joel Futterman Quartet with Joseph Jarman. Silkheart Records 125

1990 Inner Conversations, Joel Futterman Trio with jimmy Lyons. Ear-Rational Records 1019

1990 In-Between Positions, Joel Futterman Trio with Jimmy Lyons. Bellaphon Records 45018

1990 Moments, Joel Futterman Quartet with Jimmy Lyons. Ear-Rational Records 1024

1991 Passage, Joel Futterman Quintet with Jimmy Lyons. Konnex Records 1026

1992 Berlin Images, Joel Futterman Trio with Raphe Malik. Silkheart 131

1992 To The Edge, Joel Futterman Trio with Raphe Malik. Konnex Records 1028

1994 Naked Colours, Joel Futterman Quartet with Hal Russell. Silkheart 135

1995 Silhouettes, Joel Futterman Solo. Progressive Records 7096

1996 Nickelsdorf Konfrontation, Futterman/ Jordan Quintet. Silkheart 143

1997 New Orleans Rising, Futterman/Jordan Quartet. Konnex 5076

1998 Southern Extreme, Futterman/Jordan Trio with Alvin Fielder. Drimala Records 98-001-01

1999 Who Are You. Joel Futterman Solo. Drimala Records 98-001-02

1999 Revelation. Joel Futterman and Kidd Jordan. Kali Records 001

1999 Authenticity. Joel Futterman, William Parker, and Jimmy Williams. Kali Records 002

1999 Relativity. Joel Futterman and Jimmy Williams. Kali Records 003

2000 Paul Murphy-Joel Futterman Quartet. Kali Records 0111

With 18 recordings, Joel Futterman has long been considered one of the most innovative yet enigmatic new music pianists in the world. However, his penchant for solitude has kept him from the concert stage most of his life. In 1960, while only 14, he was performing in the after hours jazz clubs in Chicago behind almost every jazz musician that came through town. Performing seven nights a week for over a decade with folks like Gene Shaw, Jimmy Garrison, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Ira Sullivan, Joel completely burned himself out. In 1973, he packed up and moved to Virginia to begin a personal musical odyssey of exploration that continues to this day.

Determined to push the limits of the piano to techniques never heard in jazz, he began a 25-year regimen of practicing 8-10 hours a day that continues to the present. During this period, he developed a three-hand technique based on completely autonomous playing between the hands. The power and intensity of his piano performances have been liken to Liszt interpreter, Ervin Nyireghazi, or a young Rachmaninov.

Over the past five years, he has added the curved soprano saxophone and Indian flutes to his Joel Futterman repertory. Since he will only record on the first take with no multi-tracking, in true Futterman fashion, he has developed techniques that allow him to perform all three instruments at the same time....fascinating to hear, and even more fascinating to watch during his rare public appearances. But never confuse a rarified technique as a substitute for musical ideas. For Joel, technique is invisible, it is only the means of a total expression unencumbered by physical limitations.

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