Myra Melford
Pianist
Acclaimed jazz artist and composer who recorded more than 20 albums and began playing the harmonium late in her career.
She started performing in New York City in the mid-eighties where she became a mainstay, collaborating with fellow artists like Dave Douglas, Cuong Vu, Marty Ehrlich, and Chris Speed.
She joined a leaderless trio with the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Joseph Jarman and AACM violinist Leroy Jenkins called Equal Interest.
Her works blended her hometown Chicago blues sounds with Eastern sounds and avant-garde influences.
She and Junior Mance were both native Chicagoans who became beloved jazz pianists.