Recognition and critical acclaim
“His research and contributions to the national musical heritage” have “generated pieces and compositions whose contents are based on the roots of native Dominican music that “have traveled with our seal of identity.”
—Stephen Anderson formally distinguished and recognized by the Minister of Culture, Señora Milagros Germán, government of the Dominican Republic (April 2022)
“Anderson is a wonderful composer…setting the tone for music that superbly captures the West African influences and inflections of the Taíno people, making for the unique Caribbean sound palette.”
—Raul Da Gama, Latin Jazz Network (reviewing Desde Lejos)
“Stephen Anderson’s piano playing is a bright star on the jazz horizon.” "This music [is] spirited and joyful, even in the face of COVID and so much death and sadness. This music is healing. These songs uplift and give hope."
—Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs August 2021: “Best of the Best”
“Powerful music played so collaboratively and communicatively that you'd never guess it was recorded "from afar" (remotely) from North and South Carolina, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.”
—Chris M. Slawecki, All About Jazz (reviewing Desde Lejos)
“…a reminder of the power of music and brotherhood.”
—Mark Sullivan, All About Jazz
"A national pride..."
—2019 Dominican Republic Jazz Festival
“Personal loss and physical separation couldn't dim the spirit of The Dominican Jazz Project. Every bit as remarkable as the vibrant, passionate music on Desde Lejos...is the mere fact of its existence [i.e., due to the pandemic].”
—Michael Roberts, JAZZIZ
“Here’s some hot jazz from the Dominican accented by local folklore highlights and breakneck playing. A high-octane extravaganza…”
—Chris Spector, Midwest Record (reviewing Desde Lejos)
Dominican Jazz Project
The Dominican Jazz Project began when Dominican-born jazz artist Guillo Carias invited American jazz pianist, Stephen Anderson to perform with him and local players for the 2014 Jazzomania Jazz Festival in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, hosted by Tony Dominguez and Carlos Francisco Elías. The concert and associated clinic went beautifully, and the drummer, Guy Frómeta, invited Anderson to return to Santo Domingo to perform with him in his group for the Casa de Teatro Jazz Festival a few months later. It was there that Anderson met Sandy Gabriel, tenor saxophonist. Their collective friendship grew further with that experience, and following the festival, they agreed to record together. The result was their 2016 self-titled CD release, The Dominican Jazz Project, recorded in the days following the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop where the artists served as guest faculty and where Anderson serves as director. The recording represented Summit Records on the ballots of the 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards as well as on the ballots of the 59th Grammy Awards. It was listed in Ken Frackling's "2016's Best Latin/Brazilian jazz recordings," was described as being "full of creative energy and the joy of musical discovery" by Mark Sullivan at All About Jazz, and the band was called a "national pride" at the 2019 Dominican Republic Jazz Festival. Since 2014, the DJP has performed at numerous festivals in the Dominican Republic and has toured performing at universities and jazz clubs across the United States.
What intrigued Anderson when he first visited the Dominican Republic is that while Dominican musicians are very much at home playing Afro-Cuban/clave-based music, their traditional music also has a variety of other lesser known grooves that are not commonly played in today’s Latin jazz outside the Dominican Republic. And while the Dominican piano tumbao patterns sound similar to Cuban montuno patterns, they are constructed differently harmonically and rhythmically. Anderson was also surprised that these Dominican were so interested in modern American jazz, and that Sandy Gabriel’s compositions, in some ways, were very similar to the aesthetic that he had been developing in the Stephen Anderson Trio recordings in recent years. Gabriel is an entirely self-taught saxophonist, having no formal training. When asked how he learned to play so well, Gabriel replied that he learned from transcribing Michael Brecker solos, responding affirmably, “He was the best.” After returning home, Anderson spent several months deeply researching Dominican music, transcribing various piano tumbao patterns, as well as other traditional grooves, like the Mangulina, Pambiche, Ga-Ga, and the Palo. Based on these and other grooves, he composed five new charts for the project, with Sandy Gabriel, Guillo Carias, and Carlos Luis contributing the other six compositions found on the recording.
The Dominican Jazz Project CD, Desde Lejos, was recorded remotely during the 2020-21 pandemic with members of the band living in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and North and South Carolina. The longtime bassist for the DJP, Jeffry Eckels, passed away unexpectedly July 3, 2020 right as the band was preparing to record. The band experienced hospitalization or death of close family members during the pandemic, and the recording demonstrates how the group worked together daily (from "far away"), using different home or professional studios to produce a new CD during that challenging time.
Stephen Anderson, director
Described as “a true piano monster” (All About Jazz) and as “a bright star on the jazz horizon” (Musical Memoirs), Anderson is a critically acclaimed composer and pianist whose music has been published on 19 compact discs through Summit, Albany, Nagel Heyer Records, and other labels. Many of Anderson’s recordings have appeared on the Grammy Awards (53rd, 56th, 58th, 59th, 64th) and Latin Grammy Awards (17th and 23rd) ballots representing Summit Records. For his work as composer, pianist, and band leader for the, Dominican Jazz Project, his recordings have been praised as “vibrant, passionate music” (JAZZIZ) and “more sizzling than fried peppers and onions” (Jazz Weekly). Anderson’s composition, Un Cambio de Ritmo, was listed in All About Jazz’s top Popular Songs: 2021. The Desde Lejos CD was listed on Root’s Music Report, “Top Jazz Album Chart 2021.” The Dominican Jazz Project was recognized in both Mark Sullivan’s “Best Releases of 2016” (All About Jazz) and Ken Frackling’s 2016 Best Latin/Brazilian Jazz Recordings (Jazz Notes). Both the Stephen Anderson Trio Nation Degeneration and Forget Not CDs received 4½ stars (out of 5) from the All Music Guide, and Forget Not was nominated best jazz “Debut CD” at the third Annual Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll (2008). Anderson’s recordings have received feature reviews in JAZZIZ, All Music Guide, All About Jazz, Jazz Weekly, Jazz Times, Jazz en Dominicana, Musical Memoirs, and Root’s Music Report.
Anderson’s work with the Dominican Jazz Project and Marimjazzia Latin jazz ensembles have led him to perform at multiple festivals in the Caribbean, as well as in Central and South America since 2014. Associated with the 2022 Jazzomania Jazz Festival IV, and as founder and director of the Dominican Jazz Project, Anderson was formally recognized and distinguished by the Minister of Culture, Señora Milagros Germán, government of the Dominican Republic for “his research and contributions to the national musical heritage” have “generated pieces and compositions whose contents are based on the roots of native Dominican music that “have traveled with our seal of identity.” The Dominican Jazz Project was invited to the Palacio Nacional for the “condecoración” ceremony of bandmate Guillo Carias by President Luis Rodolfo Abinader, president of the Dominican Republic. The DJP appeared on MúsicaPress TV (2021), and several articles have been published about the group in Santo Domingo newspapers (REPORTEEXTRA, Areito, Vivir.Alegria).
Anderson was a finalist for the 2021 American Prize in Composition in the orchestra division for his symphonic work, Concerto for Puerto Rico. His concert works have been performed internationally, including performances at the Festival Internacional Musiquem Lleida! (Coral Shalom and string orchestra, Lleida, Spain), the Festival Internacional de Percusión Tamborimba (Orquesta Filarmónica de Cali, Colombia), the College Band Directors National Association, the International Tuba Euphonium Association, and the Australian Trumpet Guild, in addition to performances by the West Point Military Academy Band, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Montclair State Wind Symphony, Crested Butte Chamber Orchestra, the MIT Concert Band and other ensembles. Other awards include finalist, two commissions from the Barlow Endowment (2005, 2010), finalist, West Point Jazz Knights Composers Forum competition (2011), Chapman Family Foundation Teaching Award (2014), Junior Faculty Development Award-UNC (2008), United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, the UNC Research Council, and the “Village Pride, Hometown Hero Award” WCHL Chapel Hill Radio (2008).
Anderson is professor of Composition and Jazz Studies at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and serves as director of Jazz Studies and director of the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop. He holds a D.M.A. degree from the University of North Texas (2005) and served as assistant [rofessor of Jazz Piano at Western Illinois University (2003-2005).