Bill Cunliffe

William Henry Cunliffe Jr. (born June 26, 1956)

Early life Cunliffe was born in Andover, Massachusetts. He discovered music at an early age, with particular emphasis on classical music as well as jazz-oriented music from the 1960s and 1970s: "My mother was a good pianist...I started just copying little things that I would hear my mom play and I would sit next to her and listen.

Cunliffe described himself as having been drawn to "anything with hip harmony in it" with great melodies, and he loved listening to The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, and Herb Alpert. During this time, a friend introduced him to a record by Oscar Peterson, and after listening to this record, Cunliffe became a "jazz player overnight." In 2006, he was nominated for a Grammy award for his jazz arrangement of the Steely Dan song "Do It Again". When he was a student at Eastman, he received two awards from DownBeat magazine for arranging and composing.

In 1989, he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Award. He received stipends from the National Endowment for the Arts. 2011 That Time of Year Metre Most tracks solo piano; one track duo, with Denise Donatelli (vocals) added 2010 Fourth Stream, La Banda BCM&D for trumpet, jazz ensemble and orchestra, with Terell Stafford, trumpet, and the Temple University Symphony, Luis Biava conducting 2010 Three's Company Capri Some tracks duo, with Holly Hofmann (flute); some tracks trio, with Terell Stafford (trumpet), Ken Peplowski (clarinet), Regina Carter (violin), Alvester Garnett (drums) added separately 2008 The Blues and The Abstract Truth, Take 2 Resonance with septet featuring Bob Sheppard, trumpeter Kye Palmer, and drummer Mark Ferber 2008 Transformation Metre with the choir of All Saints Church, Pasadena, James Walker, director 2006 Romantic Fantasy unreleased with orchestra directed by Jeffrey Schindler 2005 Imaginación Torii Tentet, with Kyle Palmer and Bobby Shew (trumpet), Bruce Paulson, Arturo Velasco (trombone), Bob Sheppard (tenor sax, flute), Rene Camacho (bass), Ramon Banda (drums, percussion), Jose de Leon and Jose "Papo" Rodriguez (percussion) 2003 Just Duet volume 2 Azica Duo, with Holly Hofmann (flute) 2003 How My Heart Sings Torii Most tracks sextet, with Bobby Shew (trumpet, flugelhorn), Bruce Paulson (trombone), Bob Sheppard (soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, clarinet, flute, alto flute), Jeff D'Angelo (bass), Joe LaBarbera (drums); two tracks septet, with Justin Ray (flugelhorn) added 2003 It's About love Torii With Gary Foster (alto sax), Jeff D'Angelo (bass), Tim Pleasant (drums) 2002 Warriors T-Bones With Rodger Fox Big Band 2001 Live at Bernie's Groove Note Trio, with Darek Oles (bass), Joe LaBarbera (drums); in concert 2001 Partners in Crime Azica Trio, with Jim Hershman (guitar), Jeff Hamilton (drums) 2000 Live at Rocco Azica Most tracks sextet, with Chuck Manning (tenor sax), Clay Jenkins (trumpet), Alexander Iles (trombone), Jeff D'Angelo (bass), Joe LaBarbera (drums); some tracks septet, with Holly Hofmann (flute) added; in concert 1998 Satisfaction Azica Solo piano 1998 Bill Plays Bud Naxos With Ralph Moore (tenor sax), Dave Carpenter (bass), Joe LaBarbera (drums), Papo Rodriguez (percussion) 1997 Just Duet Azica Most tracks duo, with Holly Hofmann (flute); one track trio, with Mark Libby (percussion) added 1993 A Paul Simon Songbook Discovery With Thom Rotella (guitar), Gerald Albright (sax) 1995 Bill in Brazil Discovery with Oscar Castro Neves, Alex Acuna, Nico Assumpcao, Paulinho Da Costa 1994 A Rare Connection Discovery With Bob Sheppard (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Clay Jenkins (trumpet), Bruce Paulson (trombone), Dave Carpenter (bass), Peter Erskine (drums), Kurt Rasmussen (percussion)

Awards and nominations Year Result Award Category Project Notes 2013 Nominated NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Album, Outstanding Group or Duo Collaboration On the Shoulders of Giants - The Soundtrack 2006 Nominated Grammy Award Arrangement "Do It Again" 2005 Won Kimmel Jazz Center Award Best Composition "El Optimista" 1981 Won Down Beat Student Award Best Original Composition "Song of Solitude"