Introduction
Jane Ira Bloom (born January 12, 1955) is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer.
Biography
Bloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 12 to Joel and Evelyn Bloom. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophone, and eventually settling on the soprano saxophone as her primary instrument. She first began playing the saxophone at age 9, studying with woodwind virtuosi Joseph Viola from 1968-1979, and studying music at Yale University from which she received a liberal arts degree and a master's degree in music (1977).
Following Yale, Bloom relocated to New York City. She founded Outline Records while in New Haven and released several recordings under that label. She has worked with Mark Dresser, Bobby Previte, Kenny Wheeler, Charlie Haden, Bob Brookmeyer, Julian Priester, Jay Clayton, Fred Hersch, Jin Hi Kim, and Min Xiao-Fen.
She is noted for her use of live electronics, using a foot pedal to trigger various electronic effects that alter the sound of her saxophone, at times creating the illusion of an orchestra of soprano saxophones.
She was the first musician to be commissioned by the NASA Art Program; in 1989 she created three original musical compositions: Most Distant Galaxy, for soprano saxophone and live electronics, prepared tape, bass, drums, and electroacoustic percussion; Fire & Imagination, for soprano saxophone, improvisors, and chamber orchestra; and Beyond the Sky, for wind ensemble.
The asteroid 6083 Janeirabloom was named after her.
In 2007, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition.
Recent collaborations include live performances and recordings with the underground New York orchestra M'Lumbo.
Bloom is a tenured professor at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City's Greenwich Village.
She is married to the actor and director Joe Grifasi (m 1984).
Her 2013 release, Sixteen Sunsets, received a Grammy nomination for the 56th Grammy Awards in the Best Surround Sound category, with sound engineer Jim Anderson.
Bloom won the Chamber Music America New Jazz Works award in 2015 for a new composition inspired by the 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson. The resulting work, entitled "Wild Lines" premiered in 2016 to positive reviews.
Discography
As leader
- We Are, 1978 (with Kent McLagan)
- Second Wind, 1980 (with Larry Karush, David Friedman, Kent McLagan and Frank Bennett)
- Mighty Lights, 1982 (with Fred Hersch, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell)
- As One (JMT, 1984) (with Fred Hersch)
- Modern Drama, 1987 (with Fred Hersch, Ratzo Harris and Tom Rainey)
- Slalom, 1988 (with Fred Hersch, Kent McGlagan and Tom Rainey)
- Art & Aviation, 1992 (on electronic saxophone with Jerry Granelli, Kenny Wheeler, Michael Formanek, Kenny Werner, Rufus Reid, Ron Horton
- The Nearness, 1995 (with Julian Priester, Kenny Wheeler, Rufus Reid and Bobby Previte)
- The Red Quartets, 1999 (with Fred Hersch, Mark Dresser and Bobby Previte)
- Sometimes the Magic, 2001 (with Vincent Bourgeyx, Mark Dresser and Bobby Previte)
- Chasing Paint, 2003 (with Fred Hersch, Mark Dresser and Bobby Previte)
- Like Silver, Like Song, 2004 (with Jamie Saft, Mark Dresser and Bobby Previte)
- Mental Weather, 2008 (with Dawn Clement, Matt Wilson, and Mark Helias)
- Wingwalker, 2011 (with Dawn Clement, Mark Helias and Bobby Previte)
- Sixteen Sunsets, 2013 (with Dominic Fallacaro, Cameron Brown and Matt Wilson)
- Early Americans, 2016 (with Mark Helias and Bobby Previte)
As guest
- Jazzantiqua, 1983 (by Fredrick Hand with Jane Ira Bloom, Keith Underwood & Joe Passaro)
- Popular Science, 2013 (by M'Lumbo - Guests: Page Hamilton[Helmet], Jane Ira Bloom and Gary Lucas)