Home » Jazz Musicians » Bill Anschell
Bill Anschell
Seattle native Bill Anschell returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after spending 25 years studying, composing, and performing across the country and around the world.
Anschell left Seattle after high school, studying for two years at Oberlin College (Ohio), then transferring to Wesleyan University (Connecticut), where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Music. At Wesleyan, Anschell worked closely with saxophone great Bill Barron. He also studied semi-privately with South Indian mridangum master T Ranganathan, kindling a passion for rhythmic experimentation that has driven Anschell’s music ever since.
After leading the life of a jazz vagabond for several years, Anschell settled in Atlanta in 1989. He was initially drawn there by the opportunity to serve as Jazz Coordinator for the Southern Arts Federation (SAF), the regional arts agency of the South. Firing up SAF’s jazz department virtually from scratch, Anschell launched a host of high-profile programs, published a book on grantswriting, and created JazzSouth, an internationally syndicated radio show. At night he dove headlong into the city’s thriving jazz scene, working as a sideman with various groups and leading his own trio.
By 1992, Anschell’s performing itinerary had grown to the point where it demanded his full attention. He left the SAF post, continuing to produce JazzSouth out of his home while focusing on playing and composing. Over the next ten years, Anschell ascended the jazz ranks in Atlanta, leading his trio at major festivals and becoming a first-call accompanist for visiting jazz greats. His trio’s highlights included the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the Montreux Atlanta Festival and four extensive tours of South America.
During the same period, Anschell enjoyed a lengthy association with vocalist Nnenna Freelon, serving as her pianist, arranger and musical director. Among their many performing highlights were the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and six European tours. Their concerts were broadcast on Radio France, French national television, and NPR’s JazzSet. Anschell’s piano work and arrangements were featured throughout Freelon’s 1996 Concord release Shaking Free, which was nominated for a Grammy as the year’s best jazz vocal recording.
Anschell’s own CDs have earned critical acclaim and widespread exposure, with several making Jazzweek’s national “Top 50” chart for radio airplay. Anschell’s 1998 release, a different note all together, was selected by United Press International (UPI) as one of the “10 Best” jazz releases of the year. His 2006 CD, More to the Ear than Meets the Eye, was chosen by numerous critics and radio stations across the country for their “10 Best of 2006” lists. His 2009 duo CD of spontaneous improvisations with saxophonist Brent Jensen was described by Cadence as “startlingly beautiful, surprising, and powerful…a transforming experience.” And his 2011 solo piano release, Figments was called “magical” in Thomas Conrad’s JazzTimes review.
Read moreTags
Bill Anschell / Brent Jensen: We Couldn't Agree More
![Read "Bill Anschell / Brent Jensen: We Couldn't Agree More" reviewed by Thomas Conrad](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/decba5f3e3e17ae71b67ee87add97d27.jpg)
by Thomas Conrad
Wynton Marsalis recently said, The hallmark of a first-class jazz musician is the ability to adapt." It is a paradoxical statement. But Marsalis is not using the term adapt" in the Darwinian context of adaptation and natural selection. He does not mean adapting to, say, bad food on the road. He is referring to listening skills and lightning reflexes. Jazz improvisation is a moment-to-moment creative process of real-time interaction and discovery. It would be hard to find a ...
read moreHadley Caliman / Pete Christlieb: Reunion
![Read "Hadley Caliman / Pete Christlieb: Reunion" reviewed by Thomas Conrad](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/3936bb8fba6903de6599549dbce8f722.jpg)
by Thomas Conrad
At the end of the first decade of the new millennium, one of the most gratifying developments in jazz is the late blossoming of Hadley Caliman. In 2008, at 76, he released Gratitude, his first recording as a leader in 31 years. It was followed in 2010 by Straight Ahead. They created a buzz on the jazz street. It is not just that he has lasted long enough to finally get the attention he deserves. Hadley Caliman is currently playing ...
read moreBill Anschell: Improbable Solutions
![Read "Improbable Solutions" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/3c0ffce3d95f28fca160055eef75d985.jpg)
by Dan McClenaghan
Most fans of Seattle-based pianist Bill Anschell will not see this one coming. His comfort zone on his own recordings has been as a mainstream acoustic jazz artist, on albums like Shifting Standards (2018), a piano trio affair, Rumbler (2017) and Figments (2011), a solo piano outing. All of these were released on Origin Records. Anschell, who formerly worked as vocalist Nnenna Freelon's musical director, crafts his recordings with a high polish and does not generally rock the ...
read moreBill Anschell: Improbable Solutions
![Read "Improbable Solutions" reviewed by Paul Rauch](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/3c0ffce3d95f28fca160055eef75d985.jpg)
by Paul Rauch
Pianist and composer Bill Anschell has made his mark in jazz as a distinctive pianist with a notable body of work. His time in Atlanta, and his extensive residency in Seattle, has produced ten recordings as a leader or co-leader, and a well-deserved following on live dates with two distinctive trios, plus his Rumbler" band. His previous two recordings define the past decade of his career, with Shifting Standards (Origin, 2018) bearing witness to his trio prowess with partners Jeff ...
read moreDmitri Matheny: Cascadia
![Read "Cascadia" reviewed by Jack Bowers](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/50bbf0337a9512ea8ef45addacf5653d.jpg)
by Jack Bowers
Cascadia encompasses an hour of amiable, even-tempered jazz from trumpeter Dmitri Matheny who, like several of his predecessorsChet Baker, Chuck Mangione, Guido Basso and his mentor, Art Farmer, among themfocuses exclusively on flugelhorn. Matheny uses his gorgeous tone and remarkable lyricism to paint exquisite portraits in sound throughout a program whose ten engaging numbers enfold half a dozen of his original compositions. Matheny shares the front line with saxophonist Charles McNeal whose solos (on soprano or tenor ...
read moreDmitri Matheny: Cascadia
![Read "Cascadia" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/50bbf0337a9512ea8ef45addacf5653d.jpg)
by Dan McClenaghan
Flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny and his quintet play perfectly on Cascadia. There is no surprise therewith a rhythm section of pianist Bill Anschell, bassist Phil Sparks and drummer Mark Ivester backing the front line of Matheny and saxophonist Charles McNeil perfection is the expectation. Matheny grew up in Georgia and Arizona, spent a formative and near-obligatory stint in New York City, and played for a time in the band of pianist Amina Figarovaanother jazz artist who knows something about ...
read more20 Seattle Jazz Musicians You Should Know: Bill Anschell
![Read "20 Seattle Jazz Musicians You Should Know: Bill Anschell" reviewed by Paul Rauch](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/2010/ba788188d0faa1a6ef5be873926df10f.jpg)
by Paul Rauch
The city of jny: Seattle has a jazz history that dates back to the very beginnings of the form. It was home to the first integrated club scene in America on Jackson St in the 1920's and '30s. It saw a young Ray Charles arrive as a teenager to escape the nightmare of Jim Crow in the south. It has produced such historical jazz icons as Quincy Jones and Ernestine Anderson. In many instances it has acted as a temporary ...
read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/b8d0dccc03f4a55d6d4706ae8a077a49.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Bill Anschell's birthday today!
Seattle native Bill Anschell returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after spending 25 years studying, composing, and performing across the country and around the world. Anschell left Seattle after high school, studying for two years at Oberlin College (Ohio), then transferring to Wesleyan University (Connecticut), where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Music. At Wesleyan, Anschell worked closely with saxophone great Bill Barron. He also studied semi-privately ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/b8d0dccc03f4a55d6d4706ae8a077a49.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Bill Anschell's birthday today!
Seattle native Bill Anschell returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after spending 25 years studying, composing, and performing across the country and around the world. Anschell left Seattle after high school, studying for two years at Oberlin College (Ohio), then transferring to Wesleyan University (Connecticut), where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Music. At Wesleyan, Anschell worked closely with saxophone great Bill Barron. He also studied semi-privately ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/b8d0dccc03f4a55d6d4706ae8a077a49.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Bill Anschell's birthday today!
Seattle native Bill Anschell returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after spending 25 years studying, composing, and performing across the country and around the world. Anschell left Seattle after high school, studying for two years at Oberlin College (Ohio), then transferring to Wesleyan University (Connecticut), where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Music. At Wesleyan, Anschell worked closely with saxophone great Bill Barron. He also studied semi-privately ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Bill Anschell](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/b8d0dccc03f4a55d6d4706ae8a077a49.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Bill Anschell's birthday today!
Seattle native Bill Anschell returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after spending 25 years studying, composing, and performing across the country and around the world. Anschell left Seattle after high school, studying for two years at Oberlin College (Ohio), then transferring to Wesleyan University (Connecticut), where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Music. At Wesleyan, Anschell worked closely with saxophone great Bill Barron. He also studied semi-privately ...
read more
New Origin Records CD By Pianist/Composer Bill Anschell, "Rumbler," Set For January 20 Release
![New Origin Records CD By Pianist/Composer Bill Anschell, "Rumbler," Set For January 20 Release](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/billanschellcdcover_web.jpg)
Source:
Terri Hinte Publicity
One of the most valuable players in jny: Seattle’s thriving jazz scene, pianist Bill Anschell is a prolific composer and adept arranger who’s explored those aspects of his craft since debuting on disc 20 years ago. His new Origin Records CD, Rumbler, which will be released January 20, is Anschell’s ninth album as a leader and his first full ensemble jazz recording in a decade. Throughout the recording, Anschell embraces odd meters, shifting tonalities, and other striking effects. “I’ve written ...
read more
Bill Anschell Will Not Be Playing Christmas Tunes This Friday
![Bill Anschell Will Not Be Playing Christmas Tunes This Friday](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/b8d0dccc03f4a55d6d4706ae8a077a49.jpg)
Source:
Seattle Jazz Scene
From Bill Anschell: I'm happy to announce that this Friday, my trio will celebrate the close of yet another joyous holiday season by NOT PLAYING the Charlie Brown Christmas Song! How many times do you think you heard it this year? How many times do you think I played it? Well, I can tell you: 17 1/2. The half happened when I reached the middle last Friday at exactly 12:10 pm, which happens to be break time on my solo ...
read more
Leading Questions: Bill Anschell
![Leading Questions: Bill Anschell](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/b8d0dccc03f4a55d6d4706ae8a077a49.jpg)
Source:
Seattle Jazz Scene
When I was 14 I was a miscast classical clarinetist with no real interest in classical music or clarinet. Or jazz, for that matter. My guilty pleasure was playing pop tunes by ear on my family's upright piano. The piano is a climate-sensitive instrument that, sadly, can't tune itself no matter how nice it looks. Practice makes me feel and play better. Unfortunately, the buzz usually wears off by the time I get to the gig. Some of my best ...
read more
Bill Anschell-Brent Jensen Duo Featured on KPLU's Jazz Northwest April 18
![Bill Anschell-Brent Jensen Duo Featured on KPLU's Jazz Northwest April 18](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/9053b783e09c2d3bbe99bf8a681dfb37.jpg)
Source:
Seattle Jazz Scene
A surprisingly inventive duo plays spontaneous improvisations on Jazz Northwest on Sunday April 18 at 1 PM PDT on 88.5, KPLU. Pianist Bill Anschell and soprano saxophonist Brent Jensen have found each other molto simpatico when freely improvising on standards. Astute listeners as well as players, the two musicians often sound as if one mind is guiding ten fingers as they dissect familiar music in the course of playing it, examining and comparing fragments before reassembling a song. On this ...
read more
Bill Anschell and Brent Jensen on Tour
![Bill Anschell and Brent Jensen on Tour](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/9053b783e09c2d3bbe99bf8a681dfb37.jpg)
Source:
Seattle Jazz Scene
Pianist Bill Anschell and saxophonist Brent Jensen perform in a duo setting at the Seattle Art Museum on Thursday, April 8, in support of their recent release on Origin Records entitled, We Couldnt Agree More. Their stop at Earshots Art of Jazz Series is part of a larger tour which includes performances throughout the Northwest.
Thursday, April 8 Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Avenue, Seattle, 5:30 pm, free
Friday, April 9 Tulas, www.tulas.com, 7:30 - 11:30 ...
read more
Recent Jazz Session Podcasts: Carl Allen, Terence Blanchard, Gene Ludwig, Bill Anschell, Avery Sharpe and More!
![Recent Jazz Session Podcasts: Carl Allen, Terence Blanchard, Gene Ludwig, Bill Anschell, Avery Sharpe and More!](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/9053b783e09c2d3bbe99bf8a681dfb37.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
In case you missed one of our recent Jazz Session Podcasts by Jason Crane, click any of the links below to tune in. We've posted 7 new interviews in the last 2+ weeks.
Enjoy!
Steve Kuhn (51:47) Posted: 2009-08-28 Steve Kuhn's new album, Mostly Coltrane (ECM, 2009), pays tribute to John Coltrane, with whom Kuhn worked for several weeks in the early 60s. In this interview, Kuhn talks ...
read more
"Bill Anschell would be a badass wherever he lived, even Greenwich Village. He is an impeccable, distinctive pianist with a valuable body of work on Seattle's Origin label." Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes, April 2017.
Primary Instrument
Piano
Location
Seattle
Credentials/Background
****
Photos
Concerts
Music
Ambulator
From: Improbable SolutionsBy Bill Anschell
Sittin at the Bar
From: PlayersBy Bill Anschell
Cascadia
From: CascadiaBy Bill Anschell
There Are Thorns
From: PlayersBy Bill Anschell
Wonderland
From: Mystery & WonderBy Bill Anschell
No You Go
From: RumblerBy Bill Anschell
The Edge
From: Humble OriginsBy Bill Anschell
Comencio
From: ReunionBy Bill Anschell
The People Versus Miss Jones
From: We Couldn't Agree MoreBy Bill Anschell