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Bill Pierce, one of jazz's preeminent saxophonists, has performed and
recorded with Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Art Farmer, James Williams,
Hank Jones, and Art Blakey. Recently Bill has released recordings of his own
group and has been featured at many major American, Japanese, and European
jazz festivals.
Bill began performing in the early 70's in Boston while a student at Berklee College of Music, appearing with artists such as Marvin
Gaye and Stevie Wonder. In 1980, he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers,
serving as musical director and sharing the bandstand with other young
talents including Bobby Watson, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, and Donald
Harrison. After three years of recording and touring with Blakey, Bill
returned to Berklee, where he became an Associate Professor in the Woodwind
Department.
During this time he was active in both the Boston and New York scenes and regularly performed with the Freddie Hubbard quintet. In 1985 Bill
joined the Tony Williams Quintet. He made five recordings with Mr. Williams
and toured Europe, Asia, and America. Since 1986 he has divided his time
between academia, performing, and recording under his own name for the
Sunnyside label: William the Conqueror (1985), Give and Take (1987),
Equilateral (1988), One For Chuck (1991) and Rio (1993). More recently, he
has recorded Epistrophy (1995 - Evidence Records), Froggin' Around
(1996 - CIMP), and Burnin''(1997 Criss Cross). Bill is also featured on Tony Williams' last quintet release, Tokyo Live (Blue Note Records). In 1997 Bill
was appointed chairman of the woodwind department at Berklee College.
Bill has been a member of the Kevin Eubanks quartet since 1999. The group has
released a new recording, "Live" (Insoul Music). Bill Pierce is an
internationally recognized educator who has presented clinics in Europe,
Asia, and South America as well as throughout the United States.
Courtesy
from
Bill
Pierce
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