Pianist and composer Caili O'Doherty steps into the top tier of promising young
jazz artists with the release on July 7 of her sparkling debut album, Padme, on
her ODO Records imprint. O'Doherty's prowess on acoustic and electric keys, her
proclivity for writing airy, flowing melodies, and her clear vision as a leader
are much in evidence on the new CD.
The album title means "lotus flower," which
"begins growing at the bottom of a muddy pool, emerges and blooms on the
surface of the water during daylight, and then closes and sinks below the
surface each night, to bloom clean the next day," she says. "To me,
it embodies the idea that each person, despite the conditions they start from,
can hope to realize their dreams."
For Caili (pronounced "KAY-lee"), jazz is an
extension of the lotus flower, imbued with qualities that resonate in people
living through difficult circumstances -- helping them to recognize and connect
with their dreams. Nourished by her experiences in Africa, Central and South
America, and Europe, as well as in New York, Washington, DC, and her hometown
of Portland, Oregon, O'Doherty's interest in the unifying impact of music
across different cultures finds a stirring voice in her beautifully varied
compositions.
The recipient of two DownBeat awards and an ASCAP Foundation
Young Jazz Composer Award in 2009, Caili has an unusual approach to composing.
She writes lyrics to her songs to imbue in them the stories of her journeys and
discards the words when the pieces are completed. This gives her melodies a
natural rhythm of language.
All of the songs on Padme have an engagingly light quality,
even when probing dark themes. Her lyrical touch on piano opens the way for
fetching arrangements involving violin and trombone, wordless vocals, the
guitar of guest artist Mike Bono on the title track, and the earthy drumming by
the stellar Adam Cruz on the gorgeously harmonized "Prayer Song."
Padme captures a terrific group of young artists with whom
O'Doherty enjoys strong ties. They include bassist Zach Brown, violinist Alex
Hargreaves, and guitarist Mike Bono, who were all at Berklee with Caili;
drummer Cory Cox and tenor saxophonist Ben Flocks, who were at the Stanford
Jazz Workshop with her; and alto saxophonist Caroline Davis and trombonist Eric
Miller, whom she met after moving to New York.
The 23-year-old O'Doherty started classical piano lessons at
five and began playing jazz at 11, studying under celebrated educator Thara
Memory. After being selected for the Berklee Summer Jazz Workshop band, led by
drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, Caili was awarded a full scholarship to the
Boston school. Since she had only completed her sophomore year of high school
when she received the offer, she took extra courses and graduated a year early
in order to attend Berklee. As a member of Berklee's Global Jazz Institute,
directed by Danilo Perez, she got to perform with him and other greats
including Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and John Patitucci.
In 2010, O'Doherty was one of five pianists invited to
participate in the inaugural season of the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz
Emerging Artists Workshop at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. After
graduating from Berklee with a degree in jazz piano performance, she moved to
New York.
As witness her voluntary teaching and performing, as well as
her efforts at WeBop, an early-childhood jazz education program at Jazz at
Lincoln Center, and at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, where she has been a member
of the faculty since 2012, Caili retains her commitment to music education and
outreach even as she devotes herself to performing jazz.
"When you're very clear what you're doing it all for,
it gives everything a bigger purpose," she said. "I've seen how music
can be a vehicle for social change and healing. I strive to incorporate those
ideas in my daily life."
Caili O'Doherty on Tour:
- 6/25 Christo's Pizzeria & Lounge, Salem, OR
- 6/26 The Royal Room, Seattle
- 6/27 Arrivederci Wine Bar, Portland
- 7/1 Jimmy Mak's, Portland
- 7/2 The Jazz Station, Eugene, OR
- 7/3 POPS Performing Arts & Cultural Center, Dunsmuir, CA
- 7/4 Fillmore Jazz Festival, California Street Stage, San Francisco
- 7/4 Jupiter Brewhouse, Berkeley
- 7/5 Café Stritch, San Jose
- 7/6 SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, Santa Barbara
- 7/8 The Blue Whale, Los Angeles
- 7/9 Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz
- 7/10 San Jose Jazz Presents Music at the Market, San Jose
- 7/11-7/25 Teaching at Stanford Jazz Workshop
- 7/21 Stanford Jazz Festival, Palo Alto, CA
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