Roland Perrin

Pianist and composer

Born in New York City, jazz pianist and composer Roland Perrin spent most of his childhood roaming the planet with his itinerant family. It is not surprising therefore that he developed a global view of music. Although he studied and continues to investigate classical music, gaining a B.A. in composition at The University of York, it is through his practical experience of Jazz and world music, viewed from a classical mindset, that he has found his voice as a composer. His music might be described as the marriage of groove with sophisticated structure.

Eventually settling in London and working as a session pianist in the jazz/world music scene, Roland has toured and recorded with many international musicians including:
Dudu Pukwana, Chris Macgregor’s Brotherhood of Breath,
Jonas Gwangwa (South Africa);
Aster Aweke (Ethiopia); Moses Fan-Fan (Congo);
Najma Akhtar (India); Rey Crespo, Osvaldo Chacon, Juan de Marcos,
Kiko Cowan (Cuba); Roberto Pla, Dorance Loza (Colombia)
Victor Hugo, Tumbaito (Venezuela);Gustavo Marques (Brazil)
Guida de Palma (Portugal);
Salsa Celtica, Louise Rutkowski(Scotland/Cuba)

Under his own name he has released three cds:
Evidence “See You Later” (Trio Records)
The Blue Planet Orchestra “Introducing The Blue Planet Orchestra” (Blue Planet Records)
Hertfordshire Chorus and The BPO “songs from the cage/Trio Classics” (BPR)
Commissions:
“songs from the cage\" for choir and big band (David Temple - Hertfordshire Chorus);
Salsa Nueva (ed. Elena Riu) (Boosey & Hawkes);
The Associated Board Jazz Piano Syllabus (contributing graded pieces);
John O\'Neil’s Jazz Method for Saxophone, Jazz Method for Clarinet, Jazz Method for Flute (contributing graded pieces) (Schott);
Rock School Piano Syllabus (contributing graded pieces).

The last two years has seen a change of direction. Roland has stopped working as a session musician in order to consolidate his wide knowledge and experience and to spend more time composing and also writing a teaching book.

This new approach sees its first fruit in the release of a new c.d. “Suite Dreams” by his band The Blue Planet Orchestra, as well as the development of an online jazz piano teaching Facility. This latter work is a consolidation of 18 years teaching experience during which a complete system to play and understand jazz piano has been developed.