APPLETON, WIS. — Minneapolis-based jazz pianist, composer, and Lawrence alumna Mary Louise Knutson ’88, performs with Lawrence Conservatory of Music faculty members Mark Urness, bass, and Dane Richeson, drums and percussion, during the Jazz Alumni Showcase 2006. The showcase takes place at 8:00 p.m. October 23 in Harper Hall, located in the Music-Drama Center on the Lawrence University campus. The concert is free and open to the public.
Knutson has been called “one of the most exciting and innovative artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time.” Her warm, inviting tone, lyrical approach to improvisation, and broad range of emotional expression, as well as her distinctive compositions, have brought her much recognition on the national jazz scene. An acclaimed composer, Knutson has won two awards from Billboard magazine for her compositions “How Will I Know?” and “Meridian.” In 2004, she received, from Lawrence University, the distinguished Nathan M. Pusey Alumni Achievement Award for significant contributions and achievements in a career field. In 2005, she was a top five finalist in the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams “Women in Jazz” Pianist Competition. Knutson has performed with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves, Slide Hampton, Richie Cole, Greg Abate, Von Freeman, and Peter Erskine. She has also performed with such musical acts as Michael Bolton, Trisha Yearwood, Donny Osmond, and Smoky Robinson, among others. For more information on Knutson and a sampling of her musical talents, visit www.marylouiseknutson.com.
