D.D. Jackson

I am a two-time Emmy Award-winning composer, producer, and Juno Award-winning jazz pianist and educator. As a composer, I specialize in writing, arranging, and producing memorable, custom-made music for t.v., film & other media. I consider myself an "artistic problem solver": I strive to get to the essential conceptual truth of what the client is looking for - and to express it in a creative and supportive way. [READ MORE] or [BIO]

 

DISCOGRAPHY AND AWARDS

DISCOGRAPHY

(LEADER):

  • Live at Freedom of Sound (solo piano), 2019.

  • You & Me (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (with lyricist Alexander BAack)

  • Hollywood Musical (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (with lyricist Alexander Baack)

  • Serenity Song (Justin Time)

  • Suite for New York (Justin Time)

  • Sigame (Justin Time)

  • Anthem (RCA Victor/BMG)

  • American Jazz Concerto (I play Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra)

  • …so far (RCA Victor/BMG)

  • Paired Down, Vol. I & II (Justin Time)

  • Rhythm-Dance (Justin Time)

  • Peace-Song (Justin Time)

(CO-LEADER):

  • Bluiett/Jackson/El’Zabar: The Calling

  • Bluiett/Jackson/Thiam: Join Us

  • Bluiett/Jackson/Thiam: Same Space

(SIDEMAN):

  • Teodross Avery, Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk (2020 WJ3 Records) -pianist on tracks 6-10.

  • Joyce Griffen, Loves Languages (2019 Joyce Griffen Productions) - played piano, conducted, arranged, produced

  • The Roots, …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014 DefJam/Universal) – co-producer, composer, string/vocal arranger, pianist

  • The Roots Undun (2012 DefJam/Universal) – co-wrote, co-produced, performed on the track “Will to Power”

  • James Carter ‘s Present Tense (2009 Universal Records)

  • pianist with David Murray for his score for PBS documentary Banished (2008)

  • As Long as You’re Living Yours: The Music of Keith Jarrett (RCA Victor/BMG)

  • Live at Birdland: Cookin’ in Midtown (RCA Victor/BMG)

  • David Murray: Octet plays ‘Trane & Creole (Justin Time)

  • Mor Thiam: Back to Africa (Justin Time)

  • Billy Bang: Bang On! (Justin Time)

  • World Saxophone Quartet: Mbizo Project (Justin Time)

  • Kip Hanrahan: Shadow Nights 2 (American Clave)

  • A Thousand and One Nights and a Night (American Clave)

  • Darn It! (American Clave)

  • David Murray: The Long Goodbye: A Tribute to Don Pullen (DIW)

  • Vincent Chancey: Next Mode (DIW)

AWARDS

At 2016Emmy Awards (with fellow winner J. Walter Hawkes)

At 2016Emmy Awards (with fellow winner J. Walter Hawkes)

2019 Emmy Award for “Outstanding Original Song” (with lyricist Billy Aronson), for “Peg + Cat” (PBS): https://tinyurl.com/y45mf88j

2018 Cinequest Film & VR Festival Audience Award (Best Comedy) for feature film "You & Me" (for which I composed the score and music for the songs).

2017 Emmy Nomination for “Outstanding Original Song” (Peg + Cat) (with lyricist Billy Aronson).

2016: Emmy Award for “Outstanding Music Direction and Composition” (with Steven Rebollido, J. Walter Hawkes, and Martin Erskine), for “Peg + Cat” (PBS).

2016 Emmy Nomination for “Outstanding Original Song” (Peg + Cat) (with lyricist Kevin Del Aguila). The show has now won 7 Emmy awards in total (in the categories of: acting, writing, outstanding show, and animation).

2016 Hunter College Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching (part-time).

2015: Emmy Award nomination in the category of “Outstanding Music Direction and Composition” as part of the composition team for “Peg + Cat” (PBS). 

2014: Received "Emmy Certificate" for my contributions to Peg + Cat's win for "Outstanding Preschool Animated Show"

2012: “Undun” (Defjam/Universal) nominated for “Best Rap Album” Grammy Award (I co-produced/co-composed, and appear on 1 track).

2010: Wrote/performed the complete underscore and theme song for “The Ocean Room” (winner of  the 2010 Gemini Award for “Best Preschool Show or Series”).

2009 Emmy Certificate for contributions to the Award-Winning Achievement “Outstanding Music Direction and Composition”, “The Wonder Pets!” (Nickelodeon)

2005: Named “Distinguished Fellow”, St. John’s College, University of B.C., Vancouver, for work during three-week “Artist-in-Residence”

2005 Harbourfront Centre (Toronto) Fresh Ground Commission to write a new opera, “Trudeau: Long Shining Path”, with librettist George Elliott Clarke (premiered Apr. 14/07)

2004 Canada Council Project Grant to orchestrate the material from my CD Suite for New York for full orchestra

Juno Award Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album (Suite for New York, 2003 Justin Time Records)

2004 National Jazz Awards Nominations: In 2004 I was nominated in the categories of PIANIST OF THE YEAR, COMPOSER OF THE YEAR, INTERNATIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR, MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR, and BEST ALBUM (“Suite for New York”)

2003 Canada Council Commissioning of Canadian Composer’s Grant for writing of my Jazz Opera “Québécité” with librettist Governor General Literary Award recipient George Elliot Clarke (premiered at the 2003 Guelph Jazz Festival)

2003 Canada Council Touring Grant for Guelph Jazz Festival and Vancouver East Cultural Centre premieres of my jazz opera Québécité (Sept & Oct/03)

2002 Canada Council Music Festival Travel Assistance Grant for D.D. Jackson Trio at Atlantic Jazzfest (recorded for CBC’s Jazzbeat)

2002 Juno Award Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album (Sigame, 2002 Justin Time Records)

2002 National Jazz Awards Socan Composer/Songwriter of the Year

2001 Commission from the Minneapolis festival Dancing in Your Head for the writing of the solo piano piece “10 Variations on a Simple Theme”

2000 Commission from Celebrate Brooklyn! to write “A Canadian in New York” – large scale work devoted to New York City (and the precursor to my eventual album “Suite for New York” (2003 Justin Time). Premiered July 1, 2000 at the Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn, NY.

2000 Downbeat Critic’s Poll #1 Talent Deserving Wider Recognition on Piano

2000 Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album (So Far, 2000 RCA Victor/BMG)

2000 Jazz Report Composer of the Year

1999 Commission from the New Victory Theatre, New York City for the creation with poet/storyteller David Gonzalez of Mytholojazz, scored for jazz piano trio and actor, and which tells the story of the Orpheus myth through jazz. Performed 19 times Off-Broadway (Feb/99) before touring North America (/99 to present).

1999 Commission from the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival to write the duo piano piece “Round and Round Variations” (performed July, 1999 and broadcast on CBC’s “In Performance”)

1998 Socan Award for Best Original Jazz Composition

1997 Canada Council Music Festival Travel Assistance Grant for D.D. Jackson Trio at Harvest Jazz & Blues Fest, Fredericton, N.B.

1996 Juno Award Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album (Paired Down, Vol. I, 1996 Justin Time Records)

1996 Jazz Report Composer of the Year Award

Fall/95 and Spring/96 Canada Council Touring Grants for D.D. Jackson Trio Canadian tours

1995 Juno Award Nominations for Best Mainstream Jazz Album, Best Engineer (Peace-Song, 1995 Justin Time Records)

1992 Canada Council Arts Grant “B” for study in NYC

1989 and 1990 Chalmer’s (Ontario Arts Council) Grants for pursuing my Master of Music at Manhattan School of Music