January 7, 2025
Blue Note Records has signed the Houston-born, Los Angeles-based pianist and composer Paul Cornish who will release his debut album this summer. Cornish is set to perform this Saturday, January 11 as part of NYC Winter Jazzfest’s Brooklyn Marathon at Loove Labs. A member of Joshua Redman’s current band, Cornish has toured the world with the saxophonist over the past year and was featured on Redman’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
“Blue Note Records has meant a lot, not only to me, but also my hometown of Houston, Texas,” says Cornish. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue and contribute to that legacy.”
“When you listen to Paul Cornish’s new album and examine the nuances of his playing, you will find that he is one of the most innovative pianists to come along in quite a while – with a musical signature that is taller than the JPMorgan Tower in Houston,” says Blue Note President Don Was. “The Blue Note tradition began 86 years ago with great jazz pianists and Paul is the next purveyor of that hallowed legacy.”
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Paul Cornish hails from Houston, Texas, where he was a student at the prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, whose alumni also include jazz luminaries such as Jason Moran, Robert Glasper, Eric Harland, Kendrick Scott, Chris Dave, Walter Smith III, James Francies, and others. Cornish was one of seven jazz prodigies worldwide selected to be awarded a full fellowship to attend the esteemed Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz at UCLA where he completed his master’s degree. He was a finalist in the 2023 American Pianists Awards and the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Piano Competition. Cornish has performed extensively across the globe with such notable artists as Joshua Redman, Louis Cole, Mark Guiliana, HAIM, Snoh Aalegra, Terrace Martin, Kanye West, and many more. He strives to inspire freedom and collaboration in his music and community.
