After studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Michael Pellera has been a jazz educator serving New Orleans since 1989. He taught jazz piano and improvisation for thirteen years at Loyola University in New Orleans before joining the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts faculty in 2002. He became the chair of the renowned Jazz department at NOCCA in 2005. Some of his former students include Brian Blade, Jon Cowherd, Jonathan Batiste, Sullivan Fortner, Trombone Shorty, Joe Dyson, Stanton Moore, and others who have created distinguished careers for themselves with artists like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, Liz Wright, Joni Mitchell, Lenny Kravitz, and Galactic.
In the last 45 years, he has lived in New Orleans and New York, giving his music a unique perspective that draws freely from the influences of the two cities. As a composer he has created a body of work that encompasses modern jazz harmony, indigenous New Orleans rhythms, and elements of the classic American songbook of the 1930’s and the 1940’s.
He has released three critically acclaimed CD’s of his jazz compositions. His first CD, “Cloud Nine” was released in 1997, his second CD “Son of Sky” was released in 2001, and his third CD “Carnival” was released in 2023. All three CD’s featured a veritable of “who’s who” of the New Orleans modern jazz scene, such as, Bill Huntington, John Vidacovich, Steve Masakowski, Tony Dagradi, Bill Summers, James Singleton, and Phillip Manuel. In addition, he released three CD’s of Jazz standards, “Piano Standard” in 2008, “Round’ Midnight” in 2012, and “Living for the City” in 2024.
As an arranger and producer he has worked in a variety of contexts from trio to big band; most notably, on the MAXJAZZ CD release of singer Phillip Manuel’s, “Love Happened to Me.” This CD featured five original compositions by Pellera as well as his arrangements. He has performed with a multitude of great jazz artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Buddy Rich, Terence Blanchard, Chet Baker, Bobby McFerrin, Rick Margitza, John Vidacovich, Steve Masakowski, and Dave Stryker.
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