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D.D. Jackson
Composer for Television, Film & Media
Jazz Pianist/Composer
Greetings!
Now that the summer has come and gone (with its memorable New York earthquake and hurricane in the same week!) and we're deep into Fall, I thought it was time for an update. It's been a stimulating last few months for me working on new projects in multiple spheres, from producing/performing on pop records, to writing for children's media, to teaching. As always, this newsletter is to keep you abreast of these and my other creative activities, and to (of course) encourage you to keep me in mind for any of your composing, arranging, production and performing needs!
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| Pianist on the new Roots album "Undun"
I was excited to have been asked by the legendary Hip Hop group
The Roots to perform piano on the final track of their upcoming album, "Undun" (coming out Dec. 6/11 on Island Def Jam). The track features a wild, "free jazz" duet between myself and drummer ?uestlove, and follows a previous collaboration I did with him as part of their Philly-Paris Lockdown concert in Philadelphia's Kimmel Center last April (an all-star concert featuring members of The Roots, David Murray, indy pop vocalist Keren Ann, a classical string quartet and pianist, plus myself doing some of the string quartet arranging and serving as "jazz" pianist).
Read a preview of the album (including my track) here
Read more about "Undun" in Spin magazine
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| 3rd & Bird! now on Disney Junior
In Children's Media news, 3rd & Bird!, the show for
which I wrote the songs for about 1/4th of all of their 50 episodes, has now made its American debut on the Disney Junior T.V. channel to add to its current run on BBC's CBeebies and in 20 other markets around the world. 3rd & Bird! is produced by Little Airplane Productions, who also produce another show for which I've written, the three-time Emmy Award-winning The Wonder Pets!
I'm also continuing work writing music for a series of beautiful, full-color, award-winning multimedia children's books with the Korean company Wisemom entitled "English Egg", and am beginning work writing music for a stage musical of some of the material with 3rd & Bird! head writer and lyricist Billy Lopez.
Finally, I was also recently hired by Arthur Barry to write (and sing!) the theme song for a new children's show he is actively pitching entitled "Sammy and the Kup Kids". The show follows the adventures of an adventurous boy and his Kup sidekicks as they travel through the world's past and present, retrieving other mischievous suction cups that have magically come alive, before they wreak havoc!
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Education News
 Sweet Sorrow at Hunter College
As a Visiting Lecturer at Hunter College, one of my most enjoyable activities has been the directing of the Popular Music Combo class. In addition to performing a wide range of popular music, we've also had the pleasure of bringing in a variety of guests, ranging from former sideman, drummer, and recent MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient Dafnis Prieto last year, to members of the hit Korean pop group Sweet Sorrow (for whom I am currently producing, arranging, and performing on tracks for their upcoming new CD). Recently, they came in and talked and performed for the students - in what turned out to be their "American debut" (!)
Each year I also typically bring the students into the recording studio to gain the experience of making an actual CD (which I produce and mix myself).
Hear the most recent Hunter Popular Music Combo CD here
As a Faculty Member additionally at the Harlem School of the Arts, I am particularly thrilled to be teaching a remarkably gifted 10 year-old prodigy on piano named Matt Whitaker, someone I'm sure people will be hearing a lot more from in the years to come.
More on Matt here
Visit my Jazz Website
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