The Ed Stoute Experience
Accomplished jazz pianist, Ed Stoute has been playing piano and creating music for over 50 years. A native of Brooklyn, New York, he credits his older sisters with introducing him to jazz music through their playing of the records of masters, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk and Bud Powell, during his formative years. His interest in the piano began at the age of four when his oldest sister was taking lessons. Ed taught himself to play until the age of 18 when he began taking formal piano lessons.
After a stint in the military, Ed returned home to continue his studies at Hartnett Music Studios in the Times Square area of NYC. Back in the day, Mr. Stoute was able to improve his musical abilities and hone his skills by playing such clubs as Brooklyn’s Baby Grand, Moulin Rouge and the La Marchal. He also played at numerous dance halls throughout New York City, Chateau Gardens, Audubon Ballroom, Savoy Manor, Manhattan Center, Gayhart Ballroom, Hancock Hall and more. The legendary Hole located in a basement building at Bridge Street and Willoughby in Brooklyn, NY is where he and a mixture of musicians of various levels gathered after their regular gigs to jam the night away!
Ed formed his first trio in 1960 while working with Joe Carroll and Betty Roche (former Duke Ellington singer). In the late 60’s and early 70’s, he formed a group called the Jade Three Trio and later settled on the name, The Ed Stoute Trio. While working a full time job, during the late 60’s through the late 90’s, Ed continued to play with his band plus compose and arrange music. To date, he has composed and arranged over 60 compositions. Ed Stoute has performed all over the United States in addition to Guadeloupe, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland.
His love of jazz and natural ear for music has helped him to become a brilliant composer of original tunes and distinctive arranger for standards. Ed’s repertoire ranges from traditional jazz (Bebop) to Brazilian. Ed Stoute is sought after for a variety of performances from weddings to concerts and much more. To date, he has recorded with Ken McIntyre, Illinois Jacquet, Vea Williams, Brooklyn 4+1 and the Brooklyn Repertory Ensemble. He has accompanied numerous singers including Dakota Staton, Tullivu Donna Cumberbatch, Cynthia Scott, Vanessa Rubin and Carla Cooke. Ed has also performed with artists such as James Spaulding, Charles Davis, Bob Cunningham, Harold Vick, Clark Terry, Joe “Bebop” Carroll and Ray Abrams. He has played in the Barry Harris 100 Golden Fingers of Praise programs with pianists such as Bertha Hope, Kenny Gates, Dick Katz and others.
During the 60’s, Ed played with the Illinois Jacquet Quartet and returned to play with Jacquet’s big band in 1998 until his death in 2004 at sites such as Lincoln Center and the Chicago Orchestra Hall. After years of accompanying numerous artists, The Ed Stoute Jazz Quintet debuted in October 2005 at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. The Quintet is focusing on his original compositions. Master pianist, Barry Harris selected Ed for a Barry award and, over the years, he has received other honors such as the Jazz Impact award from the CBJC. Ed is a member of the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, which is a favorite of Lincoln Center and the New York Swing Dance Society along with colleges around the country. Focusing on his composing and arranging exclusively, after all these years, The Ed Stoute Experience cd was released in November of 2011. There are 11 tunes on the cd and 9 of the tunes are original compositions. Master pianist, Randy Weston commented in his liner note on Ed’s cd and stated that Ed Stoute is without question one of the most important artists coming from Brooklyn. Randy also stated how happy he was to finally hear Ed’s musical skills on a cd. In addition, in November of 2011, Mr. Stoute received a City Council Citation, which recognized him as a Community Musician/Pianist after his band played at the 180th Anniversary of Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY.
Ed Stoute is a member of the Brooklyn Arts Council, Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium (CBJC) and The Creative Jazz Organization. He is a part of the Weeksville Heritage Center's Jazz Oral History Project in Brooklyn, NY. This is an initiative to record and collect Jazz oral history interviews! Jazz students who are curious about the history of Bebop and Ed’s participation often seek him out for interviews. Nicknamed “Magic Fingers”, Mr. Stoute has become well known and admired by grateful fans.
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