Craig Taborn
Photo: Yibo Hu c/o Matt Brown Guildford, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · b. 1970

Craig Taborn

American musician

Born
20 February 1970
Minneapolis
Country
United States
Record labels
Thirsty Ear Recordings
Discography
12 albums

Biography

Craig Taborn is a jazz musician who plays piano and musical keyboard. Craig Taborn was born on 20 February 1970 in Minneapolis. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Thirsty Ear Recordings. The discography here lists 12 albums, from “Light Made Lighter” (2001) to “Dream Archives” (2026). Honours include MacArthur Fellows Program (2025) and Paul Acket Award.

Craig Marvin Taborn (; born February 20, 1970) is an American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer. He works solo and in bands, mostly playing various forms of jazz. He started playing piano and Moog synthesizer as an adolescent and was influenced at an early stage by a wide range of music, including by the freedom expressed in recordings of free jazz and contemporary classical music. While at university, Taborn toured and recorded with jazz saxophonist James Carter. Taborn went on to play with numerous other musicians in electronic and acoustic settings, while also building a reputation as a solo pianist. He has a range of styles, and often adapts his playing to the nature of the instrument and the sounds that he can make it produce. His improvising, particularly for solo piano, often adopts a modular approach, in which he begins with small units of melody and rhythm and then develops them into larger forms and structures.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Light Made Lighter 2001
Junk Magic 2004
Avenging Angel 2011
Daylight Ghosts 2017
Highsmith 2017
Octopus 2018
Da'at: The Book Beri'ah, Volume 11 2019
The People I Love 2019
The Tower Tapes #3: Craig Taborn & Dave King 2020
Shadow Plays 2021 · Live
Trio of Bloom 2025
Dream Archives 2026

Also plays on

Albums where Craig Taborn is credited as a sideman

1993 JC on the Set — James Carter piano
1994 Jurassic Classics — James Carter piano
1995 The Real Quietstorm — James Carter piano
1996 Conversin' With the Elders — James Carter piano
1998 In Carterian Fashion — James Carter Hammond organ
2000 Dub Chamber 3 — Bill Laswell electric piano
2006 Underground — Chris Potter Rhodes piano
2009 Ultrahang — Chris Potter electric piano
2013 Prism — Dave Holland piano, Rhodes piano
2013 The Sirens — Chris Potter piano
2015 Imaginary Cities — Chris Potter Underground Orchestra piano
2018 The Book Beri'ah — John Zorn piano
2018 Uncharted Territories — Dave Holland keyboard, piano, organ
2023 John Zorn’s Bagatelles, Vol. 13–16 — John Zorn piano
2026 Freedom Call: Prism - Freedom — Dave Holland piano

Awards

Frequently asked questions

What instrument does Craig Taborn play?

Craig Taborn is known for playing piano and musical keyboard.

When and where was Craig Taborn born?

Craig Taborn was born 20 February 1970 in Minneapolis.

What are Craig Taborn's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Light Made Lighter (2001), Junk Magic (2004), Avenging Angel (2011), Daylight Ghosts (2017) and Highsmith (2017).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.