Alan Broadbent


Alan Broadbent was born in Auckland on April 23, 1947, and studied classical piano at a young age. In 1960 he attended the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Auckland performance and it was jazz, rather than the more prevalent rock and roll, which impressed most.

Broadbent was playing in formidable company at age 17, fronting his own group with Kevin Haines (double bass) and Tony Hopkins (drums); the trio played regularly at Club 81, and at the Auckland Festival and Tauranga’s National Jazz Festival.

Alan Broadbent Trio live - If You Could See Me Now (2011)
Alan Broadbent
Photo credit: Photo by Yngve Froyen
Alan Broadbent in Charlie Haden's Quartet West - live in São Paulo (1999)
Irene Kral and Alan Broadbent - You Are There (1977)
Body and Soul - live in Ankara, Turkey (2013)
Lee Konitz With Alan Broadbent - More Live-Lee (2004)
Alan Broadbent Trio - Paciific Standard Time (1995)
Labels:

Ode


Tartar


Discovery


Trend


Concord


Verve

Trivia:

At 16 and just out of school, Broadbent was invited to perform at Tauranga’s National Jazz Festival.

In 1965, Broadbent (with jazz enthusiast Ken Jackson) co-founded Auckland’s Modern Jazz Club.

In 1973 Alan Broadbent toured Europe as pianist with teen idol David Cassidy at the height of “Cassidymania”, which included six sell-out shows at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Broadbent lists There’s a Lull in My Life (on Natalie Cole’s Stardust album) as his favourite arrangement.

Broadbent’s work ethic – long time collaborator saxophonist Gary Foster says, “We've travelled thousands of miles together, and when we get on a plane, I take out Newsweek; Alan studies music scores."

In 1993, the late Leonard Feather, the doyen of jazz journalism, wrote, “Alan Broadbent is the epitome of pianistic elegance.”

Funded by

Partners with