BeStaff Records : bio

Born in St. Paul Minnesota, Abebi Stafford began learning piano at age 9 and began composing at age 10. Playing Chopin, Gershwin and Grieg, he won several classical music competitions in grade school, middle school and high school. As a young man, Abebi was drawn to jazz piano and began to teach himself his last year in high school and in college. Inspired by the musicianship of Keith Jarrett, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea to name a few, he honed his skills throughout college. In 1998, He won his first professional gig on impulse when he auditioned for the owner of Ovations jazz club in Houston.

After receiving his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Houston's prestigious Rice University in 2000, the 22 year-old went right to work on his debut album "Mr. B" which he recorded in Atlanta a few months later. On September 11th 2001 he headlined the Dakota in Minnesota the day after Nicholas Payton headlined. The show was a success despite the day's events. The summer of 2002 he appeared on the main stage at the Atlanta Jazz Festival where he dazzled an audience of several thousand with his solo piano magic. Abbey Lincoln and Roy Hanes featuring Kenny Garrett, John Pattitucci, Dave Kikoski and Nicholas Payton followed his performance. Later that summer he played in the Minneapolis Hot Summer Jazz Festival with bassist Michael O'Brien and drummer Nick Dodd. He also appeared in a couple of morning shows and television spots on the festival's behalf.

Having a broad range of experiences, he has played with Russell Malone, accompanied vocalist Deborah Brown, and has even been solicited by Atlanta based Outkast for his musical expertise on several occasions. "Even his name swings!" pianist Kenny Werner said of Stafford to friends after hearing his solo piano work and meeting him for the first time. Saxaphonist Joel Frahm (Jane Monheit) said after playing with Abebi, "I haven't heard many pianist with his strong sense of time and to me, that's the most important thing."