Hailing from New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, Brianne Ford is an accomplished jazz pianist–having studied with piano greats Ellis Marsalis, Harold Mabern and the late James Williams. She has graced the stages of both New Orleans and New York City and the world as a band leader and as a side person. From the historic St Nick’s Pub, and Lincoln Center as well as stages abroad, Brianne is a musical force to be reckoned with. In 2016, Brianne released her debut album Invocation. Invocation features over five years of original compositions, over 20 years of mastery, and boasts an impeccable all female lineup of women instrumentalists and vocalists. Her passion for music is expressed through piano but she also uses the DJ turntables by the moniker DJ Nola D.
Brianne is also the producer and curator of Summer 67’, a live multimedia performance featuring a 14-piece jazz and soul ensemble performance juxtaposed with curated images to bring awareness to the turbulent year of 1967. Brianne is a former public school educator turned arts administrator of 18 years with a passion for teaching and curriculum development. Her skill sets reach far beyond the bandstand in both the worlds of philanthropy, grant writing, public speaking, facilitation and published writing. Her article https://newarkermag.com/2021/04/01/searching-for-sarah-vaughn/ follows the footsteps of Sarah Vaughan in her hometown of Newark, NJ. In all of her worlds, Brianne leads with love, advocacy, creativity and self expression.