About

“Rawlings is a romantic, thoughtful player, and his sidemen are right there throughout.
He’ll be a force to reckon with.”
-Peter Monaghan Earshot Jazz

Pianist and Composer Josh Rawlings is a renaissance jazz pianist that exhibits awesome ability on his instrument and ease playing genre-to-genre – setting-to-setting. Since moving to Seattle, Rawlings has seen wide successes as a performer and musician, and has been featured on the Northwest’ most prestigious stages. Josh graduated from Seattle’s renowned Cornish College of the Arts in 2005, and has twice since been honored by Earshot! Magazine’s Golden Ear Award Nominations. Having studied and performed with renowned groups & musicians, Denney Goodhew and the Qhromatics, Randy Halberstadt, Jovino Santos Neto and Hadley Caliman while at Cornish, Josh developed a voice that was literally bursting out of his school doors.

He’s recently played sold out performances at Jazz Alley, Triple Door and many major Seattle festivals from Pike Place Market to the Bite of Seattle. Josh also performed on the main stage of the 2008 Bumbershoot Festival. Whether headlining or supporting on stage, Josh has a unique ability to merge with his fellow artists, while anticipating, supporting and energizing his band mates to put on premier performances.

Climbing Stairs is Josh’s recent début release as a songwriter, musician and bandleader.  The album is a beautiful portrait of the breadth and range of his musical relationships, environment, development and exploration over the past few years. The album captures the air and joy of a refreshing, up and coming young composer and pianist.

Josh’s repertoire spans from timeless jazz standards to arrangements of eclectic music such as video game themes. Many of the groups and musicians he works with also feature his original music which can be romantic and whimsical, joyful yet contemplative. Josh writes music that encapsulates people, places and special moments in time. He is an exciting emerging jazz voice from the next generation of musicians.

Rawlings is accompanied by Nate Omdal (bass) and Adam Kessler (drums). The two have backed up such jazz luminaries as Ernestine Anderson, Hadley Caliman, and Jay Thomas. Together, the trio follows in the musical fingerprints of Bill Evans, while developing a sound uniquely theirs.

“[The Josh Rawlings Trio] is especially fun, with lots of dissonant harmonies and dramatic hesitations over propulsive drumming…all the entertainment you need.”
-Rachel Dovey Seattle Sound Magazine

“There are moments where you sound like you’re channeling Brad Mehldau.”
-Randy Halberstadt

Discography & Videography
• Spekulation: The Depression Era EP (2010)
• The Teaching: Live at D Note – Disc 1 (2009)
• The Teaching: Live at D Note – Disc 2 (2009)
• The Teaching: Live at Seattle Art Museum – Disc 1 (2009)
• The Teaching: Live at Seattle Art Museum – Disc 2 (2009)
• Tai Shan & Josh Rawlings: Silent Echos – Rough Draft (2009)
• LUCID: Lucid Live 2009 Anthology (2009)
• Jason Parker Quartet: No More, No Less (2009)
• The Teaching (DVD): Live at Triple Door (2009)
• Soul Kata: Here I Am (2009)
• Reservoir Cats: Spirit of Mingus – Bonus (2009)
• Reservoir Cats: Spirit of Mingus (2009)
• Spekulation: Just Add Water – The Mix Tape (2009)
• Jason Parker Quartet: Live @ JazzTV (2009)
• Josh Rawlings Trio: Live on Sonarchy Radio (2009)
• Spekulation: The Bite (2009)
• The Teaching: The Teaching (2009)
• Soul Kata: More – Single (2008)
• Josh Rawlings Trio: Climbing Stairs (2008)
• Industrial Revelation (DVD): Live at Triple Door (2008)
• Eileen Rose: Strange As It Seems (2007)
• Love is the Word: Jazz Under a Seattle Skyline (2007)
• Jason Parker Quartet: Jason Parker Quartet (2007)
• Industrial Revelation: It Can Only Get Better From Here (2007)
• Soul Kata: Soul Kata (2006)
• Josh Rawlings Trio: Super Recital Bros. (2005)
• Josh Rawlings: Too Many Styles – Disc 1 (2001)
• Josh Rawlings: Too Many Styles – Disc 2 (2001)
• Josh Rawlings: Early Works (2000)