“Will's prodigious talent was unmistakeable” - irwin Hall, grammy nominated saxophonist
Will Gorman does it all. He is a pianist, organist, singer, composer, and arranger. Starting classical lessons at a young age, he was dragged to jazz band in high school and never turned back. He’s performed extensively with jazz notables such as Vincent Herring, Claudio Roditi, Madeleine Peyroux, Sheila Jordan, Jumaane Smith, Cecil Alexander, Winard Harper, Irwin Hall, and the Royal Bopsters among others.
At age 19, he joined the band of Grammy award-winning blues master Joe Louis Walker, balancing time between touring and school. He’s played extensively with rising blues stars “King” Solomon Hicks and Vanessa Collier, including work on three of Collier’s albums, including a live DVD recorded at PowerStation in NYC. Will has performed at clubs and festivals all over the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia, including Jazz in Marciac, Blue Note Beijing, Jazz Madrid, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Smoke Jazz and Supper Club, The Black Cat and many more. As a background vocalist, he was featured on the 2022 Macy’s Day Parade supporting Dionne Warwick and the 2022 Rockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony supporting Mickey Guyton.
His own performances blend the jazz, blues, and gospel music of a time gone by, with a modern outlook to take the best of America's musical contributions, and create a unique and soulful experience for the listener.
An up-and-coming arranger, he contributed two arrangements for big band on veteran organist Radam Schwartz’s “Message from Groove and GW” released on Arabesque as well as a brand new concert of music for singer/trumpeter of Micheal Buble fame, Jumaane Smith, for a Ray Charles Tribute to be recorded.
Will is proud to be on faculty at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT where he teaches jazz and commercial voice as well as runs the Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
He attended William Paterson University, working with Bill Charlap and Harold Mabern, among others, and completed his B.M. in Jazz Piano in 2019 and M.M. in Composition and Arranging in 2020, as well as his M.M. in Jazz Voice from Montclair State University, studying with Aubrey Johnson.
Growing up in Syracuse, he had the opportunity to serve as musical director at Southern Baptist Church, playing the organ and directing the choir, as well as tour extensively with the gospel group, Charles Cannon and the Bells of Harmony.
