Joel Forrester

Jazz pianist Joel Forrester co-founded the witty jazz ensemble the Microscopic Septet with saxophonist Philip Johnston, associated with Thelonious Monk, and plays solo and with his ensemble People Like Us. All of his work reveals an individualistic blend of composition and improvisation, including the theme song he composed for NPR's show Fresh Air. Born in Pennsylvania, Forrester moved to New York as a young man to pursue his interest in jazz piano. While there, he met Thelonious Monk, who inspired him to focus on "music that hadn't been written yet." Toward that end, Forres...