Rachel Eckroth

In a recent WBGO interview, Simon Rentner proclaims ‘Pianist, singer and composer Rachel Eckroth is more than a musical chameleon.  Her shapeshifting is so dramatic that there is no upper limit to her creativity.’  Fueled by curiosity, preparation, and opportunity, Rachel has been on world stages as an artist and an in-demand keyboardist for everyone from Rufus Wainwright to St. Vincent to NBC.  Her musical training was an inherent part of her upbringing. Born into a musical family and being generously exposed to the arts gave Rachel a solid foundation in the art of listening.  This became the cornerstone of her musical contribution which fostered her ability to make other artists shine.

A student of legendary pianist Stanley Cowell, Rachel earned a Master’s Degree in Jazz Piano from Rutgers University in 2005.  She identifies as a composer first, and throughout her career, she has written for her own projects - duo, trio, nonet - as well as jazz ensembles, orchestras, and television.  Her songwriting and voice are also featured in the Emmy-winning documentary ‘Dick Johnson Is Dead’ (Netflix 2020).  She is represented by the publishing agency Brava Jazz, a female-led agency featuring the work of women composers.  Rachel frequently travels the country and abroad as a clinician and guest artist with universities and various jazz programs.  She has held positions at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Phoenix College and has been on the faculty at The Brubeck Summit, Langnau Jazz Nights and Engelsholm Jazz Week in Denmark. 

Most recently, ou can hear her keyboard work on St. Vincent’s ‘All Born Screaming’ (2024) which recently won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album (2025).   Rachel’s 2021 album, The Garden, on the Rainy Days Records label was nominated for a Grammy (Best Contemporary Instrumental Album) in 2022.  It features some of her most compelling work to date, with the help of world renowned musicians Tim Lefebvre, Donny McCaslin and Christian Euman.  Since then, Rachel has released three more albums - all with different musical styles and purposes.  The urge to grow and try different styles and ‘languages’ of music is the driving force behind this exploration in her catalog.

Her personal catalog includes three singer-songwriter albums, an improvised solo piano album, a live quartet record, an album of jazz standards featuring only voice and bass, experimental jazz, and recently a duo project with drummer/composer John Hadfield.  This album, ‘Speaking In Tongues’ (2025 on Adhyaropa Records) received a four-star review from Downbeat magazine and is proving to be a formidable duo on the improvisational music scene.  

For Eckroth, new ideas abound and need to be explored. Both collaborations and significant time spent in her Phoenix, AZ studio have made exploration possible, with the tools of technology and the innate desire to listen to herself - and everyone else.