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Austin Peralta

[b]Austin Peralta[/b] (25 Oct 1990, Los Angeles — 21 Nov 2012, Los Angeles) was a notable American jazz pianist, composer, improviser and band leader. He was the son of a retired professional skateboarder and filmmaker [a=Stacy Peralta]. Peralta was a touring member of [a=The Cinematic Orchestra]. Taking classical piano lessons since he was six, Peralta immediately fell in love with jazz after a friend shared [a=Bill Evans] CD with him. He studied music at [l799883] in Malibu, California and later took lessons with an iconic jazz pianist [a274676] and saxophonist [a252990]. In 2003, a thirteen-year-old Austin Peralta won the Shelly Manne Memorial New Talent Award from the L.A. Jazz Society, presented to him by [a=Quincy Jones]. In the mid-2000s, Peralta began regularly performing with various jazz musicians and ensembles, such as the [a341422], at [l442633], [l1609661] club in Little Tokyo, [l2324089], [url=https://discogs.com/label/494714]The Baked Potato[/url], [l632486], and other Greater LA area jazz venues. He soon formed [b]The Hour Trio[/b], which self-released their debut album [i]Inta' Out[/i], with a special guest [url=https://discogs.com/artist/1304563]Ralph "Buzzy" Jones[/url] on sax, in March 2005. In 2006, just turning sixteen, Austin Peralta made his international debut at Tokyo Jazz Festival, performing with his Hour Trio (featuring [a774300] on drums), a Japanese pianist [a727207], and sharing the stage with headliners [a=Chick Corea] and [a265629]. The same year, Peralta was signed by a Japanese label [l157104] and released his solo debut, [i][m=452378][/i] SACD/LP, in Feb 2006. He recorded the album, mainly featuring jazz standards and only one Peralta composition, in Sept 2005 with legendary bassist [a95088] and [a300147] on drums. Austin Peralta recorded his second album in Oct 2006 with [a74212] (bass), [a774300] (drums), [a119997] (vibraphone), and [a659990] (sax), which featured four original tracks and came out as [i][r=2049694][/i] SACD in Dec 2006. He performed at the [l516800] in Indonesia a few months later, in March 2007. In 2009, after graduating with honours from the [l1481797], Peralta accepted a scholarship at [l1039648]. However, he dropped out after a year and returned to Southern California to pursue his oeuvre. Around 2010, his friend and collaborator [a=David Wexler] ([url=https://discogs.com/artist/2217320]Dr. Strangeloop[/url]) introduced Peralta to [a=Steven Ellison], best-known as [a=Flying Lotus] and founder of [l=Brainfeeder]. Peralta soon joined the FlyLo label's roster and released his final album, [i][m=331585][/i], in February 2011. A few months before the release, Austin Peralta formed a new ensemble, [b]Deathgasm[/b], inspired by his interest in "Bardo Thodol" (the Tibetan "Book of the Dead") and its interpretation in [i]Enter the Void[/i] film by [a595480]. Peralta's septet featured [a=Miguel Atwood-Ferguson] (violin/viola), [a=Sam Gendel] (saxophone), [a=Ryan McGillicuddy] (bass), [a1161444] (drums/tabla), [a=Earnest Blount] (laptop/electronics), and [a5369736] (visuals). Deathgasm Ensemble performed at Peralta's album release party in Feb 2011 at Futura ([l1425162]). In May 2012, Austin Peralta released [i][r=3597714][/i] 12" on Dublin-based [l53017] with electronic rendition of [a=Sun Ra]'s 'Space Loneliness #2,' which he produced and recorded together with [a=Strangeloop] and [a=Earnest Blount]. In Oct 2012, Peralta opened for [a2644196] at UCLA's [l266059]. In November 2012, Peralta suddenly died from viral pneumonia at age 22. One night before he passed, Austin played piano with [a2292311]'s band at Little Tokyo's Blue Whale club in Los Angeles.