Profiles in Black History is a project of our Justice Works Anti-Racism Team. A new profile will be spotlighted every day during Black History Month.
Warren Shadd
Warren Shadd
“Warren Shadd is truly one of a kind. He’s an exceptional jazz drummer with a bona fide pedigree of musically gifted family members who deeply influenced him. His father, [James H. Shadd], was a piano technician for the famed Howard Theatre, and his aunt is the celebrated jazz pianist and vocalist Shirley Horn. Using his own flair, Shadd developed himself into a rarity: a musician who makes pianos. With this duality Shadd has leapt to the class of Steinway, Yamaha, and other piano makers, putting his gold-engraved name on possibly the finest piano ever made. Shadd was born in Washington DC. He was fortunate to accompany his father on rounds to churches, homes, and music venues to tune pianos. Not only did he meet premiere musicians, he also learned techniques for building and improving piano acoustics … While young Shadd was tinkering with the piano — interchanging parts and wood from different pianos to get a certain sound, he became an innovator. He employed techniques that had not been used before in the manufacturing of pianos. As a musician, Shadd was acutely aware of the need to make his piano sound like a musician would want it to sound. The Shadd piano has been featured on the TV shows Empire and American Idol, and it is played by an array of musicians of all genres. Shadd even built a concert grand exclusively for the Vatican. Shadd says, ‘To be able to have a piano in the Vatican … that’s pretty unbelievable.’”
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Source: “A Journey Into 365 Days of Black History 2019 Calendar;” Pomegranate Communications, Inc and IOKTS Productions.
Rebecca Riley is a writer and filmmaker who lives in North County San Diego.