Jazz pianist and composer Mary Louise Knutson has shared stages with many leading figures in the field while also developing an independent solo path that took shape in the early 2000s. Based in Minneapolis, MN, she has appeared with Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves, Smokey Robinson, the Osmond Brothers, and Engelbert Humperdinck, and throughout the 1990s she belonged to the ensemble Synergy, previously known as Rupert's Orchestra. Knutson has written material for other performers as well, among them Prince's horn section the Hornheads on their release 5 Heads Are Better Than 1, and selections of her work appear in the documentary Wellington Lee: 60 Years of Artistic Photography. In 2001 she released her debut solo album, Call Me When You Get There, on her own Meridian Jazz imprint. Bassist Gordon Johnson and drummer Marc Anderson contributed to the recording, which brought her several honors, among them KWJL's "Top New Instrumentalist of the Year" award in Palmdale, CA; the tracks "How Will I Know?" and "Meridian" each received recognition from Billboard magazine. She also instructs courses in jazz piano and improvisation at Carleton College in Northfield, MN.
