Seán McCluskey is a iconoclastic jazz pianist whose music "evok[es] the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Bob James and Uri Caine without directly imitating any of them." (Dean Minderman, St. Louis Jazz Notes). His eclectic compositional and performance repertoire encompasses a number of different traditions funneled through the piano trio format: compositions inspired by traditional Irish melodies, Puerto Rican salsa, medieval polyphony, and contemporary Israeli musicians. Above all, though, his aesthetic is informed by America's storied tradition of hard-swinging post-bop - especially music from Chicago, where he made his home for a number of years. As Neil Tesser of the Chicago Reader wrote, "[McCluskey's] solos bubble with originality - but for all his inventiveness, his playing consistently reaffirms core jazz values like ear-catching technique and narrative propulsion."

McCluskey has performed as a member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and with David Liebman, Christian McBride, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Broom, and Joel Spencer. He has also performed at such venues as Symphony Hall and Wally's Jazz Café in Boston; the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; Somethin' Jazz Club, Tomi Jazz, Tea Lounge, and Shapeshifter Lab in New York City; and at Chicago establishments such as The Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase, Andy's, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Drake Hotel, Pete Miller's, and The Whistler.

In 2011, McCluskey released The Beginning on his Saoirse Records label. As he put it, "This was an opportunity to document the last four years of my compositional output in a trio setting with some of my favorite musicians in the world." Dennis Carroll (Johnny Griffin, Bobby Broom Trio) and George Fludas (Cedar Walton Trio, Monty Alexander Trio) are both Chicago legends, and work together more than any other rhythm section in the city. The results on this disc were fantastic, as evidenced by a crowd of 45 people at Chicago's Jazz Showcase club for the CD release. Recent performances in New York City with his a new trio - featuring Nick Jost on bass and Peter Kronreif on drums - have also borne out similar excitement.

At an early age, Seán was surrounded by music. His father is a classical guitarist and graduate of the New England Conservatory who spent several years in Ireland before returning to the US, bringing back dozens of LPs available only in Ireland. Seán's interest in traditional Irish music stems from this early exposure; he's pursued this interest through studies with legends Paddy O'Brien and Daíthí Sproule, in addition to travels throughout Ireland and Irish language studies. By necessity, he's developed facility on the piano accordion for this music, which he's performed at gigs throughout the Chicagoland area. His ability on accordion eventually led to the opportunity to perform Ástor Piazzolla's Concerto for Bandoneon and Guitar with the Northwest Chicago Symphony in 2008. This pliability and versatility has become a trademark of his young career.

McCluskey's recording history as a sideman also reflects this versatility. As a member of the James Davis Quintet (Angles of Refraction, 2006, ears & eyes records), he explored modern electric Americana on the Fender Rhodes. 2007's Passport Not Required found him lending support to Brazilian singer Sergio Pires' sultry samba melodies, along with internationally acclaimed guitarist Bobby Broom and drummer Kobie Watkins (Sonny Rollins). Seán also gave textural support on Hammond B-3 organ to Pires' 2008 release Electrofunksamba. On Twice Now (2009, OA2 Records), Seán's keyboard work "anchors many a composition" (Adam Greenberg, allmusic guide) as the band explores unorthodox material in a jazz quintet setting like Thom Yorke's tune "Atoms for Peace". And in December 2012, Seán recorded on melodica and Nord Electro 3 as a member of Scottish saxophonist Leah Gough-Cooper's band "Human Equivalent", which explores contemporary high-octane electric fusion.

A 2006 graduate of Northwestern University, Seán was raised in Boston before relocating to the Midwest. Upon matriculating, he became a mainstay on Chicago's jazz scene before embarking on a series of cruise ship gigs that would take him around the world. After a four-month tour with his piano trio of Australia and the South Pacific, Seán moved to Brooklyn in 2012, where he currently enjoys a busy performance and teaching schedule.

Seán's upcoming projects include a free-jazz exploration of traditional Irish melodies, and a series of duets on melodica with other jazz pianists.