Elijah Cole is a guitarist, pianist, and composer based in Philadelphia.
Elijah began performing professionally at the age of 15 in the Washington, DC area where he grew up. He cites the DC music scene as having a significant impact on his musicianship to this day – the mentors and teachers he had in his high school years, such as Paul Carr and Michael Bowie, proved formative in the development of his musical concept. He then moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University, graduating in 3 years with a jazz studies degree having studied under Peter Bernstein, Mike Moreno, Rodney Green, Terell Stafford, and Dick Oatts. Still residing in Philadelphia today, he can be found playing around the city, both as a leader performing his own music, and a sideman in a number of different styles and traditions.
Elijah has performed at venues such as Blues Alley, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, SOUTH, and Chris’ Jazz Cafe. He travels around the country performing in a variety of contexts, most recently with Chelsea Reed and the Fairweather Five playing swing dances throughout the United States and Canada.
In addition to his performance schedule, Elijah has a passion for sharing the gift of music with students. He has nearly a decade of teaching experience, working with students of all ages and skill levels.
His music blends a wide array of influences into a unique sound that delivers a powerful emotional message. His mission is to create music that stimulates the mind, soul, and spirit of his listeners.