Jason Moran followed the path to greatness in the way that only the best have done: under tutelage with masters, in apprenticeships with established musicians, on tour, and through lots of hard work. Growing up in Houston, Texas, in the late '80s, Moran started piano at a young age, discovered Thelonious Monk at 13, and switched his preference from hip-hop to jazz. After studying with the legendary Jaki Byard at Juilliard, he recorded on Blue Note with saxophonist Greg Osby, and the label signed him as a solo artist. He's now a jazz musical advisor at the Kennedy Center and a MacArthur Fellow.