Billy Childs | |
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 Childs, 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Edward Childs |
| Born | March 8, 1957 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | Stretch Records |
William Edward Childs (born March 8, 1957) is an American composer, jazz pianist, arranger and conductor from Los Angeles, California, United States. [1] [2]
When he was 16, Childs attended the Community School of the Performing Arts sponsored by the University of Southern California. He studied music theory with Marienne Uszler and piano with John Weisenfluh. From 1975 to 1979, Childs attended the University of Southern California and received a degree in composition under the tutelage of Robert Linn. [3]
While still a teen, Childs was playing professionally and he made his recording debut in 1977 with the J. J. Johnson Quintet during a tour of Japan, documented as "the Yokohama Concert". Childs gained significant attention during the six years (1978–84) he spent in trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's group. His early influences as a pianist included Herbie Hancock, Keith Emerson, and Chick Corea, and as a composer, Paul Hindemith, Maurice Ravel, and Igor Stravinsky.
His sister is the playwright Kirsten Childs. [4] [5]
Childs's solo jazz recording career began in 1988, when he released Take for Example, This..., the first of four critically acclaimed albums on Windham Hill Jazz. He followed that album with Twilight Is Upon Us (1989), His April Touch (1992), and Portrait of a Player (1993). Chick Corea asked Childs to join his label, Stretch Records. Childs's next album, I've Known Rivers, appeared on Stretch/GRP (now Stretch/Concord) in 1995. This was followed by The Child Within on Shanachie Records in 1996.
In 2000, Childs arranged, orchestrated and conducted Dianne Reeves's project The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan , [1] which won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Other artists and producers for whom Childs has arranged include Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Botti, Gladys Knight, Michael Bublé, David Foster, Phil Ramone, and Claudia Acuña.
In 2001, Childs formed a chamber jazz group consisting of piano, bass, drums, acoustic guitar, harp, and woodwinds. Sometimes the core group is augmented by string quartet, woodwind quintet, or both. Childs was influenced by Laura Nyro's collaborations with Alice Coltrane (on Christmas and the Beads of Sweat ) and by a desire to merge classical and jazz music. [6] In 2005, the ensemble released its first album, Lyric, Jazz-Chamber Music, Vol. 1, which was nominated for three 2006 Grammy awards: Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best Instrumental Composition, and Best Arrangement, winning for best instrumental composition, "Into the Light".
| Title | Label | Year released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland | Lunacy Records | 1985 | |
| Take for Example This... | Windham Hill | 1988 | |
| Twilight Is Upon Us | Windham Hill | 1989 | Top Jazz Albums 11 [7] |
| His April Touch | Windham Hill | 1991 | |
| Portrait of a Player | Windham Hill | 1993 | Top Jazz Albums 12 [7] |
| I've Known Rivers | Stretch | 1995 | |
| The Child Within | Shanachie | 1996 | |
| Skim Coat | Metropolitan | 1999 | |
| Bedtime Stories | 32 Jazz | 2000 | |
| Lyric: Jazz Chamber Music Vol. 1 | Lunacy Music | 2005 | Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (Into the Light) |
| Autumn: In Moving Pictures (Jazz Chamber Music Vol. 2) | Lunacy Music | 2009 | Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (The Path Among the Trees) |
| Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro | Sony Masterworks | 2014 | Top Jazz Albums 1, The Billboard 200 104 [7] |
| Rebirth | Mack Avenue | 2017 | Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album |
| Acceptance | Mack Avenue | 2020 | |
| The Winds of Change | Mack Avenue | 2023 | Quartet, with Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Scott Colley (bass), Brian Blade (drums) |
Main source: [10]
With Chris Botti
With Bunky Green
With J. J. Johnson and Nat Adderley
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