Cyrus Chestnut

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Cyrus Chestnut
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut on VOA.png
Background information
Born (1963-01-17) January 17, 1963 (age 63)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres Jazz, blues
OccupationsMusician, composer, producer
InstrumentPiano
Years active1992–present
LabelsAlfa, Evidence, Atlantic, Warner Bros., Telarc, WJ3
Website www.cyruschestnut.net

Cyrus Chestnut (born January 17, 1963) is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer. In 2006, Josh Tyrangiel, music critic for Time , wrote: "What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes and play space." [1]

Contents

Early life

Cyrus Chestnut was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1963, the son of McDonald (a retired post-office employee and church pianist) and Flossie (a city social services worker and church choir director). [2] Chestnut began learning the piano at the age of seven, and in his boyhood played at Mount Calvary Baptist Church. [2] By the age of nine, [3] he was studying classical music at the Peabody Institute. [2] In 1985, Chestnut earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging from Boston's Berklee College of Music. [4]

Jazz career

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chestnut worked with Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, and other bandleaders. He joined the band of jazz vocalist Betty Carter in the early 1990s and appeared on her 1992 album It's Not About the Melody. That same year, he recorded his first albums as a bandleader, The Nutman Speaks and Nut. Chesnut has continued to work and record as a bandleader into the 21st century.

In 2006, Telarc released Genuine Chestnut, his first album for the label. On it he is accompanied by his regular trio of Michael Hawkins, bass and Neal Smith, drums. Additional artists on this session include Russell Malone, guitar and Steven Kroon, percussion. It includes jazz interpretations of some well-known pop numbers of the past half-century, including "If", the early 1970s soft-rock ballad by Bread. "This song has been with me ever since the sixth grade," Chestnut recalled, "I had to play it for my English teacher's wedding. I've played it in many and various contexts. I actually played it in a Top 40 band when I was just out of school. A lot of time has passed, but then recently I just started thinking about it again." [5] Chestnut's own "Mason–Dixon Line" is one of the album's high points, a joyful bebop number. [6]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Recording dateTitleLabelYear releasedNotes
1992–01The Nutman SpeaksAlfa Jazz1992Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums)
1992–01The Nutman Speaks AgainAlfa Jazz1992Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums)
1993?Another DirectionAlfa Jazz1993Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums)
1993–06Revelations Atlantic 1994Trio, with Christopher J. Thomas (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)
1994–08Dark Before the DawnAtlantic1995Trio, with Steve Kirby (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)
1995–11 Earth Stories Atlantic1996With Eddie Allen (trumpet), Antonio Hart (alto sax), Steve Kirby (bass), Alvester Garnett (drums)
1996?Blessed QuietnessAtlantic1996Solo piano
1997–02American Meditation Baybridge 1997Manhattan Trinity+1, with Antonio Hart (alto sax), George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
1998–01Make Me a MemoryBaybridge1998Manhattan Trinity+1, with Teodross Avery (tenor, soprano sax), George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
1998Cyrus ChestnutAtlantic1998with James Carter (alto sax), Joe Lovano (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Higgins, Lewis Nash (drums), Anita Baker (vocals)
1998–11A Love Story M&I 1999Manhattan Trinity+1, with Eric Alexander (tenor sax), George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2000?A Charlie Brown ChristmasAtlantic2000with Michael Brecker (tenor sax), Kenny Garrett (alto sax), Steve Gadd (drums), choir
2001–06–Soul FoodAtlantic2001with Marcus Printup (trumpet), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Gary Bartz (alto sax), James Carter (tenor sax), Stefon Harris (vibraphone), Christian McBride (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2001–06Love LettersM&I2001Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2002–05MistyM&I2002Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2002–11You Are My Sunshine Warner Bros. 2003Trio, with Michael Hawkins (bass), Neal Smith (drums)
2003–08AlfieM&I2004Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2004–08CharadeM&I2005Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2005–07Genuine Chestnut Telarc 2006Some tracks trio, with Michael Hawkins (bass), Neal Smith (drums); some tracks quartet with Russell Malone (guitar) added; some tracks quartet with Steven Kroon (percussion) added; some tracks quintet
2006–03The Gentle RainM&I2006Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2007?Cyrus Plays ElvisKoch2007Trio, with Dezron Douglas (bass), Neal Smith (drums)
2007–05Cyrus Chestnut Trio - Black NileM&I2008Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Al Foster (drums)
2008-07SpiritJazz Legacy2009Solo piano
2008–11Sunflower - Henry Mancini SongbookM&I2009Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)
2009–03Plenty Swing, Plenty Soul with Eric Reed Savant2010Co-lead with Eric Reed (piano), with Dezron Douglas (bass), Willie Jones III (drums)
2010?Cyrus Chestnut Trio - JourneysJazz Legacy2010Trio, with Dezron Douglas (bass), Neal Smith (drums)
2010–12The Cyrus Chestnut Quartet WJ3 2012Quartet, with Stacy Dillard (tenor and soprano saxophones), Dezron Douglas (bass), Willie Jones III (drums)
2011–03Cyrus Chestnut Trio - Moonlight Sonata Venus 2011Trio, with Dezron Douglas (bass), Neal Smith (drums)
2013–03Soul Brother CoolWJ32013Quartet, with Freddie Hendrix (trumpet), Dezron Douglas (bass), Willie Jones III (drums)
2013–11Midnight MelodiesSmoke Sessions2014Trio, with Curtis Lundy (bass), Victor Lewis (drums)
2014–11 A Million Colors in Your Mind Highnote 2015Trio, with David Williams (bass), Victor Lewis (drums)
2015–11 Natural Essence Highnote2016Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Lenny White (drums)
2017–02 There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit Highnote2017Most tracks trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Lenny White (drums); some tracks quartet, with Steve Nelson (vibraphone)
2018–04 Kaleidoscope Highnote2018Trio, with Eric Wheeler (bass), Chris Beck (drums)
2021–12My Father's HandsHighnote2022Trio, with Peter Washington (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)

As sideman

With Betty Carter

With James Carter

With Michael Carvin

With Freddy Cole

With Carla Cook

With Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet

With Dee Daniels

With Cynthia Felton

With Donald Harrison

With Vincent Herring

With Denise Jannah

With George Kawaguchi

With Wynton Marsalis

With George Mraz

With Jimmy Scott

With Jae Sinnett

With Tim Warfield

With Dave Young

With others

Compilations

YearTitleGenreLabelNotes
1994Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: The Fire of the FundamentalsJazzSonywith Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Betty Carter, Chris Thomas, Christian McBride, et al.
1996NutJazzAlfa Jazz[2CD] Combined The Nutman Speaks and The Nutman Speaks Again
1999Essential Young Lions Vol. 1Jazz Hip-O with Roy Hargrove, Larry Goldings Trio, Stefon Harris, Donald Harrison, The Benny Green Trio, Stefon Harris, et al.
2000Piano Grand! A Smithsonian Celebrationclassical, jazz and rock & rollSonywith Diana Krall, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Dave Brubeck, Billy Joel, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robert Levin, et al.
2003Torch: A Six Degrees Collection of Modern Torch SongsJazzSix Degreeswith Cassandra Wilson, Bugge Wesseltoft, Roy Nathanson, Sylk 130, Elvis Costello, dZihan & Kamien, Sarah Cracknell, et al.
2007Funky Jazz Party, Vol. 2: Love JamsJazzAtlanticwith Anita Baker, Steve Cole, Wayman Tisdale, Gerald Albright, Brian Culbertson, Rick Braun, et al.

References

  1. ↑ Tyrangiel, Josh (March 19, 2006). "Music: 5 Great New Albums". Time. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Leonard Feather, Ira Gitler (April 1, 2007). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-988640-1.
  3. ↑ "Biography", Cyrus Chestnut website.
  4. ↑ Prominent Berklee Alumni at the Wayback Machine (archived August 21, 2007)
  5. ↑ "Concord Music Group". Telarc.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Genuine Chestnut by Cyrus Chestnut". Artistdirect.com. February 28, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
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