- Cyrus Chestnut
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Cyrus Chestnut Born January 17, 1963
Baltimore, Maryland, United StatesGenres Jazz, blues Occupations Pianist, songwriter, producer, bandleader Instruments Piano Years active 1992–present Labels Alfa Jazz, Evidence, Atlantic, Warner, TelArc, Koch Website www.cyruschestnut.net Cyrus Chestnut (born January 17, 1963) is an American jazz pianist, songwriter, and producer. In 2006, Josh Tyrangiel, music critic for Time Magazine, wrote: "What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes and play space."[1] Chestnut enjoys mixing styles and resists being typecast in any one niche, though his gospel sound is apparent on a number of his recordings.
Cyrus Chestnut born on January 17, 1963, in Baltimore, Maryland; son of McDonald (a retired post office employee and church organist) and Flossie (a city social services worker and church choir director). Chestnut started his musical career at the age of six, playing piano at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in hometown. By age nine, he was studying classical music at Peabody Institute. In 1985, Chestnut earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging from Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music.[2] While at Berklee, Chestnut was awarded the Eubie Blake Fellowship (1982), the Quincy Jones Scholarship (1983), and the Oscar Peterson Scholarship (1984).
Chestnut toured as pianist for Jon Hendricks, 1986–88; Terrence Blanchard, 1988–90; Donald Harrison, 1988–90; Wynton Marsalis, 1991; and the Betty Carter Trio, 1991-93. His association with Carter, which began in '91, significantly affected his outlook and approach to music, confirming his already iconoclastic instincts. Carter advised him to "take chances" and "play things I've never heard," Chestnut says.
In 1993, at the age of 30, Chestnut signed with Atlantic Records, releasing the critically acclaimed Revelation (1993), followed by The Dark Before The Dawn (1994) (the album debuted in the sixth spot on the Billboard Jazz Charts), Earth Stories (1995) and then Cyrus Chestnut (1998). Chestnut has also performed and/or recorded with, Freddy Cole, Bette Midler, Jon Hendricks, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Scott, Chick Corea, Isaac Hayes, Kevin Mahogany, Dizzy Gillespie, and opera diva Kathleen Battle, most notably on the Sony Classical recording "So Many Stars". Their shared church roots resulted in such a positive chemistry between Battle and Chestnut that he then joined the star soprano on a Fall 1996 U.S. Tour. Later that same year came Blessed Quietness: A Collection of Hymns, Spirituals and Carols (1996), a reverently assembled album of traditional numbers deeply instilled with the gospel and blues Chestnut grew up listening to. In addition to appearing on the soundtrack to director Robert Altman's 1996 feature film Kansas City (1996 film), Chestnut also made his big screen debut portraying a Count Basie-inspired pianist.[3]
In 2000, signed with manager Bruce Garfield who convinced Chestnut to collaborate with Vanessa L. Williams, Brian McKnight, The Manhattan Transfer and The Boys' Choir of Harlem on A Charlie Brown Christmas. In 2001, he released Soul Food featuring bassist Christian McBride, drummer Lewis Nash and special guest soloists including James Carter, Stefon Harris, Wycliffe Gordon and Marcus Printup. This acclaimed album was included in Down Beat's list of the best records of 2002 and ascended to "Top 10" on the Jazz Charts. Chestnut continually tours with his trio, playing live at jazz festivals around the world as well as clubs and concert halls. His leadership and prowess as a soloist has also led him to be a first call for the piano chair in many big bands including the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, and Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra.
In 2006, Chestnut released his first album Genuine Chestnut on TelArc Records. On it he is accompanied by his regular trio which includes Michael Hawkins, bass and Neal Smith, drums. Additional artists on board for this session include Russell Malone, guitar and Steven Kroon, percussion. Includes satisfying jazz interpretations of some well known pop numbers of the past half century, including “If,” the early ‘70s soft-rock ballad by Bread. “This song has been with me ever since the sixth grade,” Chestnut recalls. “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.”[4] Best of all, he plays gospel tunes with a heartfelt fervor that never descends into sentimentality. Chestnut's own "Mason Dixon Line" is one of the album's high points, a joyful bebop number that makes you hope he'll someday do a whole album of Bud Powell compositions. The album's relentless, midtempo pleasantness makes it easy to stop paying attention by about halfway through, but every time you catch yourself drifting and start listening closely again, you'll notice something else wonderful.[5]. Chestnut is currently represented by Addeo Music International (AMI).
Contents
Discography
As leader
Year Title Genre Label 1992 The Nutman Speaks Jazz Alfa Jazz 1992 The Nutman Speaks Again Jazz Alfa Jazz 1992 Nut Jazz Evidence/Alfa Jazz 1993 Another Direction Jazz Evidence 1993 Revelation Jazz Atlantic 1994 Dark Before the Dawn Jazz Atlantic 1995 Earth Stories Jazz Atlantic 1996 Blessed Quietness: Collection of Hymns,
Spirituals and CarolsGospel Atlantic 1998 Cyrus Chestnut Jazz Atlantic 2000 A Charlie Brown Christmas Jazz Atlantic 2001 Soul Food Jazz Atlantic 2003 You Are My Sunshine Jazz Warner 2006 Genuine Chestnut Jazz TelArc 2007 Cyrus Plays Elvis Jazz Koch 2009 Spirit Jazz Jazz Legacy As sideman
With Phil Wilson
- Latin American Tour (1985)
With Betty Carter
- It's Not About the Melody (1992)
Compilations
Year Title Genre Label Notes 1994 Jazz At Lincoln Center Presents: The Fire Of The Fundamentals Jazz Sony with Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Betty Carter, Chris Thomas, Christian McBride, et al. 1999 Essential Young Lions Vol. 1 Jazz Hip-O Records with Roy Hargrove, Larry Goldings Trio, Stefon Harris, Donald Harrison, The Benny Green Trio, Stefon Harris, et al. 2000 Piano Grand! A Smithsonian Celebration classical, jazz and rock & roll Sony with Diana Krall And Her Trio, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Dave Brubeck, Billy Joel, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robert Levin, et al. 2003 Torch: A Six Degrees Collection of Modern Torch Songs Jazz Six Degrees with Cassandra Wilson, Bugge Wesseltoft, Roy Nathanson, Sylk 130, Elvis Costello, dZihan & Kamien, Sarah Cracknell, et al. 2007 Funky Jazz Party, Vol. 2: Love Jams Jazz Atlantic with Anita Baker, Steve Cole, Wayman Tisdale, Gerald Albright, Brian Culbertson, Rick Braun, et al. References
- ^ Cyrus Chestnut: Genuine Chestnut (Retrieved September 1, 2007)
- ^ Berklee's Prominent Alumni
- ^ The movie Kansas City (1996)
- ^ TelArc debut with the release of Genuine Chestnut (Retrieved September 1, 2007)
- ^ Cyrus Chestnut: Genuine Chestnut (Retrieved September 1, 2007)
External links
Categories:- 1963 births
- Living people
- American jazz pianists
- African American musicians
- Baptists from the United States
- People from Baltimore, Maryland
- People from Harford County, Maryland
- Atlantic Records artists
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