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."

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). Chestnut began learning the piano at the age of seven, and in his boyhood played at Mount Calvary Baptist Church. By the age of nine, he was studying classical music at the Peabody Institute. In 1985, Chestnut earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging from Boston's Berklee College of Music.

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." Chestnut's own "Mason–Dixon Line" is one of the album's high points, a joyful bebop number.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Gerald Albright With Carl Allen With Carl Allen & Rodney Whitaker With Tiffany Austin With Gary Bartz With Kathleen Battle With Alexander Berenson With Dee Dee Bridgewater With Jeri Brown With Ronnie Burrage With Ann Hampton Callaway 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 Michael Dease With Dr. John and the Donald Harrison Band With Cynthia Felton With The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band With Jimmy Greene With Mark Gross With Roy Hargrove With Donald Harrison With Vincent Herring With Laird Jackson With Denise Jannah With George Kawaguchi With The Keystone Quartet With Kevin Mahogany With Wynton Marsalis With Christian McBride With Bette Midler With Charnett Moffett With George Mraz With Roy Nathanson With Chiara Pancaldi With Madeleine Peyroux With Morris Robinson With Jackie Ryan With Ameen Saleem With Andy Scott With Jimmy Scott With Marilyn Scott With Bud Shank With Jae Sinnett With Billy Taylor With Joris Teepe and The Don Braden Quintet With Tim Warfield With Sadao Watanabe With Kim Waters With Rodney Whitaker With Phil Wilson's Rainbow Band With Steve Wilson With Joh Yamada With Dave Young

Compilations