Cyrus Chestnut

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." 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 was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1963, son of McDonald (a retired post-office employee and church pianist) and Flossie (a city social services worker and church choir director).Chestnut started learning 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. 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 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 said.

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 soprano on a fall 1996 U.S. Tour. Later that year came Blessed Quietness: A Collection of Hymns, Spirituals and Carols (1996), an album of traditional numbers 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, Chestnut also made his big screen debut portraying a Count Basie-inspired pianist.

In 2000, Chestnut signed with manager Bruce Garfield, who convinced him 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 guest soloists including James Carter, Stefon Harris, Wycliffe Gordon and Marcus Printup. This album was one of Down Beat′s best records of 2002 and ascended to "Top 10" on the Jazz Charts.

In 2006 Chestnut released his first album on Telarc International Records, entitled Genuine Chestnut. 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. 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, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra.

As leader

As sideman

With Gerald Albright

• Giving Myself to You (Atlantic, 1995)

With Carl Allen

• Testimonial (Atlantic, 1995)

With Carl Allen & Rodney Whitaker

• Get Ready (Mack Avenue, 2009)

With Tiffany Austin

• Unbroken (Con Alma, 2018)

With Gary Bartz

• The Blues Chronicles: Tales of Life (Atlantic, 1996)

With Kathleen Battle

• So Many Stars (Sony, 1995)

With Alexander Berenson

• Take Me With You (Butman Music, 2010)

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

• Prelude to a Kiss (Philips, 1996)

With Jeri Brown

• Fresh Start (Justin Time, 1996)

With Ronnie Burrage

• Shuttle (Sound Hills, 1993)

With Ann Hampton Callaway

• To Ella with Love (Sin-Drome Records, 1996)

With Betty Carter

• It's Not About the Melody (Verve, 1992)

With James Carter

• In Carterian Fashion (Atlantic, 1998)
• Gold Sounds (Brown Brothers, 2005)

With Michael Carvin

• Between Me and You (Muse, 1989)
• Revelation (Muse, 1991)

With Freddy Cole

• Always (Fantasy, 1995)
• A Circle of Love (Fantasy, 1996)
• To The Ends of the Earth (Fantasy, 1997)
• Le Grand Freddy (Fantasy, 1999)

With Carla Cook

• It's All About Love (MaxJazz, 1999)
• Dem Bones (MaxJazz, 2001)
• Simply Natural (MaxJazz, 2002)

With Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet

• The Juliet Letters (Warner Bros., 1993)

With Dee Daniels

• State of the Art (Criss Cross, 2013)
• Intimate Conversations (Origin, 2014)

With Michael Dease

• Grace (Jazz Legacy, 2010)

With Dr. John and the Donald Harrison Band

• Funky New Orleans (Metro, 2000)

With Cynthia Felton

• Afro Blue: The Music of Oscar Brown Jr. (CD Baby, 2012)
• Freedom Jazz Dance (CD Baby, 2012)
• Save Your Love For Me (CD Baby, 2014)

With The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band

• I'm BeBoppin' Too (Half Note, 2009)

With Jimmy Greene

• Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue, 2014)

With Mark Gross

• Blackside (Jazz Legacy, 2012)

WithRoy Hargrove

• With the Tenors of Our Time (Verve, 1994)

With Donald Harrison

• Full Circle (Sweet Basil, 1990)
• For Art's Sake (Candid, 1991)
• Indian Blues (Candid, 1995)
• Big Chief (Past Perfect, 2002)

With Vincent Herring

• Folklore: Live at the Village Vanguard (MusicMasters, 1994)
• Don't Let It Go (MusicMasters, 1995)
• Days of Wine and Roses (MusicMasters, 1996)
• The Uptown Shuffle (Smoke Session, 2014)
• Hard Times (Smoke Sessions, 2017)

With Laird Jackson

• Quiet Flame' (Venus, 2016)

With Denise Jannah

• I Was Born In Love With You (Blue Note, 1995)
• A Heart Full of Music (Timeless, 2000)

With George Kawaguchi

• Between Me and You (Muse, 1989)
• Revelation (Muse, 1991)
• Plays Herbie Hancock (King Japan, 2004)

With The Keystone Quartet

• A Love Story (32 Jazz, 2000)

With Kevin Mahogany

• Another Time Another Place (Warner Bros., 1997)

With Wynton Marsalis

• The Marciac Suite (Columbia, 1999)
• Higher Ground (Blue Note, 2005)

With Christian McBride

• Gettin' to It (Verve, 1995)

With Bette Midler

• Bathhouse Betty (Warner Bros., 1998)

With Charnett Moffett

• Music from Our Soul (Motéma Music, 2017)

With George Mraz

• Bottom Lines (Milestone, 1997)
• Duke's Place (Milestone, 1999)

With Roy Nathanson

• Fire at Keaton's Bar & Grill (Six Degrees, 2000)

With Marilyn Scott

• Every Time We Say Goodbye (Venus, 2008)

'With Chiara Pancaldi

• I walk a Little Faster (Challenge Records, 2015)

With Madeleine Peyroux

• Dreamland (Atlantic, 1996)

With Morris Robinson

• Going Home (Decca, 2007)

With Jackie Ryan

• Doozy (Open Arts, 2008)

With Ameen Saleem

• The Groove Lab (Jando Music, 2013)

With Andy Scott

• Angels (Jazz Legacy, 2015)

With Jimmy Scott

• Mood Indigo (Milestone, 2000)
• Moon Glow (Milestone, 2003)

With Marilyn Scott

• Every Time We Say Goodbye (Venus, 2008)

With Bud Shank

• By Request: Bud Shank Meets the Rhythm Section (Milestone, 1997)

With Jae Sinnett

• Blue Jae (Valley Vue, 1992)
• House and Sinnett (Positive Music, 1994)
• Listen (Heart Music, 1997)

With Billy Taylor

• Taylor Made at the Kennedy Center' (Kennedy Center, 2005)

With Joris Teepe and The Don Braden Quintet

• Pay As You Earn (Mons, 1995)

With Tim Warfield

• Cool Blue (Criss Cross, 1995)
• A Whisper in the Midnight (Criss Cross, 1996)
• Gentle Warrior (Criss Cross, 1998)
• Jazz Is (Criss Cross, 2002)
• Eye of the Beholder (Criss Cross, 2013)

With Sadao Watanabe

• Remembrance (Verve, 1999)

With Kim Waters

• Tribute (Warlock, 1992)

With Rodney Whitaker

• Children of the Light (Koch, 1996)

With Phil Wilson's Rainbow Band

• Latin American Tour (Shiah, 1985)

With Steve Wilson

• Step Lively (Criss Cross, 1995)

With Joh Yamada

• Bluestone (Milestone, 1999)

With Dave Young

• Two by Two, Volume Two (Justin Time, 1996)
• Side by Side (Justin Time, 1996)

Compilations