So occassionally I use a random number generator to pick an album to listen to that evening. I did just that tonight I counted the albums on the top shelf of my jazz albums, Then, I used a random number generator to select an album. The number generator result was 21, which led me to Soul Food from jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut. I am enjoying the album as I am writing this post. Here’s a little biographical back ground about Cyrus.
Cyrus Chestnut was born in Baltimore , Maryland on January 17, 1963. His father McDonald was a retired post-office employee and church pianist. Mother Flossie was a city social services worker and church choir director, 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
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chestnut worked with Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, and other bandleaders. Also in the in the early 1990s Cyrus joined the band of jazz vocalist Betty Carter 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 The Nutman Speaks Again, and Nut. Since that time, he has released twenty-nine albums as a leader and has appeared as a sideman on countless others.
Soul Food was released in 2001 and is comprised of 11 original compositions. Cyrus has some terrific band mates on the album including: Christian McBride on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, Stephon Harris vibraphone, Marcus, Printup Trumpet, Wycliffe Gordon trombone, Gary Bartz, alto sax and James Carter on tenor sax.
What a great array of musicians and throughout the album Cyrus doesn’t hesitate to let them shine! So check out the music of Cyrus Chestnut!
Links for the Further Exploration of Music of Cyrus Chestnut
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AllMusic
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