# 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."

## 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

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
| 1992? | The Nutman Speaks | Alfa Jazz | |
| 1992? | The Nutman Speaks Again | Alfa Jazz | |
| 1992 | Nut | Evidence/Alfa Jazz | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums) |
| 1993 | Another Direction | Evidence | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Carl Allen (drums) |
| 1993 | Revelations | Atlantic | Trio, with Christopher J. Thomas (bass), Clarence Penn (drums) |
| 1994 | Dark Before the Dawn | Atlantic | Trio, with Steve Kirby (bass), Clarence Penn (drums) |
| 1995 | Earth Stories | Atlantic | With Eddie Allen (trumpet), Antonio Hart (alto sax), Steve Kirby (bass), Alvester Garnett (drums) |
| 1996 | Blessed Quietness | Atlantic | Solo piano |
| 1997 | American Meditation | Baybridge | Manhattan Trinity+1, with Antonio Hart (alto sax), George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 1998 | Cyrus Chestnut | Atlantic | with James Carter (alto sax), Joe Lovano (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Higgins, Lewis Nash (drums), Anita Baker (vocals) |
| 1998 | Make Me a Memory | Baybridge | Manhattan Trinity+1, with Teodross Avery (tenor, soprano sax), George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 1998 | A Love Story | M&I | Manhattan Trinity+1, with Eric Alexander (tenor sax), George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2000 | A Charlie Brown Christmas | Atlantic | with Michael Brecker (tenor sax), Kenny Garrett (alto sax), choir |
| 2001 | Soul Food | Atlantic | with Marcus Printup (trumpet), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Gary Bartz (alto sax), James Carter (tenor sax), Stefon Harris (vibraphone), Christian McBride (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2001 | Love Letters | M&I | Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2002 | You Are My Sunshine | Warner Bros. | Trio, with Michael Hawkins (bass), Neal Smith (drums) |
| 2002 | Misty | M&I | Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2003 | Alfie | M&I | Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2004 | Charade | M&I | Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2005 | Genuine Chestnut | Telarc | Some 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 | The Gentle Rain | M&I | Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2007 | Cyrus Plays Elvis | Koch | Trio, with Dezron Douglas (bass), Neal Smith (drums) |
| 2007 | Cyrus Chestnut Trio - Black Nile | M&I | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
| 2008 | Sunflower - Henry Mancini Songbook | M&I | Manhattan Trinity, with George Mraz (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2008 | Spirit | Jazz Legacy | Solo piano |
| 2010 | Cyrus Chestnut Trio - Journeys | Jazz Legacy | Trio, with Dezron Douglas (bass), Neal Smith (drums) |
| 2010 | The Cyrus Chestnut Quartet | WJ3 | Quartet, with Stacy Dillard (tenor and soprano saxophones), Dezron Douglas (bass), Willie Jones III (drums) |
| 2011 | Cyrus Chestnut Trio - Moonlight Sonata | Venus | Trio, with Dezron Douglas (bass), Neal Smith (drums) |
| 2013 | Soul Brother Cool | WJ3 | Quartet, with Freddie Hendrix (trumpet), Dezron Douglas (bass), Willie Jones III (drums) |
| 2014 | Midnight Melodies | Smoke Sessions | Trio, with Curtis Lundy (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2014 | A Million Colors in Your Mind | Highnote | Trio, with David Williams (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2015 | Natural Essence | Highnote | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Lenny White (drums) |
| 2017 | There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit | Highnote | Most tracks trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Lenny White (drums); some tracks quartet, with Steve Nelson (vibraphone) |
| 2018 | Kaleidoscope | Highnote | Trio, with Eric Wheeler (bass), Chris Beck (drums) |
| 2022 | My Father's Hands | Highnote | Trio, with Peter Washington (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |

### 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: The Duke Ellington Album (Phillips, 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)
* The Music Never Stops (Blue Engine, 2019)
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)
With Roy 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, 2000)
* 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 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

| 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 | 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, 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. |