With guest vocalist Carla Cook, Nov. 16-19
By Roscoe Crenshaw
For the St. Louis American
Jazz at the Bistro visitors can enjoy a double treat November 16 through 19. The C’s have it when pianist Cyrus Chestnut and vocalist Carla Cook combine their crowd-pleasing artistry for what’s certain to be a gig packed with fun, excitement and superb musical blends.
I first heard the pair together on Cook’s Grammy-nominated MAXJAZZ disc, It’s All About Love, where Chestnut displayed his piano and arranging skills. Both have performed here separately on a few occasions. Each artist has evolved from a wellspring of experiences, encompassing jazz, blues, spirituals and classical pieces.
Chestnut’s initial inspiration is a familiar story.
“From early on, I was exposed to what the church is all about and the music that brings its message to life,” he said. His first public performance was at age seven at Baltimore’s Mt. Calvary Star Baptist Church, when he heard his father playing hymns on piano. “My whole spirit of joy started right there.”
Since then, Chestnut has spread his joy to a multitude of listeners. After matriculating at the Peabody Preparatory Institute and the Berklee College of Music in Boston – graduating in 1985 with a degree in jazz composition and arranging – he launched his professional career with the likes of Jon Hendricks, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Wynton Marsalis and Betty Carter.
His career as a leader began with his Atlantic debut, Revelation, in 1994. That was shortly after when I first heard Chestnut at Jazz at the Bistro in the St. Louis Hotel Majestic. He had that “can’t miss” appeal, a bubbly personality plus a ton of talent. The Revelation project was rewarded by a seven week #1 position on Gavin’s jazz chart, year-end #1 spots on both Gavin and CMJ charts and a place atop the Village Voice’s jazz poll.
From there, his career spiraled: from recording with opera singer Kathleen Battle, with whom he bonded easily because of their mutual ties to the church, to his trio work with drummer Clarence Penn and former St. Louis bassist Steve Kirby on his 1995 release, The Dark Before The Dawn.
Add to these ventures, 1996’s Earth Stories, which moved the Philadelphia Inquirer to announce, “Chestnut can find more joy in a single note than most pianists do with huge handfuls of harmony,” and, also during that year, Blessed Quietness: A Collection of Hymns, Spirituals and Carols, which further displayed his broad tastes and excellent arrangements.
Aside from his personal musical pursuits, Chestnut has found time for work with James Carter on In Carterian Fashion (where he switches to Hammond organ) and Kevin Mahogany on Another Time, Another Place. In addition, he has appeared both on the soundtrack and in an on-screen role as a Count Basie-inspired pianist in Robert Altman’s 1996 film, Kansas City. He has performed with elite symphony orchestras and as a solo piano artist, while continuing to record his own projects, like his 2001 Soul Food on Atlantic, his Warner Bros. jazz debut, You Are My Sunshine, and an upcoming Telarc effort due in February 2006.
Bistro regulars will recall Cook’s devotional persona from her moving rendition of “Hold on to God’s Unchanging Hand” and her easy transition to swinging, uptempo jazz or blues vehicles. The Detroit native and friend to fellow Motowners, vocalist Dianne Reeves and violinist Regina Carter, is noted for her effusion of warmth and lush vocal offerings. On her second MAXJAZZ effort, she affirms her broad musical rapport, aligning her vocal blessings with three trombones – Craig Harris, Fred Wesley and Tyrone Jefferson – in a uniquely gratifying CD entitled Dem Bones. On this one, we hear Cyrus on organ as well as piano.
Carla’s third MAXJAZZ disc, Simply Natural, like the others, includes Chestnut as arranger and pianist. On all three recordings, her uncanny ability to infuse her signature style and energy into such a diverse mix of material is triumphantly showcased.
But there’s nothing quite like Carla Cook live. Her striking brown eyes penetrate like the deep, cradling ballads and sassy swingers that she delivers, and her daring use of new music or innovative readings of familiar melodies define her talent.
Certainly a welcome guest on this gig, Carla joins Cyrus in an engagement sure to be applauded and treasured as one of The Bistro’s most memorable.
Cyrus Chestnut and Carla Cook play Jazz at the Bistro 3536 Washington, November 16-19 at 8:30 p.m. & 10:15 p.m.
