presents
Bill Charlap Trio
Friday, October 14, 2011
8:00PM
Aycock Auditorium
One of the world’s premiere jazz
pianists, Bill Charlap has performed
with many leading artists of our
time, ranging from Phil Woods and
Tony Bennett to Gerry Mulligan
and Wynton Marsalis. He is known
for his interpretations of American
popular songs and has recorded
albums featuring the music of Hoagy
Carmichael, Leonard Bernstein and
George Gershwin. Time magazine wrote,
“Bill Charlap approaches a song the
way a lover approaches his beloved…no
matter how imaginative or surprising his
take on a song is, he invariably zeroes in
on its essence.”
In 1997, Charlap formed the Bill Charlap Trio with bassist Peter Washington and
drummer Kenny Washington (no relation), now recognized as one of the leading
groups in jazz. In 2000, he was signed to Blue Note Records and has since
received two Grammy Award nominations, for Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard
Bernstein and most recently The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard. In
2009, Charlap was pianist and musical director for The Blue Note 7, an all-star
jazz septet celebrating the legacy of Blue Note Records on its 70th anniversary.
The septet performed a 50-city tour and released the CD, Mosaic: A Celebration
of Blue Note Records.
Charlap is the artistic director of New York City’s Jazz in July Festival at the 92nd
Street Y. He has produced several concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center and an
evening of George Gershwin’s music at the Hollywood Bowl.
Born in New York City, Charlap began playing the piano at age three. His father
was Broadway composer Moose Charlap, whose credits include Peter Pan, and
his mother is singer Sandy Stewart, who appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Perry
Como shows and earned a Grammy nomination for her recording of “My Coloring
Book.” In 2005, Charlap and Stewart released the acclaimed CD, Love Is Here To
Stay (Blue Note).
Charlap is married to renowned jazz pianist Renee Rosnes. The two artists often
collaborate in a duo piano setting. In 2010 Charlap and Rosnes released Double
Portrait, on the Blue Note label.
Kenny Washington was born
in Brooklyn. In 1977, while
still in his teens, he worked
with Lee Konitz and his nonet.
He has been a member of
the Bill Charlap Trio for the
past thirteen years and has
performed and recorded with
dozens of major artists, giving
him a discography of hundreds
of titles. Artists include Benny
Carter, Betty Carter, Johnny
Griffin, Ron Carter, Clark
Terry, Milt Jackson, Tommy
Flanagan, Dizzy Gillespie,
Arturo Sandoval and Benny Goodman. Washington is a noted jazz historian and
radio personality; he has written liner notes and helped prepare re-releases by
Art Blakey, Count Basie and others, and has also been a disc jockey on WBGO
and Sirius satellite jazz radio. He currently serves on the faculties of Purchase
College, State University of New York and The Juilliard School, teaching drums
and jazz history.
Bassist Sean Smith has been an integral
part of the international jazz scene for over
20 years. Smith has performed with such
jazz superstars as Gerry Mulligan, Phil
Woods, Benny Carter, Flip Phillips, Johnny
Griffin, Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Art Farmer,
Tom Harrell and many others. He was a
member of the Jacky Terrasson Trio for four
years. Sean has also been the accompanist
of choice for such celebrated vocalists
as Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Jimmy
Scott, Mark Murphy, and Andy Bey. He is
a prolific composer whose music has been
played and recorded by such artists as Phil
Woods,Bill Charlap, Bill Mays, Leon Parker,
Gene Bertoncini and Mark Murphy. Sean
has appeared on over 100 recordings
and his Song for the Geese is the title track of Mark Murphy’s 1998 Grammy
nominated album for RCA/BMG. As a leader his recordings include, Poise
(Ambient Records), and Sean Smith Quartet Live! (Chiaroscuro Records), both
featuring his own compositions. The Sean Smith Quartet performs regularly in
New York City . The Quartet’s new recording, “Trust”, was released last fall.
December 1: North Carolina Symphony
January 23: American Shakespeare Center
April 12: Evidence, A Dance Company
336-334-4TIX / boxoffice.uncg.edu
paseries.uncg.edu
