“Charlap’s melodic charm, insouciant swing and harmonic élan unfold with a deceptive ease… Also significant is Charlap’s economy of means. Regardless of tempo, his music breathes. Indeed, if Stan Getz had played piano, he just might have sounded like Bill Charlap.”
– Chuck Berg, Jazz Times
Capilano Performing Arts Theatre is proud to present the outstanding Bill Charlap Trio as part of the Cap Jazz Series on Sunday January 30, 2011 at 8:00 pm.
Widely considered one of the world’s best jazz pianists, Charlap is known for his extraordinary talent and innovative interpretations of American Songbook standards. He has performed and recorded with top artists, ranging from jazz masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Joined by long-time band-mates Kenny Washington (drums) and Sean Smith (bass), the Bill Charlap Trio are sure to transport and astonish with their ‘over the top’ playing and uncanny sense of each other.
Charlap was born into a musical family in New York City in the late 60s and started playing piano at the age of three. His father, Moose Charlap, was a Broadway composer whose credits include Peter Pan, The Conquering Hero and Alice Through the Looking Glass. His mother, Sandy Stewart, appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como shows and earned a Grammy nomination for her recording of My Coloring Book. He studied under jazz pianist Jack Reilly and classical pianist Eleanor Hancock and was influenced by the playing of distant cousin Dick Hyman. He started his professional career in the late ’80s playing with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan’s quintet. In 1994 he was invited by alto saxophonist Phil Woods to join his band. Charlap embarked on his solo career in 1994 releasing several albums.
The Bill Charlap Trio was formed in 1996 with original members – bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. The group released All Through the Night on Criss Cross Records and three Blue Note recordings including Grammy nominated Somewhere, featuring their interpretations on the music of Leonard Bernstein. Charlap received the “Pianist of the Year” Jazz Award in 2003 from the Jazz Journalist Association and was named “Outstanding Jazz Soloist” by Manhatten’s Night Life Awards in 2003 and 2004.
Charlap took over from Dick Hyman as the Artistic Director of New York’s 92nd Street Y Jazz in July six program series after Hyman’s 20th year in 2005 and he has produced concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, the JVC Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl.
He married renowned Canadian jazz pianist Renee Rosnes in New York City in the summer of 2007. The following year, Charlap became part of The Blue Note 7, a septet formed in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. The group released Mosaic, in 2009, showcasing the music of various Blue Note artists, with arrangements by his wife and members of the band. Last spring, Charlap and Rosnes released their first collaborative album Double Portrait, featuring four-handed piano duets on the Blue Note label.
