Grammy-nominated Jazz Organist Brian Charette at Williams Center for the Arts

Bring your lunch to the Williams Center's Room 123 for a free conversation and performance with Grammy-nominated jazz organist Brian Charette.

Organist/pianist Brian Charette has established himself as a leading voice in modern jazz. Charette is a Grammy-nominated, Hammond-endorsed artist who was the winner of the 2014 Downbeat Critics’ Poll "Rising Star: Organ" award and has climbed to 4th place in the 2016 Critic's Poll main organ category. This year Brian also won the Hot House Magazine Fan's Decision Jazz Award for Best Organist in New York. His brand new recording, Once and Future, is currently #17 on the Jazz Week chart and is also on the iTunes new music Top 20. ...

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Bring your lunch to the Williams Center's Room 123 for a free conversation and performance with Grammy-nominated jazz organist Brian Charette.

Organist/pianist Brian Charette has established himself as a leading voice in modern jazz. Charette is a Grammy-nominated, Hammond-endorsed artist who was the winner of the 2014 Downbeat Critics’ Poll "Rising Star: Organ" award and has climbed to 4th place in the 2016 Critic's Poll main organ category. This year Brian also won the Hot House Magazine Fan's Decision Jazz Award for Best Organist in New York. His brand new recording, Once and Future, is currently #17 on the Jazz Week chart and is also on the iTunes new music Top 20.

Charette was born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1972, and was introduced to music by his mother, Catherine. By the age of 17, he was playing with jazz luminaries Lou Donaldson and Houston Person. Since graduating on the Dean's List from UConn in 1994 with a BA in Music, Charette has been performing extensively in Europe and the USA with his home base being the East Village, NYC. Brian is a staple of the downtown scene working with virtually everyone who plays with an organist.

Besides being a critically acclaimed composer and bandleader, Brian has performed with notable artists such as Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, and many more. Just this month, Brian will start working with Miles Davis alumnus George Coleman. Charette is also an active author and educator, writing for Keyboard magazine, New York City Jazz Record, DownBeat, and the Czech magazine Muzikus. Brian teaches masterclasses all over the world and is on the faculty of the Czech Summer Jazz Workshop at Jezek Conservatory in Prague. His first book, 101 Hammond B3 Tips, released through publisher Hal Leonard, has become very popular, as well as his video on the website, mymusicmasterclass.com. Outside of music, Charette is passionate about chess and White Crane kung fu, in which he holds a black sash.

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