Bill Charlap Trio at Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Pianist Bill Charlap is a master of the piano trio format. From American Songbook classics to obscure bebop tunes, his sense of phrasing and harmonic intuition keeps the music percolating at all times. The Bill Charlap Trio was formed in 1997 with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Almost immediately they drew raves from jazz fans and music critics, alike. The two Washington’s are not related but perform as if they were born to play together. Charlap signed with the iconic Blue Note Records in 2000 and released a string of heralded recordings, two of which received Grammy award nominations...

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Pianist Bill Charlap is a master of the piano trio format. From American Songbook classics to obscure bebop tunes, his sense of phrasing and harmonic intuition keeps the music percolating at all times. The Bill Charlap Trio was formed in 1997 with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Almost immediately they drew raves from jazz fans and music critics, alike. The two Washington’s are not related but perform as if they were born to play together. Charlap signed with the iconic Blue Note Records in 2000 and released a string of heralded recordings, two of which received Grammy award nominations. In 2009 for Blue Note’s 70th anniversary, Charlap was appointed musical director for the Blue Note Seven, an all-star septet made up of the label’s artist roster. Charlap’s professional career has spanned the gamut of gigs, from accompanist to bandleader. He has performed with many prominent jazz artists including Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan and Wynton Marsalis. With his trio – together now for almost two decades – the interplay between Bill, Peter and Kenny verges on the telepathic. You will not hear a finer straight-ahead, jazz piano trio than this one.

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