Cyrus Chestnut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cyrus Chestnut
Background information
Born	(1963-01-17) January 17, 1963 (age 62) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, producer
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Alfa, Evidence, Atlantic, Warner Bros., Telarc, WJ3

Cyrus Chestnut is an amazing American jazz pianist, composer, and music producer. He was born on January 17, 1963. A music critic once said that what makes Cyrus so great is his ability to use silence in his music, not just notes. This means he knows when to play and when to let the music breathe.

Cyrus Chestnut's Early Life

Cyrus Chestnut grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His dad, McDonald, was a church pianist, and his mom, Flossie, directed the church choir. Music was a big part of his family!

Cyrus started playing the piano when he was just seven years old. As a boy, he often played at Mount Calvary Baptist Church. By the time he was nine, he was already studying classical music at the famous Peabody Institute. Later, in 1985, he earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging from Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Cyrus Chestnut's Jazz Career

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cyrus Chestnut worked with many famous jazz musicians. Some of these included Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, and Donald Harrison. He also joined the band of jazz singer Betty Carter in the early 1990s. He played on her 1992 album called It's Not About the Melody.

In that same year, 1992, Cyrus released his very first albums as a bandleader. These albums were titled The Nutman Speaks and Nut. He has continued to lead his own bands and record music ever since.

What is Genuine Chestnut?

In 2006, Cyrus Chestnut released an album called Genuine Chestnut with the Telarc record label. On this album, he played with his regular trio. This group included Michael Hawkins on bass and Neal Smith on drums. Other musicians, like Russell Malone on guitar and Steven Kroon on percussion, also joined in for some songs.

The album features jazz versions of popular songs from the past 50 years. One of these songs is "If", a soft-rock ballad from the early 1970s by the band Bread. Cyrus remembered playing this song for his English teacher's wedding when he was in sixth grade. He said he had played it in many different ways over the years.

Genuine Chestnut also includes one of Cyrus's own songs called "Mason–Dixon Line." This song is a joyful and energetic jazz tune.

Cyrus Chestnut's Music Albums

Cyrus Chestnut has released many albums as a bandleader. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Cyrus Chestnut para niños