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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut can do it all. Equally adept playing with trios, groups, or alone, he tackles a broad range of styles with both taste and intelligence on this eclectic disc. Joined by some of jazz's finest players--James Carter, Joe Lovano, Billy Higgins, and Ron Carter--Chestnut jumps from the funky group interplay of "The Journey" to the swinging romp "Sharp" and into the mainstream with the addition of R&B vocalist Anita Baker on "My Favorite Things" and "Summertime." On his own, Chestnut strides smoothly through the sly Art Tatum-influenced "Nutman's Inventions" before displaying his background in gospel and classical music on a pair of meditative ballads, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and "Elegant Flower (for Jazz'min). A rich, satisfying sampling of jazz. --Erik Pedersen
From Jazziz
You'd think virtuosity would be enough. But these days jazz producers lose plenty of sleep cooking up album concepts to augment the artistry of their charges. Yves Beauvais has done a good job with Cyrus Chestnut's previous four discs, avoiding contrivance at every turn. Even the pair's most deliberate session, the 1996 hymns-and-spiritual album Blessed Quietness, had an utterly natural charm.
This time out, with Beauvais' help, Atlantic kingpin Ahmet Ertegun plays quarterback. And while it's a tad ironic that the pianist's first self-titled disc is also the first to feature a handful of guest stars, Cyrus Chestnut is a valuable addition to the pianist's ever-growing discography. Momentarily replacing the rhythm section that Chestnut uses in concert is the incredible team of Ron Carter and Billy Higgins, and riding the graceful bumps they create are James Carter and Joe Lovano. You expect the musicianship to be striking, and it is. The icing on the cake is that the rapport is sensational, too.
Milking Chestnut's affable tunes, Ertegun crafts an extremely suave kind of mainstream jazz that benefits all involved, especially Carter. On "Miss Thing" and "The Journey," Carter's florid approach to tenor is recalibrated just enough to beget an eloquence sometimes shrouded on his own discs. When he and Lovano hook up on "Sharp," hard bop takes on an utterly modern resonance. Less winning but not without charm are Anita Baker's strolls through "Summertime" and "My Favorite Things." The tunes are too obvious, and the celebrated pop vocalist's delivery comes off a tad prosaic.
As far as the leader goes, well, Chestnut becomes a deeper improvisor with each year. His latest solo flights, "Nutman's Invention No. 2" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," display two sides of a coin. The first is jaunty and clever; the second a gloryland meditation. In cahoots with the ensemble tracks, they allow the pianist's expertise to create its own world of ideas. Not a bad concept.
--- Jim Macnie, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chestnut Hits the Mark,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cyrus Chestnut (Audio CD)
This album clearly establishes Chestnut as one of the great pianists of our time. The music is warm, Chestnut's playing is innovative, and the group's precision is flawless. The addition of James Carter (playing alto) and Joe Lovano to several tunes makes for excellent chemistry. Anita Baker's sultry and haunting vocals is a welcome addition to jazz and I look forward to hearing more. Chestnut's stylings transcend typical stereotypes. When I played "Elegant Flower" for my wife, her comment was "That's beautiful but I thought you said he plays jazz."
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truly talented artist.,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Cyrus Chestnut (Audio CD)
I first heard of Cyrus Chestnut when I purchased his Christmas album. Now I'm hooked. He is an elegant, playful, extremely talented artist, and I would not hesitate to buy his future work.
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