Bill Charlap

All Music Guide:

Bill Charlap is one of the strongest mainstream jazz pianists on the scene and one of the most gifted interpreters of standards. He grew up in a musical household, as the son of Broadway songwriter Moose Charlap and singer Sandy Stewart. Taking to the piano at a young age, he went on to study at New York's High School of Performing Arts. He then entered college, but rather than finishing, opted to practice and gig on his own. Pianist Bill Mays soon took up Charlap's cause, recommending the young man as his replacement in the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. During this time, Charlap also worked with Benny Carter, Clark Terry, and Frank Wess, and was sought after as an accompanist for singers such as Tony Bennett, Carol Sloane, and Sheila Jordan. In 1995, he secured one of the most coveted piano chairs in jazz, with the Phil Woods Quintet.

All the while, Charlap showed steady development as a leader. His debut came in 1994 with Along with Me, followed by Souvenir in 1995 and Distant Star in 1996. His 1997 release, All Through the Night, was the first to feature his current trio, with the redoubtable (and unrelated) Washingtons, Peter and Kenny, on bass and drums respectively. In 2000, this lineup had its major-label breakthrough with the highly acclaimed Blue Note disc Written in the Stars. Two albums appeared in 2001: 2Gether with Warren Vaché and Contrasts with Jon Gordon. 'S Wonderful hit the shelves in 2002, as did Stardust, which began a series of albums that focused on a single composer. Stardust featured the music of Hoagy Carmichael, 2004's Somewhere was an all-Leonard Bernstein affair, while 2005's Plays George Gershwin featured ten songs by the man Charlap considers "the American soul." 2005 saw the release of an album with Sandy Stewart, Love Is Here to Stay. Two years later, Charlap released Live at the Village Vanguard.

Wikipedia:

William Morrison Charlap is a jazz pianist born October 15, 1966 in New York City.

Biography

Bill Charlap comes from a musical background and is a distant cousin to famed jazz pianist Dick Hyman. His mother, Sandy Stewart , is a singer who had a hit in 1962 with My Coloring Book, while his father was Broadway composer Moose Charlap. Charlap and his mother recorded a duet album: "Love Is Here To Stay." Charlap has recorded seven albums as a leader or co-leader for the Blue Note label, including two Grammy nominated CDs: "Somewhere", featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, and "The Bill Charlap Trio, Live At The Village Vanguard." For the Japanese label Venus Records he has recorded two albums as a leader, as well as eight albums as a member of the New York Trio.

Charlap began playing piano at age three. He later studied classical music, but remained most interested in jazz. He has worked with Gerry Mulligan, Benny Carter, Tony Bennett, and others. In the mid-90s, he was the musical director of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, A Celebration of Johnny Mercer, part of New York's JVC Jazz Festival. In 1995 he joined the Phil Woods Quintet.

Charlap appears at least twice a year for lengthy runs at some of the world's major jazz clubs, including the Village Vanguard with his rhythm section, consisting of Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums). In addition to appearing and recording with Peter Washington and Kenny Washington in the Bill Charlap Trio, since 2001 Charlap has also recorded as a member of the New York Trio for the Japanese label Venus Records. The other members of the New York Trio are bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Bill Stewart.

Charlap replaced Dick Hyman as Artistic Director of New York's 92nd Street Y "Jazz in July" six program series after Hyman's 20th year in 2004. He married Canadian jazz pianist Renee Rosnes in New York City on August 25, 2007. The pair released an album of piano duets entitled ""Double Portrait" on Blue Note Records/EMI.

In 2008, Charlap became part of The Blue Note 7, a septet formed that year in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. The group recorded an album in 2008, entitled Mosaic, which was released in 2009 on Blue Note Records/EMI, and toured the United States in promotion of the album from January until April 2009.[1] The group plays the music of Blue Note Records from various artists, with arrangements by members of the band and his wife Renee Rosnes. Bill lives with his daughters Sophie and Vivian Charlap. He also lives with his wife Renee Rosnes and his stepson Dylan Drummond