Cyrus Chestnut • My Father's Hands

 

The Baltimore-born Cyrus Chestnut is a wonderful pianist, rather like Oscar Peterson in his heyday: one of the rare kind who isn’t forever trying to impress you. He doesn’t need to try. Now in his late 50s, he has been playing since, as a small child, he watched his father’s hands “in a passionate relationship with the piano”. His father, McDonald, who played in Baptist churches and was his first teacher, died last year. This album is dedicated to his memory.

Among Chestnut’s many attractive points is his leaning towards melody. These 10 tracks are full of tunes, some composed by him, some already well known, and some that just turn up in the course of playing. His own pieces, especially Thinking About You and Working Out Just Fine, are really attractive, catchy numbers. Of the standards here, But Beautiful, although short, is exactly what its title suggests. Yesterday, very slow with lots of space, some gentle harmonic changes and a few tinkly phrases suggesting birdsong, is quite magical. This is the pianist’s show, of course, but in Peter Washington and Lewis Nash it has one of the best bass and drums teams anywhere.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/13/cyrus-chestnut-my-fathers-hands-review-like-oscar-peterson-in-his-heyday


Review
by Matt Collar  
With the death of Cyrus Chestnut's 85-year-old father, McDonald Chestnut, in 2021, the pianist lost not only his most passionate supporter but the man who first taught him to play. A self-taught pianist and organist, the elder Chestnut played in church (along with his wife, a choir director). He introduced the younger Chestnut to classical piano, gospel, and traditional spirituals, setting Cyrus on the path to eventually become one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of his generation. With 2022's My Father's Hands, Chestnut pays tribute to his dad, crafting a heartfelt album that touches upon jazz and pop standards, Latin rhythms, and originals. Joining him are two of his longtime associates and esteemed contemporaries, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash. Together, they play with an intuitive warmth and camaraderie. As the album is an homage to his father's memory, one might expect it to be melancholy or sad. However, while there are certainly moments of tearful beauty, as on Chestnut's lyrical rendition of the ballad "But Beautiful," the record is never maudlin and finds him in a lively mood. This is especially true on the opening original "Nippon Soul Connection," a blues swinger in the '60s hard bop tradition. He also dives into Ray Bryant's Latin number "Cubano Chant" and subtly subverts expectations with his bossa nova take on the classic "There Will Never Be Another You." We also get a dusky and introspective reading of the Beatles' "Yesterday." His father's essence is perhaps best captured on "I Must Tell Jesus," a soulful hymn that Chestnut plays solo, infusing the measured gospel melody with warm chordal harmonies that shimmer with joy.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-fathers-hands-mw0003734248

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Cyrus Chestnut, nacido en Baltimore, es un pianista maravilloso, más bien como Oscar Peterson en su época de esplendor: uno de los pocos que no se esfuerza por impresionar. No necesita intentarlo. A sus 50 años, lleva tocando desde que, de pequeño, observaba las manos de su padre "en una relación apasionada con el piano". Su padre, McDonald, que tocaba en las iglesias baptistas y fue su primer maestro, murió el año pasado. Este álbum está dedicado a su memoria.

Entre los muchos atractivos de Chestnut está su inclinación por la melodía. Estos 10 temas están llenos de melodías, algunas compuestas por él, otras ya conocidas y otras que simplemente aparecen en el transcurso de la interpretación. Sus propias piezas, especialmente Thinking About You y Working Out Just Fine, son números realmente atractivos y pegadizos. De los estándares aquí presentes, But Beautiful, aunque corto, es exactamente lo que sugiere su título. Yesterday, muy lenta, con mucho espacio, algunos cambios armónicos suaves y algunas frases tintineantes que sugieren el canto de los pájaros, es bastante mágica. Este es el espectáculo del pianista, por supuesto, pero en Peter Washington y Lewis Nash tiene uno de los mejores equipos de bajo y batería de cualquier lugar.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/13/cyrus-chestnut-my-fathers-hands-review-like-oscar-peterson-in-his-heyday


Reseña
por Matt Collar  
Con la muerte del padre de Cyrus Chestnut, McDonald Chestnut, de 85 años, en 2021, el pianista perdió no sólo a su más apasionado defensor sino al hombre que le enseñó a tocar por primera vez. Pianista y organista autodidacta, el mayor de los Chestnut tocaba en la iglesia (junto con su mujer, directora del coro). Introdujo al joven Chestnut en el piano clásico, el gospel y los espirituales tradicionales, y puso a Cyrus en el camino para convertirse en uno de los músicos de jazz más consumados de su generación. Con 2022's My Father's Hands, Chestnut rinde homenaje a su padre, elaborando un álbum muy sincero que toca estándares de jazz y pop, ritmos latinos y originales. Se unen a él dos de sus asociados de siempre y estimados contemporáneos, el bajista Peter Washington y el baterista Lewis Nash. Juntos, tocan con una calidez y camaradería intuitivas. Como el álbum es un homenaje a la memoria de su padre, uno podría esperar que fuera melancólico o triste. Sin embargo, aunque hay momentos de belleza lacrimógena, como en la interpretación lírica de Chestnut de la balada "But Beautiful", el disco nunca es sensiblero y se encuentra en un estado de ánimo animado. Esto es especialmente cierto en el original de apertura "Nippon Soul Connection", un blues swinger en la tradición del hard bop de los 60. También se sumerge en el número latino de Ray Bryant "Cubano Chant" y subvierte sutilmente las expectativas con su versión bossa nova del clásico "There Will Never Be Another You". También tenemos una lectura oscura e introspectiva de "Yesterday" de los Beatles. La esencia de su padre es quizás la mejor capturada en "I Must Tell Jesus", un himno conmovedor que Chestnut interpreta en solitario, infundiendo la mesurada melodía gospel con cálidas armonías de acordes que brillan de alegría.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-fathers-hands-mw0003734248


www.cyruschestnut.net ...

Tracks:
1 - Nippon Soul Connection
2 - Thinking About You
3 - Cubano Chant
4 - Baubles, Bangles and Beads
5 - Yesterday
6 - I Must Tell Jesus
7 - Working Out Just Fine
8 - There Will Never Be Another You
9 - But Beautiful
10 - Epilogue


Label: Highnote
2022

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