Jazz musician Cyrus Chestnut shares food for the soul on new CD

Jet, March 11, 2002

Jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut believes good music is "food for the soul."

And that's why he called his latest jazz CD Soul Food. "All of the music is designed to touch one. Hopefully, it'll offer comfort and encouragement. People should smile and laugh when they hear it. It's not about high- tech theories or deep concepts; it's just grooving music."

Throughout his career, he has played with jazz performers such as Wynton Marsalis, Betty Carter, Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard and Jon Hendricks as wen as R&B singer Anita Baker and opera great Kathleen Battle.

Soul Food blends jazz, classical, gospel and R&B. "It's not like I'm trying to showcase: `Oh, I can play rhythm and blues and I can play gospel.' They're all a part of me, and when I sit down to play, that's what comes out."

Joining Chestnut on Soul Food are jazz-playing buddies Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Marcus Printup, Wycliffe Gordon, Gary Bartz and James Carter.

A native of Baltimore, Chestnut received his earliest musical training at age 5 from his father, McDonald Chestnut, and played the piano at Mt. Calvary Star Baptist Church. He recorded his first CD, Revelation, in 1994 and has gone on to record seven CDs including his holiday CD A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Playing music, he feels, brings him closer to God. "I believe that I've been given the assignment, for my existence on earth, to do this. To be able to play notes and rhythms to inspire and encourage, wherever I go."