Cyrus Chestnut

A masterful jazz pianist, Cyrus Chestnut balances his lithe technical skill with a robust, soulful style that speaks to his deep gospel roots and love of swinging hard bop. Raised in the church, Chestnut learned how to infuse his swinging, classically trained style with a warm gospel sound, a style that first marked his work as a sideman, backing artists like Jon Hendricks, Betty Carter, Donald Harrison, and Wynton Marsalis. He further perfected his approach as a leader, recording a bevy of small-group albums for Atlantic, like 1998's Cyrus Chestnut, and as a member of the Manhattan Trinity with bassist George Mraz and drummer Lewis Nash. Most often, Chestnut leads his trio, as on 2016's Natural Essence with veterans Buster Williams and Lenny White, 2018's Kaleidoscope with Eric Wheeler and Chris Beck, and 2022's My Father's Hands, a tribute to his late father, who first taught him how to play.