Lafayette Gilchrist Celebrates ‘NOW’ With Calendar year-Conclusion Solo Livestream Live performance

On Monday, December 28 at 7 p.m. EST, Baltimore-centered pianist, composer and bandleader Lafayette Gilchrist will accomplish a livestream solo piano live performance offered by An Die Musik in Baltimore.

Understand extra and acquire tickets in this article.

Pianist, composer and bandleader extraordinaire Lafayette Gilchrist returns to the trio structure on his engrossing, self-produced double disc, NOW, the follow-up to final year’s critically acclaimed solo piano album, Dark Matter, which a lot of critics cited as one of 2019’s finest jazz releases.

On NOW, Gilchrist’s 1st trio recording because his 2007 release 3, the pianist qualified prospects his formidable group Specials Exposed, showcasing bassist Herman Burney and drummer Eric Kennedy. The three musicians have formulated a deep rapport from years of actively playing collectively in other people’s bands. When the trio convened to history in November 2019, Gilchrist was bursting with innovative strength.The album begins with Gilchrist’s signature tune, “Assume the Position,” a protest song about law enforcement violence that was featured on HBO’s criminal offense drama The Wire. Atop a combustive, deep-pocket groove, Gilchrist unleashes his signature two-handed improvisations, normally marked by granite-challenging rhythmic assaults, rumbling blues-laden melodies, a striking harmonic perception and off-kilter improvisations.NOW incorporates other socially and politically mindful compositions as well, this sort of as the dramatic “Bmore Watchful,” which examines crime and law enforcement brutality in Baltimore, where by Gilchrist has lived considering that 1987. The piece capabilities rumbling tremolos, a stuttering groove and a cinematic melody that fluctuates amongst menacing and wistful.Gilchrist notes that the 2015 death of Freddie Gray whilst in law enforcement custody garnered worldwide coverage. “What I would like persons to understand is that when you occur to Baltimore, you require to demonstrate some regard for the struggle within the town and how strong the men and women are on the floor listed here.”Somewhere else on NOW, Gilchrist addresses other socio-political issues. On the dreamy, oddly hopeful “Outdated Footwear Arrive to Lifetime,” which Gilchrist conceived immediately after looking at an episode of lawyer Antonio Moore’s YouTube clearly show Tonetalks, he explores the economic wealth hole involving races in the United States. The skulking “On Your Belly Like a Snake” was motivated by a scene from Haile Gerima’s 1993 motion picture Sankofa, which depicts a discussion amongst Shango, a rebellious subject slave who’s just been crushed, and Shola, a compliant residence slave. Shola advises Shango to be a lot more agreeable with the slave homeowners to stay clear of violence. “Shango fires again ‘You’re by no means likely to get your freedom right up until you discover how to crawl on your tummy like a snake.’ So, the song’s in the spirit of the Maroons of the American diaspora, i.e. Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Florida, South Carolina and New Orleans,” Gilchrist remembers.NOW also contains numerous pretty tunes centered on affairs of the heart. Just one of those people is the beautiful “Recently Arrived,” with its entrancing melody and suspenseful romanticism. Gilchrist’s inspiration for the music was Sade’s 1988 common tune “Love Is Stronger Than Pleasure.” On the haunting ballad “The Marvel of Becoming Listed here,” which touches on the like that continues to be just after a brief-term romance, Gilchrist unravels a melody that appears as if it was lifted from Abbey Lincoln’s songbook. Other amorous tunes incorporate the ballad “Say a Prayer for Our Like” and the torrential “Tomorrow Is Ready Now (Sharon’s Track).” Gilchrist penned the latter for a friend to inspire her to hardly ever give up hope, even all through the darkest hours.During NOW, Gilchrist’s putting two-handed pianism radiates as he anchors his rugged still sensual improvisations with stride, ragtime and jump blues in the tradition of Earl “Fatha” Hines, Willie “The Lion” Smith, Eubie Blake and Memphis Trim. “I was always attracted to the aged audio,” Gilchrist says. “It can be like the regional appears that people men bought out of the piano – the East Coastline, the West Coast, the Deep South and the unique techniques.”Gilchrist also cites other influences, including Billy Preston, Aretha Franklin, Randy Weston, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner and Bud Powell. Make no mistake nevertheless, Gilchrist is a modernist who deftly juxtaposes multiple jazz idioms with the rhythmic bounce, syncopation and grooves affiliated with go-go tunes, funk and hip-hop.

Born in August 1967 in Washington, D.C., Gilchrist’s lifetime as a pianist started at 17 when he was studying economics at University of Maryland, Baltimore. On his way to an English class in the course of his freshman yr, he wandered into a recital hall and began pecking out melodies and riffs on a Steinway piano.

Gilchrist subsequently put in lots of several hours teaching himself piano and auditing songs concept courses. By the time he graduated, he had started off his occupation as a pianist and composer. He formed his initial ensemble, New Volcanoes, in 1993 and introduced his debut album, The Art is Existence, that same year. He is since released 13 other albums as a leader. In addition to The Wire, his tunes has been showcased on HBO’s Treme and The Deuce. “Gilchrist’s producing weaves with each other previous-university funk rhythms with hip-hop cadences and raw road beats,” suggests Troy Collins in All About Jazz. “His melodic sensibility embraces the esoteric angularity of Andrew Hill and Sun Ra as much as the psychological directness of the blues.”In addition to his perform as a chief, Gilchrist has also executed as a sideman with a host of jazz luminaries such as saxophonist David Murray, singer Cassandra Wilson, trombonist Craig Harris, bassist William Parker and drummer Andrew Cyrille.