Cyrus Chestnut Jamming At Dizzy’s
Looking for something to do tonight, New Yorkers? Hustle yourself over to the Jazz at the Lincoln Center website and make a reservation for one of Cyrus Chestnut’s last sets at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, the Lincoln Center’s jazz club venue at the Time Warner Center. Chestnut, one of the best jazz pianists playing today, never disappoints even when playing alone, but playing with pianist Eric Reed, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Willie Jones III, he can’t be beat.
Betsy and I caught the 7:30 set last night and were blown away. I’d never been to Dizzy’s before, but I promise you I’ll be going again. It’s a great venue. Located on the 5th Floor of the Time Warner Center, there’s a gorgeous view out over Central Park through the wall of windows behind the stage. With great jazz musicians playing in front of the New York skyline, it’s the ultimate urban experience. The space is bigger than the Village Vanguard but not so big that there’s isn’t a great view and sound from pretty much every seat in the house. I can’t really speak to the food, as we just had drinks, but they have a full menu dominated by soul food classics, and the drinks are rather better than you’ll get at the Vanguard, much though I love it.
As for Cyrus Chestnut? Go see him. Go see him whenever you have the chance to. I see him every time he’s in town. As a friend once said, he’s shaped a little like an egg, but those fingers move faster than you would believe possible, and if you like jazz piano, he is spectacular. Chestnut plays with an irresistible energy, switching off with mellow ballads and pieces with an easy lilt that make it impossible not to swing along with him. Offerings in the early set last night included a playful riff on the music from Jeopardy and a solo rendition by Chestnut of the classic civil rights anthem “Lift Every Voice And Sing” as a soulful ballad, which he felt particularly topical in light of recent events. Reed also took a lead piano turn with a piece entitled “Prayer” off his new album, Stand!, and stepped up but good in the last piece of the set, jamming with an energy that had people cheering. The two pianists gave the rest of the quartet a break to play Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk” as a terrific duet. As always, when it was over I wished I could stay for all three sets, but the line of people waiting outside the door said no.
Go! You won’t be disappointed. And if you’re not in New York, check out Chestnut’s many recordings. He’s also done some great work with the talented bassist George Mraz and drummer Lewis Nash as Manhattan Trinity. Well worth the money, I promise.
