(SUNDANCE, UTAH) January 5, 2004 - Sundance presents four extraordinary evenings of Jazz during the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, with piano trio greats including the Cyrus Chestnut Trio on January 22; the Bill Charlap Trio on January 26; the Marcus Roberts Trio on January 28; and the Judy Carmichael Trio on January 29. In addition, Sundance will feature a Steinway Gallery where these great artists’ performances will take place on and surrounded by legendary Steinway pianos.
In its 150-year history, Steinway & Sons has produced just over 563,000 handcrafted pianos. Only 3,000 instruments are produced annually in the Steinway New York factory, about the same rate as a century ago. The name Steinway & Sons has come to represent the highest quality of craftsmanship. And, a handful of these instruments rank as some of the most legendary instruments in the world.
Sundance proudly displays these pianos for the public to experience and enjoy. With assistance by Dayne’s Music, one of the oldest Steinway dealers in the nation, The Steinway Piano Gallery at Sundance will include the Steinway Rhapsody Art Case Piano; the Dale Chihuly “Olympia” Art Case Piano; the Steinway 150th Anniversary Limited Edition Piano; and the Dakota Jackson designed Tricentennial Limited Edition Piano. Everyone from the novice to the concert artist is invited to try their musical skills on these great instruments. The Sundance Piano Gallery will be open 10 am to 6 pm, most days from January 23 through 30. Admission is free.
To have the American art form Jazz, celebrated by its leading artist/champions performing on and surrounded by legendary Steinway pianos while nestled under Mt. Timpanogos is pure magic. In this series, Sundance, known for bringing ideas and voices together, offers the public a new view on the balance of art and nature.
Cyrus Chestnut Trio – Saturday, January 22
Cyrus Chestnut, of Baltimore, Maryland just rang in the New Year on National Public Radio’s (NPR) Toast of the Nation. Chestnut is a graduate of Berklee School of Music in Boston and has recorded with many of jazz’s leading artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Jon Hendricks, Vincent Herring, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison and Courtney Pine. He held the piano chair in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra during its 1995 summer and fall tours and its 1997 Swingin’ the Blues for Count Basie concert, and gave a critically acclaimed solo recital at Lincoln Center’s Stanley Kaplan Penthouse in February 1998. Chestnut appeared with Reginald Veal as part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center “Duets on the Hudson” series in April 2000.
Chestnut has recorded numerous albums over the course of his career. But, it was the release of his album, “You are My Sunshine,” that Chestnut returned to the trio setting with drummer, Neal Smith and bassist Michael Hawkins as a vehicle for his musical expression and exploration. The recording went to Down Beats list of the best records of 2002 and then went on to the Top 10 on the Jazz Charts. The Cyrus Chestnut Trio includes Michael Hawkins on bass and Neal Smith on drums.
Bill Charlap Trio – Wednesday, January 26
Bill Charlap’s music has been described as everything from hard swinging to romantic, but his roots can be found on Broadway. His father, Moose Charlap, was a Broadway composer, most well known for his work on Peter Pan. His mother, Sandy Stewart, a singer, co starred on “The Perry Como Show” and performed with Benny Goodman. She also received a Grammy nomination for her best selling single, “My Coloring Book.” “I can never remember a time when I wasn’t making music. I always knew I would play the piano, that I would be playing this music,” said Charlap.
Charlap was the musical director on the film, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and “A Celebration of Johnny Mercer” as part of the JVC Jazz Festival in New York. He has accompanied such legendary artists as singer, Tony Bennett, among others. Charlap’s current trio is composed of bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Willie Jones.
Marcus Roberts Trio – Friday, January 28
Marcus Roberts returns to Sundance with the Marcus Roberts Trio. His most recent concert performance at Sundance in October was sold out. Roberts has attained a level of success and achievement that few artists ever obtain in their lifetime. He has won numerous awards and competitions, including the National Association of Jazz Educators annual competition in 1982, and the first Thelonius Monk competition in 1987. Roberts was the first jazz pianist to have three recordings reach #1 on Billboard’s traditional jazz chart.
Marcus Roberts toured with Wynton Marsalis from 1985 to 1991. In 1993, he premiered his extended work “romance, Swing, and The Blues” at Lincoln Center. Soon after he became the musical director at the Lincoln Center for the Jazz Orchestra on a 30-city tour. Roberts also frequently conducts seminars and clinics in the hopes that jazz music will continue to be available and appreciated in mainstream America. The Marcus Roberts Trio includes, Jason Marsalis on drums and Roland Guerin on bass.
Judy Carmichael Trio – Saturday, January 29
Judy Carmichael dazzles audiences with her command of stride piano and swing. Her dynamic command of this demanding jazz piano style prompted Count Basie to nickname her, “Stride.” As one of the leading pianists of the world, Ms. Carmichael has toured for the United States Information Agency throughout India, Portugal, Brazil and Singapore. In 1992, Ms. Carmichael was the first jazz musician sponsored by the United States Government to tour China.
Ms. Carmichael’s Grammy-nominated recording “Two Handed Stride” teamed her with four giants of jazz from the Count Basie Orchestra. She has written two books on stride piano and numerous articles on the subject of jazz. She has served on a variety of music panels at the National Endowment for the Arts and is one of the few jazz pianists honored as a Steinway Artist. Ms. Carmichael is included in "Who's Who in the East", "Who's Who in Finance and Industry in America", "Who's Who in American Woman", "American Women in Jazz", "Who's Who in the World" as well as the "Encyclopedia of Jazz". She has made numerous radio and television appearances including CBS’ “Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt. She also hosts her own radio show “Judy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired,” broadcast over 170 stations through out the U.S. and Canada. The Trio includes Chris Flory on guitar and Michael Hashim on sax.
Each Performance begins at 8:30 p.m. in the Sundance Rehearsal Hall. The Piano Gallery is free and open to the public, and will be open from January 23rd through February 3, 2005, most days from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Jazz at Sundance tickets are $20 general admission and are available by calling the Sundance Activities Desk at 801-223-4567 or at www.smithstix.com
Nestled at the base of 12,000-foot Mt. Timpanogos, Sundance is a 6,000-acre community preserve dedicated to maintaining the balance of art, nature and community. Sundance offers diverse mountain recreation experiences and encourages the cultivation of art and self-expression, as well as the preservation of the land. Created by Robert Redford, Sundance is a haven for discovery and inspiration. The Sundance family of companies includes the Sundance Village, Sundance Institute, Sundance Channel and Sundance Catalog. For more information on Sundance, call 801-225-4107 or visit our website, www.sundanceresort.com.