Lafayette Gilchrist Trio w/Brian Settles (Sets at 7:00 & 8:30 PM)

Award winning pianist/composer Lafayette Gilchrist is accompanied by Brian Settles (sax), Herman Burney (bass) and Joel Santiago (drums).

"Ellington's jaggy solo-piano sound form the bedrock of Lafayette  Gilchrist's style at the keyboard. But if there's one big influence on  the way he thinks about rhythm, it's the deeply swinging 'pocket' of a  classic go-go beat." - Giovanni Russonello, New York Times    

"Lafayette Gilchrist has dug deep into [jazz piano] history...he's  tapping into jazz's spiritual, historical and cultural roots. He's an  old soul at ease in the modern world." - Kevin Whitehead, NPR's Fresh Air

Born in August 1967 in Washington, D.C., Lafayette Gilchrist’s life as a pianist began at 17 while he was studying economics at  University of Maryland, Baltimore. On his way to an English class during  his freshman year, he wandered into a recital hall and began pecking  out melodies and riffs on a Steinway piano. Gilchrist subsequently spent  many hours teaching himself piano and auditing music theory classes. By  the time he graduated, he had started his career as a pianist and  composer. He formed his first ensemble, New Volcanoes, in 1993 and  released his debut album, The Art is Life, that same year. He’s since released 13 other albums as a leader. In addition to The Wire, his music has been featured on HBO’s Treme and The Deuce. “Gilchrist's writing weaves together old-school funk rhythms with hip-hop cadences and raw street beats,” says Troy Collins in All About Jazz.  “His melodic sensibility embraces the esoteric angularity of Andrew  Hill and Sun Ra as much as the emotional directness of the blues.”  In  addition to his work as a leader, Gilchrist has also performed as a  sideman with a host of jazz luminaries including saxophonist David  Murray, singer Cassandra Wilson, trombonist Craig Harris, bassist  William Parker and drummer Andrew Cyrille.