Bill Charlap

William Morrison "Bill" Charlap (born October 15, 1966, pronounced "Shar-Lap") is an American jazz pianist.

Born in New York City, Bill Charlap comes from a musical background. His mother, Sandy Stewart, is a singer who was a regular on "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall" television series and had a hit recording in 1962 with "My Coloring Book," and his father was Broadway composer Moose Charlap. Charlap is a distant cousin to jazz pianist Dick Hyman.

Charlap began playing piano at age three. He later studied classical music, but he has remained most interested in jazz.

Charlap and his mother recorded two duet albums, Love Is Here To Stay (2011) and "Something To Remember" (2013). Charlap has recorded seven albums as a leader or co-leader for the Blue Note Records label, including two Grammy-nominated CDs: Somewhere, featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, and The Bill Charlap Trio, Live At The Village Vanguard. For the Japanese label Venus Records he has recorded two albums as a leader, as well as eight albums as a member of the New York Trio.

He has worked with Gerry Mulligan, Benny Carter, Tony Bennett, Phil Woods, Scott Hamilton and others. In the mid-90s, he was the musical director of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, A Celebration of Johnny Mercer, part of New York's JVC Jazz Festival. In 1995 he joined the Phil Woods Quintet.

Charlap appears at least twice a year for lengthy runs at some of the world's major jazz clubs, including the Village Vanguard, with his rhythm section, consisting of Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums). In addition to appearing and recording with Peter Washington and Kenny Washington in the Bill Charlap Trio, since 2001 Charlap has also recorded as a member of the New York Trio for the Japanese label Venus Records. The other members of the New York Trio are bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Bill Stewart.

...
Wikipedia