Jazz Casual: Lafayette Gilchrist

Lafeyette Gilchrist: Solo Piano

$18 advance | $24 day-of | $12 student
(*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

“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

Lafayette Gilchrist’s music draws on the span of jazz history from stride to free improvisation, along with inspiration from hip-hop, funk, and Washington D.C.’s unique go-go sound. His work thrives on making surprising connections between styles and influences, boldly veering from piledriver funk to piquant stride, vigorous swing to hip-hop swagger, contemplative abstraction to deep-bottom grooves. Gilchrist is the pianist in the Sun Ra Arkestra, has toured extensively with David Murray, and his compositions have graced the soundtracks of David Simon’s acclaimed series The Wire, The Deuce, and Treme.

"New Orleans barrelhouse piano, the Impressionism of Ravel and Duke 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, The New York Times \

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Jazz Casual is dedicated to the continuation of jazz and improvised music. Showcasing an eclectic array of local, national and international talent, the series supports the advancement of this art form by programming artists who are writing original works and uniquely arranging traditional music in progressive and imaginative ways.

Jazz Casual artists include: Tony Malaby, Christine Correa, Frank Carlberg, Kim Cass, Ben Monder, Jeremy Udden, Alexa Tarantino, Steven Bernstein, Jason Palmer, Chet Doxas, Mike Effenberger, Taylor O’Donnell,Chris Klaxton, Ayan Imai-Hall, Clifford Cameron, Sharon Jenkins Jones, and more.