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

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

. In 2016, '' The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern'', an album produced by Charlap and Tony Bennett, won the award for

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...

at the

58th Annual Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 20 ...

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Bill Charlap comes from a musical background. His father was the composer

Moose Charlap Morris Isaac "Moose" Charlap (December 19, 1928 – July 8, 1974) was an American Broadway composer best known for ''Peter Pan'' (1954), for which Carolyn Leigh wrote the lyrics. The idea for the show came from Jerome Robbins, who planned to have a ...

. His mother, Sandy Stewart, is a singer who was a regular on Perry Como's ''

Kraft Music Hall ''The Kraft Music Hall'' was a popular old-time radio variety program, featuring top show business entertainers, which aired first on NBC radio from 1933 to 1949. Radio ''The Kraft Program'' debuted June 26, 1933, as a musical-variety progra ...

'' television series and had a hit recording in 1962 with "

My Coloring Book "My Coloring Book" is a song written by Fred Ebb and John Kander. First performed by Sandy Stewart in 1962 on the television program ''The Perry Como Kraft Music Hall'', she was one of the first artists to record the work in 1962 when it was rele ...

". Charlap is a distant cousin of the jazz pianist

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Art ...

. Charlap began playing piano at the age of three. He studied classical music, but his career has been in jazz.

Career

Charlap recorded ''Love Is Here to Stay'' (2004) and ''Something to Remember'' (2012) with his mother, Sandy Stewart. His albums ''Somewhere'', featuring the music of

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

, and ''Live at The Village Vanguard'' received Grammy Award nominations. He has worked with Gerry Mulligan, Benny Carter, Tony Bennett, Phil Woods, Scott Hamilton and others. In the mid-1990s, he was the musical director of ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, A Celebration of

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

'', part of New York's JVC Jazz Festival. In 1995, he joined the Phil Woods Quintet. Charlap appears at least twice a year for engagements at jazz clubs, including the Village Vanguard, with his rhythm section, consisting of

Peter Washington Peter Washington (born in Los Angeles on August 28, 1964) is a jazz double bassist. He played with the Westchester Community Symphony at the age of 14. Later he played electric bass in rock bands. He attended the University of California, Berke ...

( double bass) and Kenny Washington (drums) (the two are not related to each other). Since 2001, he has 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. Charlap succeeded

as Artistic Director of New York City's

92nd Street Y 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a cultural and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the corner of East 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Founded in 1874 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the ...

Jazz in July six-program series after Hyman's 20th year in 2004. He and his wife, Canadian jazz pianist Renee Rosnes, released an album of piano duets ''Double Portrait'' on Blue Note Records/ EMI. In 2008, Charlap became part of

The Blue Note 7 The Blue Note 7 are a jazz septet formed in 2008 in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. The group consists of Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Charlap (piano), Ravi Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Lewis Nash (drums), Nicholas Payton ...

, a septet formed that year in honor of the 70th anniversary of

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Or ...

. The group recorded an album in 2008, '' Mosaic'', which was released in 2009 on Blue Note/ EMI, and toured the United States in promotion of the album from January to April 2009. The group plays the music of Blue Note Records from various artists, with arrangements by members of the band and his wife Renee Rosnes. In September 2015, Charlap became the Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

Personal life

He married the Canadian jazz pianist Renee Rosnes in New York City on August 25, 2007. He has two daughters from a previous marriage and one stepson from Rosnes’ previous marriage to Billy Drummond.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

As a member

* '' Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records'' ( Blue Note, 2009) – recorded in 2008 Other Blue Note appearances * Bill Charlap,

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...

, Joe Lovano, Dianne Reeves, ''Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life'' (Blue Note, 2007) – compositions of

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take ...

As sideman

With Harry Allen * ''Harry Allen Plays Ellington Songs with the Bill Charlap Trio'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

, 2000) – recorded in 1999 * ''Blues for Pres and Teddy'' (Swingbros, 2011) With Phil Woods * 1997: ''Chasin' the Bird'' ( Venus, 1998) * 2000: ''Voyage with the Bill Charlap Trio at the Floating Jazz Festival Aboard the QE2'' (Chiaroscuro, 2001) * 2002: ''The Thrill is Gone'' with strings (Venus, 2003) * 2002: ''The Great American Songbook'', Volumes 1 & 2 (Kind of Blue, 2006) With others * Ruby Braff, ''You Brought a New Kind of Love'' ( Arbors, 2004) *

Johnny Frigo Johnny Frigo (December 27, 1916 – July 4, 2007) was an American jazz violinist, bassist and songwriter. He appeared in the 1940s as a violinist before working as a bassist. He returned to the violin in the 1980s and enjoyed a comeback, recordin ...

, ''

Johnny Frigo's DNA Exposed! ''Johnny Frigo's DNA Exposed!'' is an album by jazz violinist Johnny Frigo that was released by Arbors. Track listing #I Concentrate on You (4:53) #Poor Butterfly (4:51) #Cheek to Cheek (4:37) #What Is There to Say? (3:33) ...

'' (Arbors, 2001) * With Jon Gordon, ''Spark'' (Chiaroscuro, 1995) * Scott Hamilton, ''Back to New York'' (Concord Jazz, 2005) * Jay Leonhart, ''Great Duets'' (Chiaroscuro, 1999) * Brian Lynch, ''Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap'' (Sharp Nine, 2003) * Gerry Mulligan, ''Lonesome Boulevard'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, 2009) * the Joe Roccisano Orchestra, ''

Leave Your Mind Behind ''Leave Your Mind Behind'' is an album by the Joe Roccisano Orchestra which was released on Orrin Keepnews' Landmark label in 1995.Carol Sloane Carol Sloane (born March 5, 1937) is an American jazz singer born in Providence, Rhode Island, who has been singing professionally since she was 14, although for a time in the 1970s she worked as a legal secretary in Raleigh, North Carolina. In ...

, ''When I Look in Your Eyes'' (Concord, 1994) * Sean Smith, ''LIVE!'' (Chiaroscuro, 1999) * Grant Stewart, ''Grant Stewart + 4'' (VideoArts, 2005) – recorded in 2004 * Warren Vaché, ''Dream Dancing'' (Arbors, 2004) – recorded in 2003

References

External links

Biography
at All About Jazz
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlap, Bill American jazz pianists Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Musicians from New York City People from West Orange, New Jersey State University of New York at Purchase alumni 1966 births Living people Blue Note Records artists Impulse! Records artists 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from New York (state) American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians American people of Jewish descent The Blue Note 7 members Nagel-Heyer Records artists Venus Records artists Double-Time Records artists Criss Cross Jazz artists Chiaroscuro Records artists