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Chris McCarthy: Add a Zero
by Paul Rauch
Chris McCarthy is a wonderfully lyrical pianist, and an unexpected joy to hear. “Unexpected" you might ask? Allow an explanation. He is imaginative, highly skilled and has gained a reputation of excellence on the New York scene. His accompaniment and solo strides on his acclaimed duo release, Life's a Gig (Fresh Sounds, 2024), with vocalist Vanisha Gould make her deep dive into old soul magic seem grounded, adorned with subtle and spacious harmony that keeps the music buoyant and free ...
Continue ReadingVanisha Gould: She's Not Shiny, She's Not Smooth
by Angelo Leonardi
Vanisha Gould ha molte cose da dire, e lo fa con arguzia e vivacità. Dal suo arrivo a New York nel 2015 ha atteso quasi un decennio per un debutto discografico da leader, facendosi le ossa nei locali e in qualche incisione con altri. Quelle più significative sono state con la cantante Lucy Yeghiazaryan (nel ricercato progetto In Her Words) e con il pianista Chris McCarthy (Life's a Gig), dove si mette in luce tanto come autrice quanto come interprete ...
Continue ReadingChris McCarthy: Still Time to Quit
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Only two minutes into “That's All You Get," the opening track to pianist Chris McCarthy's debut recording for Ropeadope Records, Still Time To Quit, and already it seems that everything that had to be said was said. Maybe that's why at this point the track coincidentally also reaches its end. A savage yet controlled display of friction and constant motion. At its core a rabidly jumping call-and-response structure, the opener displays the leader's scarily-dexterous chops on piano through speed as ...
Continue ReadingChris McCarthy: Still Time to Quit
by Paul Rauch
From 2017 to 2020, composer and pianist Chris McCarthy charted a path as a noted sideman for such notables as Jerry Bergonzi, Ben Allison and Jason Palmer. He was often seen performing with vibraphonist Sasha Berliner and in duet with vocalist Clotilde Rullaud. In short, he has gained a reputation for imaginative and supportive playing. McCarthy's path has been blazed from a renowned high school program in Seattle, to the cloistered realm of the New England Conservatory, finally ...
Continue ReadingChris McCarthy: Sonder
by Troy Dostert
You won't find too many jazz musicians eager to cover post-punk stalwarts Deerhoof on their debut record, as keyboardist Chris McCarthy does on Sonder. But maybe McCarthy's not too interested in being regarded as just a “jazz musician." If anything, the cross-genre creativity on display here suggests that McCarthy is trying to make music beyond category--and to a large extent he succeeds. The diversity of the repertoire itself reveals a great deal about the broad sweep of McCarthy's ...
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