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Chris McCarthy
Hot House Jazz Magazine as described Chris McCarthy as "one of the most imaginative and impressive voices on the New York jazz scene." Since arriving in New York City in 2016, McCarthy has made a name for himself as one of the scene's most in demand young sidemen. He steps into the foreground as a bandleader with the release of his April 2020 Ropeadope debut, Still Time To Quit. The album features the New York super group of Takuya Kuroda on trumpet, Michael Blake on sax, Sam Minaie on bass and JK Kim on drums. The album has been praised as a "big step forward for McCarthy, an auspicious label debut that bodes well for the future" by Glide Magazine and was prominently featured on Spotify's Jazz X-Press Editorial Playlist.
Originally from the Seattle area, McCarthy was introduced to jazz through Roosevelt High School's music program. He followed his passion to New England Conservatory, where he graduated with honors in 2016. While in Boston, McCarthy was a regular member of both Jerry Bergonzi and Jason Palmer's working bands. In 2017 he released his debut album Sonder, which All About Jazz described as "a very promising release, and hopefully the first of many for this broad-minded and adventurous keyboardist." That same year saw the release of Jason Palmer's acclaimed live album At Wally's Vol. 1, featuring McCarthy on keyboard.
Other recent projects include Sasha Berliner's celebrated album Azalea (2019), trumpeter Tony Glausi's EP My Favorite Tunes (2020), and a new commission with vocalist Clotilde Rullaud from the French American Jazz Exchange. The international jazz scene will continue to hear from McCarthy for years to come.
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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 ...
Continue ReadingQuotes for Still Time To Quit: "In Still Time To Quit we hear a real ensemble, where all the musicians perfectly understand each other and interact as a single organism."-JazzQuad "Throughout, McCarthy never tries to steal the spotlight, comfortably comping behind the front line, with most of his soloing crisp and economical."-Glide Magazine Quotes for Sonder: "...the cross-genre creativity here suggests that McCarthy is trying to make music beyond category, and to a large extent he succeeds." "Chris McCarthy is proving to be one of the most imaginative and impressive voices on the New York jazz scene."-Hot House Jazz Magazine
Wayne Shorter
saxophone
Erroll Garner
piano
Ahmad Jamal
piano
Lennie Tristano
piano
Stevie Wonder
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Music
Chris McCarthy
Location: New York City
Instrument: Piano
Born: June 7, 1994
