Bill Charlap
Background information
Birth name	William Morrison Charlap
Born	(1966-10-15) October 15, 1966 (age 52) New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Chiaroscuro, Criss Cross, Blue Note, Double-Time, Venus, Impulse!
Associated acts	Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
Website	www.billcharlap.com

William Morrison Charlap (born October 15, 1966, pronounced "Shar-Lap"^[1]) is an American jazz pianist.

Early life and education[edit]

Born in New York City,^[2] Bill Charlap comes from a musical background. His father was composer Moose Charlap. 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".^[2][3] Bill Charlap is a distant cousin to jazz pianist Dick Hyman.^[4]

Bill Charlap began playing piano at age three.^[2] He studied classical music, but his career has been in jazz.

Career[edit]

Charlap recorded Love Is Here to Stay (2011) and Something to Remember (2013) with his mother, Sandy Stewart. His albums Somewhere, featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, 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-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.^[5] In 1995 he joined the Phil Woods Quintet.^[3]

Charlap appears at least twice a year for engagements at jazz clubs, including the Village Vanguard,^[6] with his rhythm section, consisting of Peter Washington (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.^[7]

Charlap succeeded Dick Hyman as Artistic Director of New York City's 92nd Street Y 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.^[8]

In 2008, Charlap became part of The Blue Note 7, a septet formed that year in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. 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 until April 2009.^[9] 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 new Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.^[2]

Personal life[edit]

He married Canadian jazz pianist Renee Rosnes in New York City on August 25, 2007.^[10]

Discography[edit]

As leader or co-leader[edit]

As sideman[edit]

With Harry Allen

• 
  Harry Allen Plays Ellington Songs with the Bill Charlap Trio (RCA Victor)


• 
  Blues for Pres and Teddy (Swingbros)

With Ruby Braff

• 
  You Brought a New Kind of Love (Arbors)

With Johnny Frigo

• 
  Johnny Frigo's DNA Exposed! (Arbors)

With Jon Gordon

• 
  Spark (Chiaroscuro)

With Scott Hamilton

• Back to New York

With Jay Leonhart

• 
  Great Duets (Chiaroscuro)

With Brian Lynch

• 
  Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap (Sharp Nine)

With Gerry Mulligan

• 
  Lonesome Boulevard (Verve)

With Sean Smith

• 
  LIVE! (Chiaroscuro)

With Grant Stewart

• 
  Grant Stewart + 4 (VideoArts)

With Warren Vaché

• 
  Dream Dancing (Arbors)

With Phil Woods

• 
  The Great American Songbook, Volumes 1 & 2 (Kind of Blue)


• 
  Voyage with the Bill Charlap Trio at the Floating Jazz Festival Aboard the QE2 (Chiaroscuro)

With The Blue Note 7

• 
  Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records (Blue Note Records/EMI, 2009)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• 
  Biography at All About Jazz