You Brought a New Kind of Love

Bill Charlap

Jazz pianist Bill Charlap is the son of a vocalist and a Broadway composer, and a champion of traditional musical values. He made a splash in the 1990s, with a back-to-basics style that emphasized melody and tone over harmonic deconstruction. His trio with the unrelated Kenny and Peter Washington took an old-school approach to standards that connected in a big way with both jazz audiences and with the likes of Tony Bennett, who performed with and has publicly praised Charlap. The pianist has also worked with such vets as Benny Carter, Phil Woods, and Clark Terry. Charlap's first album for Blue Note, 2002's STARDUST, turned out to be his breakthrough record, expanding his appeal without diluting his aesthetic.