Cyrus Chestnut
Spirit
Jazz Legacy Productions
www.jazzlegacyproductions.com
By George W. Harris

Pianist Cyrus Chestnut has not only played some awesome piano with and
for the likes of James Carter, Betty Carter, Donald Harrison and
Terence Blanchard, but he is the pastor and pianist of his own local
church. Now, THAT’S somewhere I want to be on a Sunday morning! He put
out a solo disc of hymns and spirituals back in 96, and this one is
just as good, if not better.

He takes a few contemporary spiritual tunes, like Bill Withers’ “Lean
On Me” and gives it a bit of a rolling groove. His take of Ellington’s
“Come Sunday” has a bit of a playful jaunt in it, replacing somber with
celebration. His treatment of hymns is quite powerful; he puts this
little lick into “I Surrender All” that just won’t let go, while his
takes of “Wade In The Water” and “Blessed Assurance” exude heartfelt
passion. Don’t forget, inspiration comes from “God-breathed.” On that
definition alone, this disc’s got it.