Born: New York, New York - October 15, 1966

Son of broadway composer Moose Charlap (Mary Martin's "Peter Pan") and singer Sandy Stewart, Bill Charlap began playing piano at the age of three. Bill studied both jazz and classical piano with Jack Reilly and Eleanor Hancock and is a graduate of the High School of Performing Arts. He has performed with such artists as Gerry Mulligan, Red Mitchell, Benny Carter, Rufus Reid, Jay Leonhart, Marvin Stamm and Louis Bellson. Singers he has accompanied include Helen Merrill, Sheila Jordan, Barbara Lea, Carol Sloane, Tony Bennett and Sandy Stewart.

Bill has appeared at many of the world's major jazz festivals, touring and performing throughout Europe, Australia, Scandinavia and Japan. He was a member of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet for two years and appeared with Mr. Mulligan at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic, under the direction of Zubin Mehta. He has shared piano duet programs with Dick Hyman and Derek Smith, and has performed on several of Mr. Hyman's JAZZ IN JULY Series at the 92nd Street Y in New York. Bill has also been a featured guest on Marion McPartland's award winning series PIANO JAZZ on National Public Radio. He began his tenure with The Phil Woods Quintet in April, 1995. Steve Gilmore, who first played with Bill Charlap in 1993, says, "Bill should be recognized... as one of the real masters of the piano." Bill Charlap was voted Pianist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006.

Bill is currently very busy with his own trio (featuring Peter Washington and Kenny Washington) and records for Blue Note Records.


SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

• Bob Kindred: HIDDEN TREASURES
• Jay Leonhart: JAY LEONHART AND FRIENDS
• Marvin Stamm: MYSTERY MAN
• Joe Roccisano Orchestra: THE SHAPE I'M IN; LEAVE YOUR MIND BEHIND;
• GLENGARY GLEN ROSS (Soundtrack)
• Sandy Stewart: SANDY STEWART AND FAMILY
• Gerry Mulligan: LONESOME BOULEVARD; HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLIE BROWN
• Jon Gordon: SPARK; ASK ME NOW
• Carol Sloane: WHEN I LOOK IN YOUR EYES; THE SONGS CARMEN SANG
• The Phil Woods Quintet: MILE HIGH JAZZ (Concord CCD-4739)
• The Phil Woods Little Big Band: THIS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT QUINCY
• Bill Charlap and Brian Lynch: BRIAN LYNCH MEETS BILL CHARLAP
• Bill Charlap: BILL CHARLAP AND SEAN SMITH; ALONG WITH ME; SOUVENIR; ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT; STARDUST; WRITTEN IN THE STARS; SOMEWHERE: SONGS OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN; THE AMERICAN DREAM: BILL CHARLAP PLAYS GEORGE GERSHWIN

Bill Charlap Web Site

Copyright © 2005. Phil Woods Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.