LIVE at Piedmont Piano Company
Chester CT Thompson Organ Quartet
Hearing the Chester CT Thompson Organ Quartet is an experience like no other. With over twenty-six years playing with the Carlos Santana Band, preceded by ten years with the great Tower of Power, CT brings pure excitement and an unleashed groove to the bandstand. His sound is deep in the pocket and can range from smooth to thunderous in a matter of minutes, always with the incomparable bass work coming from his left hand and left foot. Saxophonist Howard Wiley adds his powerful tenor sound and relentless groove to the mix, while the guitar magic of Drew Zingg brings decades of rock, blues, funk and jazz influence to the front line. Special guest, drummer Jaimeo Brown, provides amazing support and a rhythmic creativity that ensures a locked-in sound and an unforgettable foundation to the group.
$35 Advance tickets
$40 At the door
We are offering a limited number of tickets to attend this performance in person. Advance purchase is recommended. Masking is encouraged but no longer required.
CHESTER CT THOMPSON
Earthy, energetic, exciting are all terms that have been used to describe the musical style of organist and keyboard player, Chester Thompson. In whichever musical setting he finds himself, he brings an impressive blend of talent, versatility and skill that ultimately drives those around him to their highest level of expression. After twenty five years with Santana and ten years, prior to that, with Tower of Power, Chester Thompson now finds himself returning to band leadership with his own powerful quartet.
Chester started playing the piano at his home in Oklahoma City at the age of five; picking out the notes he would hear from popular songs on the radio. His parents were quick to recognize this gift and arranged for formal piano lessons. Soon after, he began doubling on the organ and would accompany the choir in his church. By the time he was 13, he discovered jazz music and it soon became the major force in his musical development. At 16 years of age he decided to switch to the Hammond organ exclusively and pursue the musical revolution of the 60’s.
He began touring with Rudy Johnson's band at 19 and soon made a permanent move to San Francisco. It wasn't long before he broke into the local music scene, eventually joining Tower of Power, Santana, touring with them and writing some of their biggest hits. In addition to all this, Chester was afforded the opportunity to play and tour with some of the most significant people in the music world – not the least of whom was Wayne Shorter.
Today, Chester Thompson finds himself in a much less vigorous schedule but one which still demands his utmost devotion to performing and improvising in the moment. As a date leader, he can be heard returning to his jazz roots more and surrounding himself with like-minded musicians, like Dr. Lonnie Smith, who shares his love of this music in an uncompromising manner. Chester Thompson is on the move and the long awaited return of this engaging man and his music is here to behold.
HOWARD WILEY
Howard Wiley was born in Berkeley, California, and displayed the seeds of his musical talent at a very young age. Wiley found himself playing in the most nurturing of all environments for young African American musicians; the church. Throughout the history of jazz, the church has been root and center of the community, giving musicians, worshipers, and preachers alike the freedom and comfort to express themselves in the celebration of life. Wiley’s music is a direct reflection of his youth which gives his music a level of simplicity, honesty and integrity. He has developed into a very complete artist in the sense that he possesses a great awareness of the past while he continues to make statements and ask questions into the future.
Wiley has recorded and performed with the likes of Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Dayna Sean Stephens, Lavay Smith, and Norman Brown as well as receiving numerous awards and accolades from the Thelonious Monk Institute, including MVP honors for the Grammy All- American Jazz Band and the Berklee College of Music Scholarship Award. At the age of 15, Wiley released his first c.d. as a leader, signaling the arrival of the San Francisco Bay Area’s newest diamond in the rough. Wiley has since released his second c.d. titled “Twenty First Century Negro”, and is currently in the studio working on his third outing.
As a member of Lavay Smith’s band, and gigging in the New York scene, Howard Wiley has been seen and heard all over the country. The Los Angeles Times writes, “The soloing from Howard Wiley is first rate.” Dan Quolette of Down Beat Magazine says, ““Much has been written about the twenty-something crew of musicians heralded as the new keepers of the jazz flame.
DREW ZINGG
Drew Zingg was born and raised in New York City. Eventually he learned the guitar and spent about ten years doing the NY club scene, at times backing Shawn Colvin and Lucy Kaplansky. He also did some Broadway production and session work. [1] Eventually, Zingg started playing in a band headed by keyboard player and vocalist Jeff Young. In 1989, Donald Fagen signed up Young and his band, which included Zingg, initially as the rhythm section for what eventually became Fagen's (along with his future wife Libby Titus) New York Rock and Soul Revue.
Zingg can be heard on the 1991 album The New York Rock and Soul Revue: Live at the Beacon, which also features Michael McDonald, Phoebe Snow, and Boz Scaggs , among others. The NY Rock & Soul gigs led to Walter Becker coming to New York and joining the Revue in the summer of 1992. Then, Fagen and Becker decided to hit the road, touring as Steely Dan, with Zingg joining them on the tour as a lead guitarist and music director for about two years. Others joining this “Steely Dan Orchestra” were Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Peter Erskine on drums, and Tom Barney on bass. In 1995, Steely Dan released a live album entitled Alive in America that was recorded during the 1993-1994 tours, with Zingg soloing on "Green Earrings" and "Third World Man". In 1996, Zingg started touring with Boz Scaggs . He can be heard on Boz's 2004 release Greatest Hits Live. He has also toured or recorded with Marcus Miller, Rickie Lee Jones, David Sanborn, Gladys Knight, Alana Davis, and Patti Austin.
JAIMEO BROWN
Jaimeo Brown (pronounced jah-mayo) began his drum career at age 16 with his father bassist Dartanyan Brown and mother pianist and woodwind specialist, Marcia Miget, and drum teacher, Sly Randolph, himself a Bernard Purdie protégé from Harlem. In the last 20 years, he has worked with a range of musicians including Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Q-Tip, Carl Craig, Bobby Hutcherson, Greg Osby, Joe Locke, David Murray, and several other New York based musicians. He gained extensive experience performing and educating various audiences around the world as an ambassador for the US State Department. In addition to onstage work, Jaimeo contributed program material for the Oscar and Grammy award winning documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom and the PBS original production of Ralph Ellison's King of the Bingo Game.
Jaimeo is a passionate educator. He has given countless hours in community service in urban NJ and NY giving lessons to kids through programs such as NJPAC, New City Kids. Sometimes, when you find a voice, your life is no longer your own. It belongs to those you speak to, speak for and speak of. jaimeobrown.com