Natural Essence (Cyrus Chestnut album)

Natural Essence is an album by pianist Cyrus Chestnut that was recorded in 2015 and released on the HighNote label the following year.[1][2]

Natural Essence
Studio album by
Cyrus Chestnut
ReleasedMay 20, 2016
RecordedNovember 17, 2015
StudioYamaha Hall, New York, NY
GenreJazz
Length63:09
LabelHighNote
HCD 7283
ProducerCyrus Chestnut
Cyrus Chestnut chronology
A Million Colors in Your Mind
(2014)		 Natural Essence
(2016)		 There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit
(2017)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

The AllMusic review by Matt Collar said "While many of Chestnut's recordings lean toward the strait-laced and straight-ahead approach to modern jazz, he is by no means a reserved musical traditionalist. On the contrary, while he is adept at swinging acoustic jazz, one of his most formative experiences was as a member of vocalist Betty Carter's trio. A genre-bending maverick, Carter purportedly encouraged Chestnut to try new things and approach even the most well-known standard in an unexpected way. That expectation defying aesthetic fits nicely into Chestnut's work here with Williams and White, who come from a generation of jazz musicians who grew up playing electrified fusion, funk, and highly progressive post-bop influenced by the avant-garde. While the music here is more stripped down to the jazz essentials, they nonetheless tackle even the most well-known standard, like "It Could Happen to You," with a creative ebullience and in-the-moment spontaneity that grab your attention throughout. Also thrilling are the trio's takes on several original compositions".[3]

In JazzTimes, Mike Joyce stated "Chordal jabs, light-fingered trills, cascading runs, robust turnarounds-no question: Pianist Cyrus Chestnut is in delightfully animated form".[4]

Track listing
  1. "Mamacita" (Joe Henderson) – 5:33
  2. "It Could Happen to You" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) – 7:12
  3. "Faith Amongst the Unknown" (Cyrus Chestnut) – 6:15
  4. "I Cover the Waterfront" (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) – 6:57
  5. "I Remember" (Chestnut) – 7:34
  6. "Dedication" (Lenny White) – 8:01
  7. "My Romance" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 9:06
  8. "Toku-Do" (Buster Williams) – 6:20
  9. "Minority" (Gigi Gryce) – 6:11

Personnel
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References
  1. Jazz Depot: HighNote discography accessed February 26, 2019
  2. Cyrus Chestnut website: discography accessed February 26, 2019
  3. Collar, Matt. Cyrus Chestnut: Natural Essence – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  4. Joyce, M. JazzTimes Review accessed February 26, 2019
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