Meticulously designed, intense, and streetwise, David Chesky's music proposes a variation on an old musical gambit. Classical composers have long drawn from their national folk music for their work. Chesky's source for The Abreu Danzas is the sound and energy of New York City or, to be precise, a Latin New York City. The centerpiece of the album is a five-movement ballet dedicated to the late Venezuelan conductor, pianist, educator, and politician Jose Antonio Abreu, founder of El Sistema. The program, which started in 1975, brought free music education to the poorest neighborhoods in Venezuela and has since inspired similar systems in several countries, including the United States. For August 28, David Chesky - The Abreu Danzas is the WFMT: Chicago 'Featured New Release'

Call it a meta-soprano! An offbeat and often risque operetta will belt out its satiric tunes at Fort Greene's Brooklyn Playhouse on March 15 and 16. Audiences at "La Farranucci," will discover a saucy show that mocks the stodgy world of divas and double arias, according to its director. The musical comedy, written by composer David Chesky, is an opera about an opera, and it turns a satirical eye on the practical concerns that underpin - and often undermine - the artistic endeavors of the medium's cash-strapped creators. Chesky's "La Farranucci" opens on a troubled production of a fictional opera with the same name, as members of a Texan theater company struggle to meet the demands of their new producer, a former stripper who married into wealth, and is now afflicting her high-brow beneficiaries with her low-brow sensibilities. READ THE FULL Brooklyn Paper ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Given that David Chesky has just followed the digital release of his Second and Third Piano Concertos with a January 13 performance of his Violin Concerto No.3 by Rachel Barton Pine and the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, some might say he's on a roll. Others, listening to the pace of two new piano concertos inspired what liner notes writer Harold Lester calls "the chaos of [Chesky's] adopted New York City," might instead think "roller coaster." Using the same Chesky-assembled Orchestra of the 21st Century as on The Spanish Poems recording that he released six months earlier, but this time with himself as soloist, Chesky launches into a "collision of atonal harmonies in counterpoint." That some of the music in Concerto No.2 for Piano and Orchestra (2017) is atonal is, to these ears, secondary to the frenzied pace of the 6-minute opening movement. Chesky's fugal writing and counterpoint add extra life to a non-stop experience that could leave some holding on for dear life, and cause more than one caged hamster to jump off the wheel. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL stereophile ARTICLE

The music industry is shifting to a streaming model from a download model, spurring new high-res streaming services to prepare for launch and more audio hardware companies here at CES to support high-res streaming services. Retailers at CES will also find a growing selection of car audio products that support various high-res formats, a growing selection of high-res home and portable products supporting studio-quality MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio, and more wireless-multiroom speakers supporting high-res playback. Attesting to the streaming shift, the RIAA reported that, in the first half of 2017, retail-level music-industry streaming revenues grew 48 percent to $2.5 billion to account for 62 percent of total industry revenues of $3.99 billion. Downloads accounted for only 19 percent of industry revenues in the first half, falling 24 percent during that time to $757 million. The shift in consumer preference has also had an impact on high-res music downloads. "High-res downloads are holding their own," said David Chesky, co-founder and CEO of download site HDtracks. "We feel the streaming pinch but nowhere as much as the industry standard." MusicWatch statistics also underscore the shift. Seventy percent of the Internet population ages 13 and older streamed music in the past month, or about 156 million streamers, based on Sept. 2017 data, said managing partner Russ Crupnick. That compares to 19 percent of the population that, in 2016, bought at least one music download, or about 42 million people, and they're listening less to their downloads as "download listeners increasingly substitute streaming," said Crupnick. With the shift, HDtracks plans to launch HDmusicStream, a streaming site featuring MQA-encoded music. It was originally targeted for a late-2016 launch. HDmusicStream will join Tidal, which launched an MQA streaming service in 2017 with titles from the big three music companies and independents. Groovers in Korea was expected to launch MQA streaming before the end of 2017. AndNugs.net, which offers high-res MQA downloads globally, is gearing up for a global MQA streaming launch through iOS and desktop players. In addition, Deezer made an "announcement of intent" to stream MQA in 2018, said MQA inventor MQA Ltd. In 2017, Pandora and Napster also announced intentions to offer high-res streaming, but the projects had not yet come to fruition by the end of the year following management changes. Meanwhile, the amount of high-res music available has grown to more than 40,000 high-res albums globally as of late 2017, most available to U.S. consumers, the FindHDmusic.com database shows. Of that number, thousands of MQA-encoded albums were available to U.S. consumers for download in late 2017 from three online stores - HIGHRESAUDIO, 2L and Onkyo Music - from such labels as Warner Music, RME Premium Recordings, Sono Luminus, Unamas, and 2L, said MQA Ltd. In addition, Nugs.net provides MQA downloads globally of recorded concerts. High-res music is available through more download sites than ever before, hitting 90 at the end of 2017, most of which are available to U.S. consumers, the FindHDmusic.com database shows. The sites include artist and music-label sites. Despite growing interest and availability, high-res audio is still a niche, said HDtracks's Chesky. CTA statistics support that assessment. In its mid-2017 forecast, CTA forecast that high-res-capable home-audio receivers would account for 32 percent of 1.32 million receivers sold in 2017 at the factory level. That percentage will slip through 2012 to 28.6 percent of 1.31 million units sold. READ THE FULL TWICE ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}

Each week KDFC: San Francisco members can download a free mp3 from some of the biggest releases in the world of Classical music. This week's download is from David Chesky's newest radically original powerful compositions, The Venetian Concertos. A tribute to the classic Italian Concerto Grosso form, Chesky uses his fondness for the Baroque as a starting point. However, influenced and inspired by Brazilian, Urban, and Latin music, he then replaces the Baroque line contour with dense chromatic polyphony. The collision of styles creates a powerful new definition of the Orchestral Concerto form, one which embraces a more contemporary and relevant approach to both counterpoint and energy. Grab a fresh track from this new release for free. Download now!

Though the Chesky name is well-known in the recording industry for its groundbreaking audiophile label (started in 1978 by brothers Norman and David), I must admit I was mostly unaware of David Chesky's work as a composer and pianist.  One glance at his webpage (www.davidchesky.com) is enlightening, informing one of his classical endeavors, compositions for dance troupes,  children's ballets and various jazz projects dating back to the .  In 2013, Chesky introduced his latest band, a quintet known as Jazz in the New Harmonic (pictured below) featuring Billy Drummond (drums), Javon Jackson (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Peter Washington (bass) and Jeremy Pelt (trumpet). The quintet's second CD, "Primal Scream" (Chesky Records) posits the band in the heart of the late 1950s "Kind of Blue" sound that led to the classic Miles Davis Quintet (Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Ron Carter.  To the composer's credit, he is not imitating that music as much as channeling the mood.  The opening cut, "Check Point Charlie" places the music in that era and conjures up the classic Davis Lp cited above. Mesmerizing  pieces such as "Kill The Philharmonic" and "Quiet Desperation" have a trance-like quality due mostly to the airy and angular quality of the piano chords and the circular bass lines. Yet, on the first track mentioned (and throughout the program), Drummond supplies the fire that heats the music.  He kicks hard beneath Pelt's passionate solo and drops into a funky "boogaloo" for Jackson's playful tenor spotlight. The title of the CD might conjure images of Dr. Arthur Janov's controversial therapy practices of the mid-1960s; the track itself has great energy coming from the bass and drums plus sparkling solos from Jackson and Pelt but the highlight is the dream-like piano solo (cannot miss the classical inferences) over the powerful rhythm section. The closing cut, the highly rhythmical "Sleepless In New York", has a playful melody for saxophone plus muted trumpet and piano counterpoint.  Washington's bass lines dance alongside Drummond's elemental drumming (no frills, just the constancy of the rhythm). When Chesky steps out, he picks up on the playfulness of the previous soloists but also gets deep into the bass "groove." "Jazz In The New Harmonic: Primal Scream" makes no bones about its debt to the music of the masters and makes a powerful statement about the need for jazz to "dance" again.  David Chesky, through his music and prose, states "we're a groove-based society", inviting all listeners to this darkly shaded yet funky experience.  Kudos to all involved! SEE THE Step Tempest PAGE

If you're into film noirish sounds from 50s B movies, this release lead by pianist/composer David Chesky is a real treat. He forms a quintet with a series of super modern studs such as Billy Drummond/dr, Javon Jackosn/ts-cl, Jeremy Pelt/tp and Peter Washington/b. And, yes, these guys know how to hit hard and bop with the best, the mood here is more subtle, impressionistic and hip-ly cerebral. Gentle piano chords chime on "Check Point Charlie" with almost Gil Evans-like hauntingly understated and muted horns. Jackosn's tenor is smoulders like a Cuban here, while the laid back and bluesy "Isolation" features Pelt on his mute. Muscles are flexed as well here, as Pelt bears down on "Primal Scream," but for the most part, the feel is like an Orson Wells or John Cassavetes flick, as the impressionistic "Quiet Desperation" and rich harmonies on "Cultural Treason" feature the subtle rhythm team supporting Javon's haunting horn on the former and Pelt's less is more horn on the latter. This album reinforces the classic point about communication; in order to get someone to pay attention, whisper.  SEE THE Jazz Weekly PAGE

Once again pianist/composer David Chesky courts a dark, masterful muse on this second recording by his Jazz in the New Harmonic quintet. The noirish atmosphere on Primal Scream prevails from his first dissonant stabs at the keyboard with cool solos from veteran jazz artists Javon Jackson and Jeremy Pelt, while Peter Washington and Billy Drummond lock down the time. This is a different kind of cool jazz, one that grooves along steadily. Close your eyes and you can feel the pulse of the New York streets colliding with 21st century ethereal classical harmony.   Chuck Rich's May 2 and 3 segment for Syndicated America This Week with Jim Bohannon, concluded with Chesky's -- Jazz In The New Harmonic: Primal Scream as the music suggestion for that week. "America This Week" is heard on 90 Westwood One radio affiliates. Listen to the attached excerpt.

Composer David Chesky's haunting new video, "Psalm No.1 for String Orchestra," is juxtaposed with photos of children and families held in concentration camps during World War II. The music is stunning and combined with this imagery edited by the composer's wife Patricia Dinely Chesky, provides an honest sadness. The work searingly captures the horrific reality of the Holocaust. The orchestral work is performed by the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, featuring violinist Christian Richter and is conducted by acclaimed interpreter of American repertoire, Stephen Somary. "Psalm No. 1 for String Orchestra" is a beautifully moving piece, and as Chesky interprets, "This is a composition in remembrance, and in the hope that the human kind will learn from its past." We cannot forget that the tragedy of the Holocaust brought about the deaths of one and a half million innocent children. While writing this work, the composer constantly asked himself, "What kind of human could do such a thing?" We are reminded of Hannah Arendt's book Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil; it is not the crazed monster that is always the perpetrator, but rather it could be the most normal people that can completely invert human ethics and implicitly accept, and even participate in, the calculated destruction of an entire race. This composer could not let these unknown faces, that were extinguished before they could flourish, be forgotten. The "Psalm No. 1 for String Orchestra" honors the Days of Remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust, an annual 8-day period designated by the Unites States of Congress for civic commemorations and special educational programs that help citizens remember and draw lessons from the Holocaust. This year Holocaust Remembrance week is from April 27–May 4, 2014.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1853228#ixzz2z3Zh2ZUF

David Chesky's Jazz in the New Harmonic (Chesky Records and HDtracks.com) puts the acclaimed pianist and composer's own personal twist on bridging the disparate worlds of jazz and classical. The music has its roots in Third Stream, the hybrid term coined in 1957 by Gunther Schuller to identify a new emerging musical sensibility that was essentially a confluence of classical music and jazz, with improvisation being a vital component. Since then, composers like John LaPorta, John Lewis, Stan Kenton, George Russell and Schuller himself dabbled in Third Stream while more contemporary composers such as Henry Threadgill, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, John Zorn, Ohad Talmor and Joel Harrison have put forth their own ambitious chamber jazz projects. But Jazz in the New Harmonic is more than a Third Stream project in the strictly Schullerian sense of the word: Chesky's recording is a striking manifesto that deals with dissonance and rhythm on equal footing. "I wanted to take the harmonic language of 21st century classical music and make it groove," he says of his bold new direction in jazz. "The ideal for me was to create an absolutely new concept of composition in which the jazz and classical would be so blended that you would not be able to identify the jazz roots from the classical roots." Fueled by the cool, simmering rhythm tandem hookup between jazz veterans Peter Washington on bass and Billy Drummond on drums and colored by Chesky's provocative comping, Jazz in the New Harmonic is further characterized by the searching spirit of principal soloists Javon Jackson on tenor saxophone and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet. "With Peter and Billy holding it down, I can do the painting above it with my harmonic language, which is coming from the Messiaen, Webern and Ives school," Chesky explains. "So I'm giving Javon and Jeremy chords that they don't usually hear in jazz. This is not C major or C minor of some dominant raised sharp nine chord. It's a new vocabulary and it's forcing them to adapt and come up with it." And both Jackson and Pelt deliver the goods with solos that are probing and profound. Whether it's their agile interaction with tenor and muted trumpet on the moody, mid tempo swinging title track, their bold, unbridled blowing on the dark Bitches Brew/In a Silent Way-inspired "Broadway" or their potent playing on the dirge-like "American Culture X," their musical choices are always unpredictable and in the moment. Pelt, one of the leading lights on the under-40 jazz scene today, also contributes an outstanding blues-tinged muted trumpet solo on "Burnout." Jackson, the former Jazz Messenger, takes his time in formulating an answer to Pelt's solo on that sinister offering. Bassist Washington's deep, woody-toned ostinatos solidly anchor the proceedings. His catchy "The Beat Goes On" riff propels the title track while his repetitive motif on "Broadway" recalls moody Miles Davis vehicles like "Spanish Key" and "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" from Bitches Brew or the atmospheric "Shhh/Peaceful" from In a Silent Way. Washington also breaks loose for extended upright solos on the aptly titled "Grooves from the Underground" and "Burnout" that reveal his dexterity and ingenuity on the instrument. Drummond deftly crafts a different approach on the kit to perfectly underscore the vibe of each piece, whether it's his subdued funky drummer take on "American Culture X," his insistently swinging syncopations on the noir-ish "Duke's Groove," his vaguely Latin-flavored beat on "Transcendental Tripping" or his patient, understated and unerring time-keeping on the laid-back dub-flavored jam "Grooves from the Underground" and the ominous jam "Burnout." Drummond is also prominently featured throughout the infectious "Deconstruction," which culminates in a dramatic, unaccompanied drum showcase. "Billy and Peter are the ultimate groove masters," says Chesky. "They've got such a great feel together and they lay this carpet down for Javon and Jeremy to do their thing. Both Javon and Jeremy play with incredible soul. When you hear them play, there's an indescribable feeling to it. They organically play jazz. It's not something they learned, it's who they are." Beneath it all, in almost subliminal fashion, is Chesky, deliberately feeding his crew darkly dissonant chord voicings with a crystalline touch on the keys, subtly tweaking the proceedings along the way with his startling vocabulary. "We had some rehearsals with Jeremy and Javon and myself, just to get comfortable with the harmonic language," he recalls. "And it's not really dissonant to me at all. When I play that way, to me it sounds like I'm playing ‘The Candy Man' or some kids' song. I'm so used to it that it just sounds normal to me. It's a nice color in my palette and I like it." Throughout Jazz in the New Harmonic, Chesky takes a decidedly sparse, mysterioso approach to his piano solos, though he does open up and stretch in his own enigmatic fashion on "Burnout" and "Transcendental Tripping." As he explains, "The music is about space so I'm not really looking to play 90 miles an hour. This is not about chops. When I do my solos, they're all constructed on large, dissonant intervals. There's no real blowing over chords or the normal blues type blowing in patterns. It's almost like instant composition, like doing a modern piano sonata in the moment." Full of provocative ideas, imbued with soulful expression and charged with the spirit of anticipation, Jazz in the New Harmonic is a portent of things to come from this accomplished composer and sonic provocateur.

David Chesky has said that for his new quintet album, he wanted to take his "harmonic language" (influenced by the classical composers Ives, Webern and Messiaen) and merge it with a strong sense of groove. The pianist/composer certainly achieved that goal with Jazz In The New Harmonic , thanks to his stellar band: Billy Drummond (drums), Peter Washington (bass), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet) and Javon Jackson (tenor saxophone). Although Chesky is the leader here, this isn't a piano showcase, as he lets his collaborators shine. During this cohesive program, the rhythm section locks into insistent grooves, providing a sturdy setting for impressive, athletic bouts between Pelt and Jackson. The track "American Culture X" features one of their best sparring matches, as Pelt's muted trumpet delivers cool jabs while Jackson's tenor bobs and weaves at a deliberate pace. On "Grooves From The Underground," Washington offers a propulsive, unrelenting bass riff that is complemented by Pelt's cool, muted trumpet coloration. The album's eight tracks were recorded at Brooklyn's Hirsch Center by Nicholas Prout, who co-produced the album with Chesky. This is a binaural recording that sounds fantastic through a good set of headphones.

This month's guest on SiriusXM: Pops / Linked Music is three-time Grammy nominee David Chesky, has earned great respect for his fresh and unique approach to musical compositions spanning jazz, classical, and opera. His latest album is Jazz in the New Harmonic.   All About Jazz describes it as, "Full of provocative ideas, imbued with soulful expression and charged with the spirit of anticipation, Jazz in the New Harmonic is a portent of things to come from this accomplished composer and sonic provocateur," and called it "a striking manifesto that deals with dissonance and rhythm on equal footing." In addition to David on piano, the album features Peter Washington on bass, Billy Drummond on drums, Javon Jackson on tenor saxophone, and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet. David said of the recording: "I wanted to take the harmonic language of 21st century classical music and make it groove…The ideal for me was to create an absolutely new concept of composition in which the jazz and classical would be so blended that you would not be able to identify the jazz roots from the classical roots." Enjoy this sample from the album and tune in this weekend to hear Peter's interview with David: Saturday, July 20, at 9am (EST), with repeats Sunday, July 21, at 8pm, and Monday, July 23, at 11pm on SiriusXM Pops.

Radio has been responding enthusistically to David Chesky's latest CD:  'The New York Rags.' As hoped, the album is resonating with both Classical and Jazz programmers. Here's what they are saying.   Plaudits to Chesky, a bullseye from this fan of Reginald Robinson, Scott Joplin et al. Love 'Kids You're Late For School Rag.'
WNUR: Chicago This went straight into ROT. Ragtime on steriods. This album just made me smile. I could practically see New York as I was listening.
KSPC: Claremont CA 'New York Rags FULL of riches'
WBGO: Newark NJ(NYC) A lot of head and hands on these. Astounding technique. Short virtuosic bursts of brilliance. BTW, we also used for pledge and it fit perfectly between pitches.
WDVR: Sergeantsville NJ( Phila. ) Love David Chesky! Your one sheet alluded to one of the greatest piano records ever and for once I understand the hyperbole. I'd say it's the best ‘pianist's record' record of the year so far. I never thought Ragtime & New Music could be such a natural combo.
KUNM: Albuquerque Excited by the Chesky record. Also about the label and it's amazing vision. They are trailblazers and fascinating. Loved our Interview.
CFBX: Kamloops, BC CAN We BLOGGED about it!   http://www.tpr.org/term/david-chesky
Texas Public Radio     Pretty interesting
KCRW: Los Angeles A very good addition with its varied programmatic titles
KXMS: Joplin MO

Visiting New York City is exhilarating. The hassle of air travel, the expense of the cabs and buses falls away and suddenly you are there, surrounded by familiar buildings, that great skyline beckoning, and people! Thousands and millions of busy, hurried people swarm all around you and this is where the adrenaline kicks in. At first you feel like a fifth grader at university - slow, turned around and lost - but as the hours pass you acclimate and subtly and imperceptibly speed up. Suddenly there you are, keeping up, cutting ahead and jaywalking with the best of them; you are now at New York speed. That is the impression I had with David Chesky's new album, "The New York Rags." At first the selections seem impossibly fast, clangorous and loud, but with repeated hearings those impressions fall away and you get to the music inside all those speeding notes. Like bricks are to buildings, standard note values are to music, and Chesky's rags maybe short, but contain thousands of notes - pounding away, zipping this way and that. Patterns emerge and hang, often obscuring the music within. It could be seen as a contradiction that the big, loud and brash covers up the quiet message, but that too is very New York. Here are some selections from the album from Spotify Just getting out of your taxi and taking in the city is best exemplified by the first rag,"The New Yorker."  The Big Apple isn't always crowded, every now and again you round a corner and come across a small square or park and suddenly the big city falls away. This experience is personified in "The Circle at Fifth." There is also the day-to-day New York that fits any American city in, "Kids, You are late for School Rag." This recording is in binaural sound, which can, with the proper equipment like headphones, give the illusion of depth or 3D sound. I had no trouble listening to it on my computer speakers, but your mileage may vary.

  David Chesky's three new concertos have redefined the role of the modern string soloist.  By fusing the classical concerto form with the modern harmonic language of American rhythmic jazz, these innovative works extend theoretical parameters to realms reserved only for the few pioneers truly revolutionizing their instruments today. Tom Chiu and Dave Eggar are by turn chamber soloists, free jazz experimentalists, and poetic sound abstractionists who bring a volcanic rock-and-roll energy to these works, transcending the typical concerto. Fiendishly difficult passage work and extreme timbral ranges present a new athleticism to the musical virtuosity as the soloists debate, collide and duel with the orchestra and also with each other.  Throughout, Chesky's poignant juxtaposition of primitive power of urban groove and the elegance of classical refinement reveals the birth of a new genre in American music.   Tom Chiu and Dave Eggar discuss David Chesky's 'String Theory'  in the clip