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Chris Cheek

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chris Cheek
Cheek at Moers Festival 2009
Cheek at Moers Festival 2009
Background information
Birth nameChristopher Carson Cheek
Born (1968-09-16) September 16, 1968 (age 56)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
GenresJazz, blues
Occupation(s)Musician, bandleader
InstrumentSaxophone
Years active1992–present
LabelsFresh Sound, Blue Music Group
WebsiteChrisCheek.net
Chris Cheek, 2013

Christopher Carson Cheek (born September 16, 1968) is an American jazz saxophonist.

Biography

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Cheek was born in St. Louis, Missouri,[1] where his father was the director of a Junior high school band. Cheek began learning to play the alto saxophone at age eleven, and upon graduation from high school, he attended Webster University.[1] He studied at the Berklee College of Music under Joe Viola, Hal Crook, and Herb Pomeroy, and earned his bachelor's degree.[2] He moved to New York City in 1992, where he played with Paul Motian in the Electric Bebop Band, and co-founded Bloomdaddies with Seamus Blake.[1] He also played with Guillermo Klein, Mika Pohjola, Luciana Souza, and David Berkman.[1]

His debut release as a leader, I Wish I Knew, appeared in 1997 and featured Kurt Rosenwinkel,[3] and by 2010, three more solo albums with Cheek as bandleader on the Fresh Sound label followed; A Girl Named Joe (1997), Vine (1999), and Blues Cruise, in 2005. Two albums as co-leader – Lazy Afternoon and Guilty – were released by Blue Moon in 2002.[4] In 2016 another CD, Saturday Songs, was released by Sunnyside Records[5] and recorded at Supertone Records, Valencia. Criss Cross Jazz have also released two Cheek albums with co-leader Seamus Blake.[6] Cheek has appeared on more than one hundred albums as a session musician.

Discography

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As leader/co-leader

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Year recorded Title Label Year released Personnel
1996–97 I Wish I Knew Fresh Sound 1997 Quartet, with Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Chris Higgins (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums)
1997 A Girl Named Joe Fresh Sound 1998 With Mark Turner (tenor sax), Ben Monder (guitar), Marc Johnson (bass), Jorge Rossy and Dan Rieser (drums)
1999 Vine Fresh Sound 2000 Quintet, with Brad Mehldau (piano, Fender Rhodes), Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Matt Penman (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums)
2000 Guilty Blue Moon 2002 Quartet, co-led with Ethan Iverson (piano), Ben Street (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums); in concert
2000 Lazy Afternoon Blue Moon 2002 Quartet, co-led with Ethan Iverson (piano), Ben Street (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums); in concert
2005 Blues Cruise Fresh Sound 2006 Quartet, with Brad Mehldau (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums)
2013 Reeds Ramble Criss Cross Jazz 2014 Co-led with Seamus Blake (tenor sax); quintet, with Ethan Iverson (piano), Matt Penman (bass), Jochen Rueckert (drums)
2015 Let's Call the Whole Thing Off Criss Cross Jazz 2016 Co-led with Seamus Blake (tenor sax); quintet, with Ethan Iverson (piano), Matt Penman (bass), Jochen Rueckert (drums)
2015 Saturday Songs Sunnyside 2016 Quintet, with Steve Cardenas (guitar), David Soler (pedal steel guitar), Jaume Llombard (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums, vibes, marimba)

As member

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The Bloomdaddies
With Seamus Blake, Jesse Murphy, Jorge Rossy and Dan Reiser

  • The Bloomdaddies (Criss Cross Jazz, 1996) – recorded in 1995
  • Racer X (self-released, 1998)
  • Mosh For Lovers (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2002) – recorded in 2001

As sideman

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Gary W. Kennedy, "Chris Cheek". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd edition, ed. Barry Kernfeld.
  2. ^ Adler, David. "Chris Cheek: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  3. ^ Yanow, Scott. "I Wish I Knew: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  4. ^ Corroto, Mark (September 12, 2002). "Cheek/Iverson/Street/Rossy: Lazy Afternoon/Guilty". AllAboutJazz.
  5. ^ Brady, Shaun (December 2016). "Together (and Apart) Again". DownBeat. p. 64.
  6. ^ Blanco, Edward (August 29, 2016). "Seamus Blake / Chris Cheek: Let's Call the Whole Thing Off". AllAboutJazz.
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