Bill Carrothers
The American pianist Bill Carrothers is a quietly unconventional thinker. When he first appeared on the New York jazz scene he was immediately celebrated as a major new discovery, playing with such greats as bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Bill Stewart. Carrothers moved to Michigan a few years ago. From there he radically re-worked his musical ideas and program concepts. Along the way he has also received a variety of prestigious awards, among them the German Recording Industry's prize for 'best record', and the French 'Diapason d'Or'. Bill Carrothers often approaches the interpretation of jazz standards from an intriguingly different angle than most other musicians. And it is always intensely exciting. Born in 1964, Bill Carrothers has mastered a seldom-found combination: he plays music that is highly stimulating intellectually, and yet also has an extremely direct emotional quality. These are qualities that often work against each other, but in Carrothers' hands they are clearly cultivated in every composition. There are great examples of Carrothers' skills in his other Pirouet CDs: I Love Paris, Keep Your Sunny Side Up, Home Row, Joy Spring, A Night at the Village Vanguard and Family Life.