Presented in partnership with UT String Project and KUTX’s “Sunday Morning Jazz” with Jay Trachtenberg

The Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet are joined by jazz pianist extraordinaire Cyrus Chestnut for this brand new program that embraces a range of composers­—from Jelly Roll Morton to Thelonious Monk. Displaying their formidable collective virtuosity, the quintet makes soulful and sweet connections that delve deeply into the jazz and classical traditions.

Their glorious fusion of jazz and chamber music makes the Turtle Island Quartet the very definition of chamber jazz. Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American music styles, and by devising a performance practice that honors both, the state of the art has inevitably been redefined.

Known for his improvisational skills and unique bop style, Cyrus Chestnut credits his abilities to his formative years, when he played in church. Throughout his career, Chestnut has worked with an array of artists, including Joe Lovano, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, Kathleen Battle, Bette Midler, and Isaac Hayes.

“The [Turtle Island] Quartet is a sterling example of first-rate jazz music making.” — Los Angeles Times

“What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes and play space.” — Time Magazine