American jazz musician
Musical artist
James Louis Chirillo (born May 2, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist, banjoist, composer, arranger, and band leader.
[1]
From 1977 to 1979, Chirillo performed regularly with singers
Marilyn Maye ,
Vic Damone ,
Joey Heatherton ,
Lorna Luft , and pianist
Roger Williams . From 1979 to 1982, he was a member of
The Jazz Knights at
West Point , the jazz ensemble of the
United States Military Academy Band , a premier band of the United States armed forces. In 1982, he moved to
New York City . He studied and performed with
Tiny Grimes . From 1985 to 1986, he was a member of
Benny Goodman 's last band. From 1987 to 1991, he was a member of the
Buck Clayton Orchestra and toured Europe in July 1991. He performed with
Claude Williams in President
Bill Clinton 's inaugural festivities, with
Bob Wilber and the
Carnegie Hall Jazz Band ,
Benny Carter , and the
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra directed by
Wynton Marsalis . From 1992 to 1999 he was a charter member of the
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra , directed by
Gunther Schuller and
David Baker .
In 1976, with the
One O'Clock Lab Band , Chirillo toured the Soviet Union (Moscow, Volgograd, and Yerevan), Portugal, and England — 5 cities, 25 concerts, 77 encores, 82,800 attendees. The tour was sponsored by the US Department of State as part of a US Bicentennial goodwill arts outreach. NBC broadcast the July 4 concert live from Moscow as part of its US Bicentennial commemorative. While on tour, members of the band held jam sessions with musicians from Moscow, Volgograd, and Yerevan.
[2]
[3]
After college, Chirillo studied composition and arranging with
John Carisi and
Bill Finegan . He also studied guitar with
Remo Palmier .
[a]
[4]
[5]
Sultry Serenade (Nagel Heyer, 2000)
With
Kenny Davern
With
One O'Clock Lab Band
Lab '76 (NTSU Jazz, 1976)
[b]
Lab '77 (NTSU Jazz, 1977)
[6]
[b]
Jazz at Spoleto '77 Left Bank (Jazz Society 1978)
Lab '78 (NTSU Jazz, 1978)
With
Houston Person
With others
Eddie Bert , Walk on the Roots (Mothlight Music, 1993)
Dan Block , Plays the Music of Duke Ellington (Miles High, 2010)
Carter Burwell , The Man Who Wasn't There (Decca, 2001)
Evan Christopher , The Remembering Song (Arbors, 2010)
Buck Clayton , Swings the Village (Nagel Heyer, 2002)
John Cocuzzi , Groove Merchant (Arbors, 2011)
Benny Goodman , Let's Dance: A Musical Tribute (
MusicMasters , 1985)
[7]
[8]
Benny Goodman, Live, State University of New York (Jazz Heritage Society/MusicMasters, 1986)
Keith Ingham , Jazz It Up with Bayer (Bayer 1994)
Keith Ingham, A Star Dust Melody (Sackville, 1998)
Doug Lawrence , Doug Lawrence Trio with Dave Leone and James Chirillo (Do La Di Jazz, 1981)
Barbara Lea & Keith Ingham, Celebrate Vincent Youmans (A Records, 2004)
Joe Lovano , Rush Hour (Blue Note, 1995)
Cécile McLorin Salvant , WomanChild (Justin Time, 2013)
Bob Mintzer , Homage to Count Basie (DMP, 2000)
Joe Muranyi , Moon Over Marstons Mills (JLX Kiado, 2008)
Scott Robinson , Melody from the Sky (Arbors, 2000)
Cynthia Sayer , String Swing (Jazzology, 2000)
Randy Sandke , The Re-discovered Louis and Bix (Nagel Heyer, 2000)
Loren Schoenberg , Just A-Settin' and A-Rockin (Musicmasters, 1990)
Loren Schoenberg, Out of This World (TCB, 1998)
Dick Sudhalter , Get Out and Get Under the Moon (Stomp Off, 1990)
Dick Sudhalter, Melodies Heard...Melodies Sweet (Challenge, 1999)
Pablo Villegas , Americano (Harmonia Mundi, 2015)
Bob Wilber &
Dick Hyman , A Perfect Match (Arbors, 1998)
Bob Wilber & Kenny Davern, Summit Reunion in Atlanta (Jazzology, 2001)
Claude Williams , Live at J's Part 1 (Arhoolie, 1993)
Claude Williams, Live at J's Part 2 (Arhoolie, 1993)
Jack Wilson , In New York (DIW, 1993)
Church of the Heavenly Rest ,
Upper East Side , Manhattan
March 1991
Ruby Braff , cornet;
Marian McPartland , piano; James Chirillo, guitar
Jimmy died March 13 and Braff played at Marian's request
[9]
Around New York,
CD of radio program broadcast on
WNYC ; Steve Sullivan (born 1954), host
Stephen Gosling, Zuying Song, piano ;
Eddie Bert , trombone; Stephen Roane, bass; James Chirillo, guitar
New York City, August 18, 1994;
OCLC
174517506
"
Bye Bye Blackbird ," arranged by Chirillo
[10]
Sammy Sherman, Live at Chan's (
Arbors , 1997)
(recorded November 7, 1997 at Chan's,
Woonsocket, Rhode Island )
Memorial Day Concert, Tribute to
Kurt Masur
Live at the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine ,
Manhattan , May 30, 2016
Soloists:
Wynton Marsalis (trumpet);
Thomas Hampson (baritone voice)
John Rosamond Johnson ,
James Weldon Johnson ,
Bob Cole , "Oh, Didn't He Ramble" (1902)
Other musicians:
Marcus Printup (trumpet), Vincent Gardener (trombone),
Dan Block (clarinet), Ibanda Ruhumbika (sousaphone), James Chirillo (banjo),
Joe Saylor (
snare drum ),
Ali Jackson (bass drum)
OCLC
1050431420
As member of the
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
Blues and the Abstract Truth: The Music of Oliver Nelson (broadcast on NPR)
Recorded on various dates in Washington, D.C., in tribute to the following bandleaders:
Lionel Hampton : "
Flying Home ," May 20 & 21, 1995
Artie Shaw : "
'S Wonderful ," June 20 & 21, 1992
Benny Carter : " '
Ill Wind ," July 19 & 20, 1997
Tommy Dorsey : "
Chloe ," August 12 & 13, 1995
Artie Shaw : "
Begin the Beguine ," July 18 & 19, 1998
Duke Ellington : "Sepia Panorama," July 31, 1993
Benny Goodman : "Back Bay Boogie," July 19 & 20, 1997
Glenn Miller : "
The Song of the Volga Boatmen ," July 25 & 26, 1992
Artie Shaw : "
Summertime ," July 18 & 19, 1998
Duke Ellington : "
Take the "A" Train ," June 20 & 21, 1992
Benny Carter : "Back Bay Boogie," July 19 & 20, 1997
Duke Ellington : "
Cotton Tail ," April 29 & 30, 1995
Tommy Dorsey : "
Swanee River ," August 12 & 13, 1995
Duke Ellington : "Rain Check," May 9, 1993
Artie Shaw : "Back Bay Shuffle," July 18 & 19, 1998
Duke Ellington : "
Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin' " July 18 & 19, 1998
Tommy Dorsey : "Hallelujah," August 12 & 13, 1995
Unissued:
Jimmie Lunceford: "Blue Blazes," August 12 & 13, 1995
Broadway
Come Fly Away , March 1, 2010 – September 5, 2010 (188 performances)
Published music and papers
Compositions and arrangements
"Prelude (to a minor insensitivity)", for the Gotham Wind Symphony (n.d.)
"March, dedicated to the memory of
Bill Finegan ", for the Gotham Wind Symphony (n.d.)
"Love Was Right For Us," lyrics by Tanyayette Charlaisse Willoughby (born 1957), music by Chirillo (1984)
"When You're in Mind," lyrics Judy Spencer, music by Chirillo (1985)
"Now I know Why" (1989)
"Skytime Samba" (1989)
"Pulsación No. 1," by
Astor Piazzolla , arranged by Chirillo (n.d.)
"Work Song Blues" (1991)
"
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen ," arranged by Chirillo (1992)
"Manhattan Work Song," for the
Loren Schoenberg Jazz Orchestra (1993)
"Bittersweet" (1994)
Valse Prismatique , for
Warren Vaché and the Scottish String Ensemble
On
Warren Vaché 's 2006 album, Don't Look Back (see discography)
Homage Concerto, for clarinet and jazz orchestra, Val-Doc Music (
ASCAP ) (1996);
OCLC
41312302
Composed and arranged by Chirillo
Written for
Ken Peplowski with the
Loren Schoenberg Jazz Orchestra
[11]
[12]
"Swing"
"Elegy"
"Driving"
"Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol"
"Hill-Song No. 2"
Papers
James Chirillo, "Comments About the One-Note Chord Theory" (October 2002)
Interviews
James Chirillo interviewed by Monk Rowe, New York City, January 12, 2007, Hamilton College Jazz Archive (DVD) (2007);
OCLC
895052699 ,
190787433
^ Helen Hobbs Jordan (1907–2006)
^
a
b Following Lab '75's
Grammy nomination for
Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band , Lab '76, received a Grammy nomination for the same category. Both nominations represented the first Grammy nominations to student ensembles of any genre. ("NT Lab Band Gets Grammy Nomination,"
Denton Record-Chronicle , May 10, 1976)
^ The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2nd ed.) (Chirillo is in Vol. 2 of 3),
Barry Dean Kernfeld (ed.),
Macmillan Publishers (2002);
LCCN
2001-40794 ,
ISBN
1561592846 ,
OCLC
46956628
^
"Lab Band Happy to be Home"
Archived 2021-05-19 at the
Wayback Machine , by Joyce Hopkins,
Denton Record-Chronicle , July 11, 1976, p. 3A (accessible via
Newspapers.com )
^
"Lab Band: Members Chosen for Fall Group"
Archived 2021-05-19 at the
Wayback Machine ,
Denton Record-Chronicle , October 10, 1976, p. 7B (accessible via
Newspapers.com )
^
"Helen Hobbs Jordan, 99, Music Teacher to Generations, Is Dead,"
Archived 2023-03-11 at the
Wayback Machine by Daniel J. Wakin,
New York Times , April 28, 2006
^
"Devoted Students Rally to Help a Music Teacher,"
Archived 2017-01-02 at the
Wayback Machine by Daniel J. Wakin,
New York Times , January 19, 2005
^
"New 1 O'Clock LP a First-Rate Release"
Archived 2021-05-19 at the
Wayback Machine (record review), by Bob Darden (Robert F. Darden),
Denton Record-Chronicle , December 8, 1977, p. 7B (accessible via
Newspapers.com )Note: From 1984 to 1994, Darden was Gospel Music Editor for
Billboard
^
"Jazz: 'Benny Goodman': Ch 12. Has a Winner"
Archived 2021-05-19 at the
Wayback Machine (review), by Nels Robert Nelson (1923–1996),
Philadelphia Daily News , March 14, 1986 (accessible via
Newspapers.com )
^
The Jazz Discography Online ; entry: "James Chirillo;" Tom Lord (ed.); Lord Music (retrieved November 8, 2018);
OCLC
182585494 ,
690104143
^
Born to Play: The Ruby Braff Discography and Directory of Performances
Archived 2023-03-11 at the
Wayback Machine , Chapter 19: "The Pianists and Growth of Jazz Parties: September 1988–September 1993," by Thomas P. Hustad,
Scarecrow Press (2012), p. 506;
ISBN
978-0-8108-8264-5 (cloth);
ISBN
978-0-8108-8265-2 (
e-book );
OCLC
802531474
^
"UNT Electric Guitar Ensemble"
Archived 2018-11-08 at the
Wayback Machine (concert program),
University of North Texas College of Music , October 12, 1998
^
The Rough Guide to Jazz
Archived 2023-03-11 at the
Wayback Machine (3rd ed.); entry: "James Chirillo;" entry by
Digby Fairweather ; book by
Ian Carr ,
Digby Fairweather ,
Brian Priestley ;
Rough Guides (2004), p. 144;
ISBN
1-84353-256-5 ;
OCLC
762959118
^
Cleveland Jazz History
Archived 2021-05-17 at the
Wayback Machine ; by Joe Mosbrook; entry: Ken Peplowski (Chapter 22); Northeast Ohio Jazz Society (2003); pps. 207–211;
OCLC
53463124
International National Artists Other