Bill Carrothers (born July 13, 1964| "Bill Carrothers | Biography") is a jazz pianist and composer based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan."Bill Carrothers | Biography." AllMusic, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.Espeland, Pamela. "Between Sets: A Conversation with Pianist Bill Carrothers." A Blog Supreme. NPR, 19 Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. He has cited Clifford Brown, Shirley Horn, and Oscar Peterson as influences on his development as a musician.Arends, Robin. "Interview with Bill Carrothers." Interjazz, 27 Oct. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.McClenaghan, Dan. "Bill Carrothers: See the Piano, Play the Piano." All About Jazz, 25 May 2010. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. Carrothers performs without shoes to better feel the piano pedals, and sits in a chair rather than on a traditional piano bench in order to achieve his preferred seating height.Ephland, John. "Bill Carrothers Wanders down Jazzy, Dreamy Paths during Noon-time Gilmore Keyboard Festival Show." MLive. Kalamazoo Gazette, 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
Career Carrothers began playing piano at age five, studying with his church organist before learning jazz from pianist Bobby Peterson.Hall, James. "Pianist Bill Carrothers Interview." About.com, Apr. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. By age 15 he was performing in jazz clubs, and in 1982 he briefly attended North Texas State University."Auditions." Downbeat 56.2 (1989): 64. Print.
After a year at North Texas, Carrothers was a member of Irv Williams' band before moving to New York City in 1988.Protzman, Bob. "Reducing Gaps." Downbeat 64.4 (1997): 47. Print. He performed at the Knitting Factory, The Village Gate, and Birdland as well as Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. He has worked with Buddy DeFranco, Curtis Fuller, Billy Higgins, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Konitz, James Moody, Gary Peacock, Dewey Redman, Charlie Rouse, James Spaulding, Terell Stafford, Toots Thielemans, and Prince."Bill Carrothers." B.H. Hopper Management Web. 05 Mar. 2015.McCoy, Brian. "Bill Carrothers Trio: Monterey Jazz Festival's Overlooked Gem." Examiner.com, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
Carrothers has performed in France at the New Morning, Nevers Jazz Festival, and Marciac Festival, in Belgium at the Audi Jazz Festival and Jazz Middelheim, and he headlined the Rising Star Tour in October, 2000 through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In July, 2009, Carrothers played a week-long stand at the Village Vanguard with his European trio (Nicolas Thys and Dre Pallemaerts), a recording of which was released in 2011.Bailey, C. Michael. "Bill Carrothers Trio: A Night At the Village Vanguard." All About Jazz, 03 June 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. In his home state of Michigan, Carrothers performed a solo piano concert at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in April, 2010, and he made his Monterey Jazz Festival debut in September, 2011. He is also a regular on the Chicago scene, having performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Green Mill, and The Jazz Showcase."Lawrence University Faculty Jazz." Chicago Jazz Entertainment, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. In 2011, Carrothers became an adjunct professor at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. In 2017, Carrothers began performing with the Copper Cats on The Red Jacket Jamboree.
Accolades Carrothers was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque for Jazz in 2004 and was nominated for the Les Victoires du Jazz (French Grammy Award equivalent) in 2005 and 2011.
Discography
As leader Year recordedTitleLabelNotes1987?The Artful DodgerBridge Boy1993Ye Who Enter HereBridge BoyA Band in All Hope, with Anton Denner (alto sax, flute), Bill Stewart (percussion)Meyer, Jim. "Local: Jazz" Minneaopolis Star-Tribune, 29 Mar 1998. Web. 03 Jun. 2020.1998The Blues and the GreysBridge BoySolo piano1995After Hours, Vol. 4 Go JazzTrio, with Billy Peterson (bass), Kenny Horst (drums)1999?The Language of CrowsBridge BoyDuo, co-led with Wendy Lewis (vocals)1999Duets with Bill StewartDreyfusDuo, with Bill Stewart (drums)2000Swing Sing SongsWarner Bros.Trio, with Nicolas Thys (bass), Dre Pallemaerts (drums)2001The Electric BillDreyfusWith Michael Lewis (tenor sax, soprano sax), Reid Anderson (acoustic bass, electric bass), Dave King (drums)2002Ghost ShipsSketchTrio, with Anton Denner (soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax), Bill Stewart (drums)2003Armistice 1918SketchWith Mark Henderson (contrabass bass clarinet), Matt Turner (cello), Drew Gress (bass), Bill Stewart (drums), Jay Epstein (percussion), Peg Carrothers and Knob St Choir (vocals)2003–04Shine BallFresh Sound New TalentTrio, with Gordon Johnson (bass), Dave King (drums)2004I Love ParisPirouetTrio, with Nicolas Thys (bass), Dre Pallemaerts (drums)2004Civil War DiariesBridge BoySolo piano; in concert2006No ChoiceMinium2006Keep Your Sunny Side UpPirouetTrio, with Ben Street (bass), Ari Hoenig (drums)1992Home RowPirouetWith Gary Peacock (bass), Bill Stewart (drums)2008Play DayBridge BoyWith Jean-Marc Foltz (clarinet), Matt Turner (cello), Jean-Philippe Viret (bass), Dre Pallemaerts (drums), Jay Epstein (percussion), Peg Carrothers (vocals)2009ApneaAbeat2009Joy SpringPirouetTrio, with Drew Gress (bass), Bill Stewart (drums)2009A Night at the Village VanguardPirouetTrio, with Nicolas Thys (bass), Dre Pallemaerts (drums)2010ExcelsiorOutnote2012CastawaysPirouetTrio, with Drew Gress (bass), Dre Pallemaerts (drums)2009Family LifePirouetSolo piano2012Sunday MorningVision Fugitive2012Love and LongingLa Buissonne
As sideman Brownmark, Just Like That (Motown, 1988) Scott Colley, Subliminal (Criss Cross, 1997) Dave Douglas, Moving Portrait (DIW, 1998) Happy Apple, Part of the Solutionproblem (No Alternative, Liberation Mob 1998) Gordon Johnson, Trios (Igmod, 1996) Dave King, I've Been Ringing You (Sunnyside, 2012) John McKenna, Apparition (Igmod, 1998) Andy Scherrer, Wrong Is Right (TCB, 2007) Andy Scherrer, Ornithology (Kelso, 2013) Bill Stewart, Snide Remarks (Blue Note, 1995) Bill Stewart, Telepathy (Blue Note, 1997) Bill Stewart, Space Squid (Pirouet, 2015) Ira Sullivan, After Hours (Go Jazz, 2000) Bobby Z., Bobby Z (Virgin, 1989) Kevin Brady, Common Ground (LRP Records, 2007) Kevin Brady, Zeitgeist (Fresh Sounds New Talent Records, 2009) Kevin Brady, Ensam (LRP Records,2016) Kevin Brady, Plan B (Ubuntu Music,2021)
References