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About Lafayette

Baltimore City
There’s good reason why jazz fans and critics alike are so excited about Lafayette Gilchrist. The Baltimore-based pianist hit the scene hard with his debut, The Music According To Lafayette Gilchrist, and went straight to earning raves for his sophomore release, Towards The Shining Path. Emerging from jazz legend David Murray’s Black Saint Quartet, Gilchrist has an approach and presence that’s drawn comparisons to royalty such as Andrew Hill and Sun Ra.

With his own band the New Volcanoes, Gilchrist leads a 10 piece ensemble that’s equally inspired by D.C. go-go… more
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Jump to a project:

New Urban World Blues Suite

New Urban World Blues is simply how the music feels to me. Central to this project is the Blues for Freddie Gray video. Myself and members of New Volcanoes worked with Joshua Emmitt of Shutter Frequency to create the video.  This offering is my effort to never remain silent in the face of our global crisis.

Lafayette Gilchrist, Composer and Pianist
  • New Urban World Blues
  • Lafayette Gilchrist interview
    Lafayette Gilchrist on New Urban World Blues.
  • Lafayette Gilchrist and New Volcanoes - Blues for Freddie Gray
    Blues for Freddie Gray attempts to speak to the system's inability to treat all of its citizens humanly. In the song Brooks Long sings "I want to know that there's a day that's coming soon and fast I want a justice and peace that's made to last and last." That about sums it up.
  • Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Lafayette Gilchrist, Brooks Long and Joshua Emmitt
  • Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Lafayette Gilchrist
  • Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Joshua Emmitt and Lafayette Gilchrist
  • Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Lafayette Gilchrist
  • Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Blues for Freddie Gray Video Shoot
    Dr. Michael Cerri, Camilla Campos Cerri, and Lafayette Gilchrist
  • 20170726_me_lafayette_gilchrist_plays_the_blues_for_freddie_gray.mp3
    Transcript from NPR Morning Edition: Lafayette Gilchrist Plays The 'Blues For Freddie Gray' Interviewed by Phil Harrell
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    • The GoGo Suite

    The GoGo Suite is a celebration of the music and city of my youth. Growing up and living in and around Washington DC this music was omnipresent and has shaped so much of my rhythmic orientation as well as my overall musical imagination. It has given me my initial exposer to jazz as a music re-integrated into a popular homegrown dance music form. And so given the horn heavy nature of my own band New Volcanoes, and although residing in Baltimore, my having roots in DC and at the behest of my long time big brother Vernon Reid Of Iconic Rock Band "Living Color" and with the passing of the late great founder of the GoGo sound Chuck Brown, I felt I had to write The GoGo Suite.

    Lafayette Gilchrist, Composer and Pianist
    • CB Sessions: Lafayette Gilchrist
      Lafayette Gilchrist's New Volcanoes present the DC debut of "The GoGo Suite" at CapitalBop's Traveling Loft.
    • The View from Here (Live)
      The View From Here is a jump swing piece spun into the GoGo beat. The song's form allows for some of the many tales of the city once dubbed "Chocolate City" to be told.
    • DC Slick (Live)
      "DC Slick" has to do with the country roots of most so-called native Washingtonians.
    • The Shadow Knows What the Shadow Do (Live)
      "The Shadow Knows What the Shadow Do" has to do with the underbelly of the city's power grid and it's oftentimes tendency to double deal, lie, cheat and steal.
    • Contact (Live)
      "Contact" is a some what personal observation of the many different kinds of people currently living in and/or moving to the Nation's Capital. Their initial sighting of one another across culture and class lines sometimes results in Contact.
    • Lafayette Gilchrist with Chuck Brown
      Lafayette Gilchrist with Chuck Brown
      Lafayette Gilchrist with the late great founder of the GoGo sound, Chuck Brown.
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    • International Shows

    • Lafayette Gilchrist Solo Part 1
      Black Sunshine live in Sant'Anna Arresi Jazz 2009
    • Lafayette Gilchrist Solo Part 2
      Live in Sant'anna Arresi Jazz 2009
    • Cassandra Wilson & David Murray Black Saint Quartet - Jazz a Vienne Live 2007
    • David Murray & Black Saint Quartet Live In Berlin 2007
      Live in Berlin 2007 David Murray, Black Saint Quartet, Lafayette Gilchrist
    • Sharing the Shed
      Sharing the Shed
      Lafayette Gilchrist, Hamid Drake, Mihály Dresch and Mátyás Szandai Budapest Music Centers Record
    • Lafayette Gilchrist, Mihály Dresch, Mátyás Szandai, Hamid Drake - Delicate Dancer
      Sharing the Shed Budapest Music Centers Record Hungary
    • Giant Steps - David Murray Octet - Granada Jazz Festival
      David Murray's Octet plays Coltrane featuring James Spaulding, Nathan Breedlove, Rasul Siddik, Sarah Morrow, Lafayatte Gilchrist, Jaribu Shahid and Tanni Tabbal.
    • International Touring Pictures and Places
      International Touring Pictures and Places
    • l-r-Lafayette Gilchrist, Mark Johnson, David Murray and Jaribu Shahid
      l-r-Lafayette Gilchrist, Mark Johnson, David Murray and Jaribu Shahid
    • International Touring Pictures and Places
      International Touring Pictures and Places
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