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Billy Childs

Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro

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Billy Childs - The Making of Map to the Treasure
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KNKX Studio Session
1 New York Tendaberry (feat. Renee Fleming & Yo-Yo Ma)
2 The Confession (feat. Becca Stevens)
3 Map to the Treasure (feat. Lisa Fischer)
4 Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp (feat. Esperanza Spalding & Wayne Shorter)
5 Been on a Train (feat. Rickie Lee Jones & Chris Potter)
6 Stoned Soul Picnic (feat. Ledisi)
7 Gibsom Street (feat. Susan Tedeschi & Steve Wilson)
8 Save the Country (feat. Shawn Colvin & Chris Botti)
9 To a Child (feat. Diane Reeves)
10 And When I Die (feat. Alison Krauss & Jerry Douglas)
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Composer/Arranger/Pianist Billy Childs leads an all-star interpretation of songwriter Laura Nyro's beloved works: guests include Renee Fleming, Esperanza Spalding, Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss, Ledisi and Wayne Shorter

When the Grammy-winning musician Billy Childs was 11 years old, his older sisters introduced him to the work of Hall Of Fame singer-songwriter Laura Nyro. Her blend of Broadway-inspired melodies, jazz improvisation and socially conscious lyrics have stayed with him.Now he has returned to this early source of inspiration, conceiving and orchestrating Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro, to be released by Masterworks on September 9, 2014.

"I related to her more than the other singer-songwriters of that era because the piano was the engine that was driving a lot of her music," Childssaid. "It was easy for me to escape into the world of the music because of its theatricality. The way she used silence, dynamics, going from extreme changes from very loud to very soft or vice versa-or heavily orchestrated to minimal. All of these were used to tell whatever story she was telling. Also, her words were not literal, more metaphorical and allegorical, so you could imagine what she was talking about and made it easier for me to conjure up images in my mind."

Childs is not alone in his enthusiasm. An incredible range of musicians are on board to interpret Nyro's narratives. Classical soprano Renée Fleming and cellist Yo-Yo Ma add new meaning to her hometown ode, "New York Tendaberry." Jazz stars Esperanza Spalding and Wayne Shorter collaborate on Nyro's pictorial "Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp." R&B chanteuse Ledisi updates the hit "Stoned Soul Picnic." Other prominent voices include Alison Krauss, Rickie Lee Jones, Shawn Colvin, Dianne Reeves, Susan Tedeschi, Lisa Fischer, and Becca Stevens, with featured instrumental soloists Chris Botti, Jerry Douglas, Chris Potter, and Steve Wilson also on board.

  • Billy Childs is fiendishly busy and loving it / SFCV Q&A
    Posted At: November 16, 2023
    Billy Childs has received a number of orchestral commissions from, among others: Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Kronos Quartet, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the American Brass Quintet, and the Dorian Wind Quintet. After apprenticing with Freddie Hubbard and J.J. Johnson in t...

  • Billy Childs and quartet play KNKX studio session
    Posted At: May 10, 2023
    Billy Childs explores an 'alternate reality' with his touring quartetKNKX's Abe Beeson writes….Pianist Billy Childs is an award-winning performer and composer and was a bit of a prodigy growing up in Los Angeles. He began college at 16 and launched his career shortly after in the band of legendary trumpeter Freddie Hubbard.Childs' passion for music and love of the trumpet shines through on his complex and s...

  • Billy Childs is back in Bay Area to spotlight 'Winds of Change' / The Mercury News
    Posted At: April 25, 2023
    Pianist and composer Billy Childs brings his quartet featuring trumpeter Sean Jones to Half Moon Bay April 30 and Santa Cruz May 1.The Mercury News - ANDREW GILBERT writes…..Long before Billy Childs gained recognition as one of country’s preeminent composers he was dazzling Bay Area audiences as a sideman.Playing Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society April 30 and Kuumbwa Jazz Center May 1 with a quartet featu...

  • Billy Childs performs with amazing musicianship and holy inspiration in 'Jazz Vespers at All Saints Church' / Pasadena Now
    Posted At: June 28, 2019

    The All Saints Jazz Vespers program brings together amazing musicianship and holy inspiration six times a year for a service of prayer, meditation and music. Billy Childs has been a regular guest at the series, which also features Alan Broadbent and Shelly Berg, Alan Pasqua, Bill Cunliffe and Holly Hofmann, Walter Smith III, John and Gerald Clayton and many other first-class musicians. Billy Childs has e...

  • Ravinia - DownBeat gets ready for 'jazz and classical fusion composition competition' / Windy City Times
    Posted At: October 17, 2018

    In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Ravinia's Steans Music Institute ( RSMI ) last summer, Ravinia launched a competition for composers who could fuse the worlds of jazz and classical music. Due to its success, Ravinia, with the support of DownBeat magazine, is now calling for submissions to the second annual "Bridges" international jazz and classical fusion composition competition, overseen by...

  • On Rebirth, Billy Childs incorporates the orchestral feel of his own musical identity / HUFFPOST
    Posted At: June 5, 2017

    By now it's evident that the pianist/arranger/composer Billy Childs can compose gorgeous music. Just listen some of his past repertoire."Into the Light " the 2006 Grammy winner for Best Instrumental Composition. "The Path Among the Trees," a cinematically beautiful composition and the 2011 Grammy Award winner for Best Instrumental Composition. His poignant work with vocalists like Dianne Reeves on the Gr...

  • WBGORadar: Preview - 'Rebirth' by Billy Childs
    Posted At: March 20, 2017

    Pianist Billy Childs has demonstrated a range of creative skills - as a pianist with Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson and Dianne Reeves; as the composer of masterly chamber jazz experiences; as a bandleader and arranger paying tribute to singer-songwriter Laura Nyro. His inspiration led to - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro, an all-star interpretation of this songwriter's beloved w...

  • Billy Childs signs with Mack Avenue Records / billboard
    Posted At: December 13, 2016

    Christmas is starting early for Mack Avenue Records. The independent jazz label has added acclaimed artists Cameron Graves, Joey DeFrancesco and Billy Childs to its roster. All three will release new albums in 2017. Childs returns to his jazz roots on the aptly titled Rebirth arriving March 24. The four-time Grammy Award-winning pianist plays with saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist Hans Glawischnig an...

  • Billy Childs named President of Chamber Music America
    Posted At: June 29, 2016

    Chamber Music America (CMA) today announced the appointment of pianist and composer Billy Childs as president of its board of directors, effective July 1. Childs is the organization's ninth board president, and the first jazz musician elected to the position. The CMA board of directors unanimously approved his first three-year term at its June 6th meeting. Childs's large and varied body of work defie...

  • Billy Childs kicks off WBGO - LIVE from the Yamaha Piano Salon
    Posted At: April 28, 2016

    Kicking off WBGO: New York/NJ series of exclusive live performances from the Yamaha Piano Salon is multi Grammy award winning pianist and composer Billy Childs. Childs's career includes tenures performing with Freddie Hubbard, arranging for Dianne Reeves, and composing for the Classical concert stage. This concert features his arrangements of the songs of Laura Nyro performed by a band including...

  • Billy Childs takes time to make music with some California Central Valley HS students
    Posted At: February 18, 2016

    Four-time Grammy award winning composer Billy Childs is making a few stops in the Central Valley-- and not just to perform. The musician is working with several jazz bands from local schools Wednesday and Thursday. Childs, a world-renowned jazz pianist and composer, is taking on a new role-- class instructor. Fresno, Central, and Madera Unified School Districts worked together to bring the four-time Gram...

  • Billy Childs and co. bring 'Laura Nyro's music to FSU / Tallahassee Democrat review
    Posted At: February 12, 2016

    Like every other kid who grew up listening to the radio in the ‘70s, I was first introduced to the music of singer-pianist-composer Laura Nyro through other artists. The New York City-born Nyro, who died of cancer in 1997 when she was only 49, was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. "Everything felt heightened and exotic in her songs," Bette Midler said during th...

  • Two decades years after Laura Nyro's death her music is kept alive / The American Spectator
    Posted At: January 25, 2016

    In the years since her death, Nyro's work has received sufficient appraisal to warrant her induction into the Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Her music has also inspired two very different tributes both of which I had the pleasure of recently attending - Kate Ferber'sOne Child Born: The Music of Laura Nyro and Billy Childs' Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro. Billy Childs is also a...

  • Billy Childs Brings Laura Nyro To Cambridge / WBUR Radio
    Posted At: January 19, 2016

    Her songs made their way to the public eye through artists like Barbra Streisand and Patti LaBelle, but her stardom was encapsulated in a niche fandom of "Nyrotics." Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro's gospel, jazz- and soul-influenced music was as good as that of her contemporaries Joni Mitchell and Carole King. Although she purposefully shied away from celebrity fame, her faithful following kept her in ...

  • Billy Childs' ensemble celebrates Laura Nyro's music@Walt Disney Concert Hall / axs
    Posted At: November 10, 2015

    Returning to the source of one's early inspirations and influences is an invaluable solution for any artist searching for innovative ways to present new ideas or to explore the true essence of those particular inspirations from a different angle with more maturity. That approach worked extremely well tonight for the Brad Mehldau Trio and for Billy Childs' Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro ensem...

  • Billy Childs - Reimagining Laura Nyro makes 'Dirty Dog Top Ten for April'
    Posted At: April 8, 2015

    The award-winning Jazz pianist, composer and arranger, Billy Childs' new album pays tribute to the late, singer songwriter, Laura Nyro. It includes creative renderings of Nyro's songs by such luminaries as Wayne Shorter, Renee Fleming, Rickie Lee Jones and others.   When Childs was 11 years old, his older sisters introduced him to Laura Nyro, and her improvisation blending with socially...

  • Billy Child's plays Portland Jazz Festival / Oregon Music News
    Posted At: February 22, 2015

    Grammy award and Guggenheim grant winning Jazz pianist, composer and arranger Billy Childs will be performing at the 2015 Portland Jazz Festival on Sunday February 22.  Growing up in Los Angeles, he started learning how to play the piano at age 6 AND remembers the sounds coming out of his older sister's room and was drawn to the many different albums she would put on. One artist in particular stayed...

  • Billy Childs plays La Jolla Athenaeum / U-T San Diego
    Posted At: February 13, 2015

    The La Jolla Jazz at The Athenaeum series continues on Friday, February 13, with a return visit by Athenaeum favorite Billy Childs on piano, with an all-star quartet comprised of saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Johnathan Blake. JazzTimes commented, "Childs' piano playing sings with clarity and emotion…The swing throughout is n...

  • Billy Childs - "New York Tendaberry" from Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro wins 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals
    Posted At: February 9, 2015

    Composer/Arranger/Pianist Billy Childs leads an all-star interpretation of songwriter Laura Nyro's beloved works: guests include Renee Fleming, Esperanza Spalding, Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss, Ledisi and Wayne Shorter. When the Grammy-winning musician Billy Childs was 11 years old, his older sisters introduced him to the work of Hall Of Fame singer-songwriter Laura ...

  • Billy Childs to perform at Mondavi Center / Sacramento Bee interview
    Posted At: January 30, 2015

    You have to admire Billy Childs for confessing without irony that the excesses of British progressive rock pioneers Emerson, Lake and Palmer pushed him into a career as a black jazz pianist. Child's became progressive in his own right, carving out a career as a highly respected jazz-based artist who – not too surprisingly – observes no boundaries in making music. He brings his acoustic qu...

  • Billy Childs receives 3 / 2015 GRAMMY Nominations for - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro
    Posted At: December 8, 2014

    On Friday the 57th Annual Grammy Awards revealed it's winners. and Crossover Media Artists and Projects received 12, 2015 Nominations: including Billy Childs' Map To The Treasure - Reimagining Laura Nyro, in the Best American Roots Performance, Best Jazz Vocal Album, and Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals categories. When the Grammy-winning musici...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / Something Else review
    Posted At: November 1, 2014

    Just when I think I have my list of great jazz albums set for 2014, here comes pianist Billy Childs' Map to the Treasure: Reimaging Laura Nyro. The multi-Grammy winner has been on the jazz scene as a solo artist and has produced memorable works since his solo debut in 1988. His most recent release, 2010's Autumn: In Moving Pictures, Vol. 2, combines the finest elements of jazz and classical. The pianist ...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / All About Jazz review
    Posted At: October 30, 2014

    The latter day jazz community, by and large, has embraced songwriting icons from the other side of the fence. Numerous artists associated with jazz have visited in on Bob Dylan's iconic work, explored the dark soul of Tom Waits, reshaped the poetic work(s) of Leonard Cohen, and/or tapped into the Joni Mitchell well. But what of Laura Nyro? The woman behind such under-appreciated classics as "Stoned S...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / Jazz Weekly review
    Posted At: October 30, 2014

    Pianist/arranger Billy Childs has been building up an impressive catalogue of his own with intriguing chamber jazz recordings. He's also done tons of work for the likes of Sting, Chris Botti and Dianne Reeves, and this new release Map to the Treasure has Childs seemingly go through his iphone list of connections to put together a collection of tunes composed by 70s all-too-young-departed Laura Nyro. From...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / TribLive review
    Posted At: September 27, 2014

    Pianist and arranger Billy Childs has done exactly what the title suggests on Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro. His work at creating these new versions works well because of his skill and the remarkable talent helping him. His version of "New York Tenderberry" wouldn't be so gripping without the work of singer Renee Fleming and the cello of Yo-Yo Ma. Childs' approach to "And When I Die...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / Audiophile Audition review
    Posted At: September 13, 2014

    "Kudos are due to Childs and producer Larry Klein for putting together this flawless project." Audiophile Audition reviews Billy Childs' Sony Masterworks release Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro, giving his "powerful and compelling" homage a "solid five stars." Map To The Treasure features guest vocalists from a wide variety of backgrounds. Renee Fleming, Shawn Colvin, Li...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / Wall Street Journal review
    Posted At: September 9, 2014

    The Wall Street Journal calls Billy Childs' Sony Masterworks album Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro "loving and powerful", with "subtle yet striking moments." A three-time Grammy winner, Childs is joined in his Nyro tribute by Renée Fleming, Rickie Lee Jones, Alison Krauss, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding, Chris Botti, Jerry Douglas, Yo-Yo Ma, Wayne Shorter, and others. ...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / Kentucky.com Critic's Pick review
    Posted At: September 9, 2014

    Billy Childs' new album Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro assembles a team of top female vocalists to explore the work of Laura Nyro, including Shawn Colvin, Lisa Fischer, Renee Fleming, Rickie Lee Jones, Alison Krauss, Ledisi, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding, Becca Stevens, and Susan Tedeschi. The album features a mix of orchestral and jazz-inspired arrangements that"recall the...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / NPR Weekend Edition Saturday
    Posted At: September 7, 2014

    The late Laura Nyro staggered crowds at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival when she was just 20 years old. But by the time she turned 25 she was tired of stardom and rarely took the stage. Laura Nyro died of cancer in 1997, when she was just 49 years old. But the legacy of this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriter is huge. She wrote "Eli's Coming," "Save The Country" and "And When I Die." Just a few...

  • Billy Childs - Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro / PBS: Tavis Smiley interview and performance
    Posted At: September 3, 2014

    A three-time Grammy-winning pianist, arranger and composer, Billy Childs developed his voice by merging jazz and classical genres. He's recorded two volumes of jazz/chamber music and received several orchestral commissions. He's also performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Wynton Marsalis, the L.A. Phil, the Detroit Symphony and others. At age six, he demonstrated an aptitude for piano and graduated ...

  • Billy Childs and Friends - Map To The Treasure: Laura Nyro Reimagined / Downbeat review
    Posted At: August 27, 2014

    Laura Nyro was an intensely emotional powerhouse of a singer-songwriter who, over the course of a 30-year career, wrote huge hits for others. One measure of her impact is that, for two weeks in 1969, she had written three songs in Billboard's Top 10. Yet, as a performer, she never won a Grammy award or earned a Top 40 single before her untimely death in 1997 at the age of 49. A new album of her songs...
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