CRAIG JASTER
MUSICIAN
ABOUT
ITALIANO
Craig Jaster ha una lunga esperienza come jazz e blues pianista, cantautore e performer. Durante la sua carriera ha suonato, fra gli altri, con il trombonista Delfeayo Marsalis, il cantante Philip Hamilton, e il bluesman Big Joe Burrell. Ha aperto i concerti di Ray Charles, Dianne Reeves, Arturo Sandoval, solo per citarne alcuni. In 2019 ha lavorato con la compagnia teatrale Happenstance Theater come compositore, direttore musicale e performer. Alcuni dei suoi CD, come quelli incisi con The Buskers ed il suo ultimo lavoro discografico Craig Jaster Trio, sono disponibili su Spotify o su altre piattaforme digitali.
Dal 2019 risiede a Firenze, dove il suo attuale trio comprende il bassista fiorentino Lorenzo Vezzali e il collega espatriato Mark DiFlorio alla batteria. Suona anche con il Caffé Jazz Quartet.
ENGLISH
Pianist, singer and songwriter Craig Jaster plays with warmth, wit, and seasoned disregard for boundaries between musical genres. His voice and spirited stage presence are clear, strong, and emotionally direct. His approach to the piano and sharp, distinctive lyrics are influenced by Ray Charles, Dr. John, Hoagy Carmichael, and Mose Allison.
His 2017 album, Craig Jaster Trio, captures the group’s energy, spontaneity, and nuanced interaction in original compositions ranging from driving blues to melodic instrumental poems. He is also a founding member of New England-based Americana band The Buskers, playing bass, accordion and percussion as well as keyboards, and producing their albums Ray's Vacation (2004), Spank That Tambourine! (2009) and Every Day We Play A New Song (2013).
As sideman, he has played with trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, vocalist Philip Hamilton and the late bluesman Big Joe Burrell, and he has opened for Ray Charles, Dianne Reeves, Maria Muldaur, and Arturo Sandoval, among others. In 2019 he worked with Washington, DC area Happenstance Theater as music director, composer, and performer.
Since 2019 he has been based in Florence, Italy, where his current trio features Florentine bassist Lorenzo Vezzali and fellow expat Mark DiFlorio on drums. His latest album, the Craig Jaster Quartet, is due to drop in Spring 2023.
