Lafayette Gilchrist

Jazz pianist and composer Lafayette Gilchrist's music draws on the span of jazz history from stride to free improvisation, with inspiration from hip-hop, funk, and Washington D.C.'s unique go-go sound. His work thrives on making surprising connections between styles and influences, boldly veering from piledriver funk to piquant stride, vigorous swing to hip-hop swagger, contemplative abstraction to deep-bottom grooves.

Lafayette joined the Sun Ra Arkestra last year and also released an album, Move with Love, with one of his bands, the New Volcanoes. His work has been featured on HBO's The Wire, Treme, and The Deuce. Gilchrist has toured extensively with saxophonist David Murray and performed with Cassandra Wilson, Macy Gray, Oliver Lake, Andrew Cyrille, Orrin Evans, Paul Dunmall, Hamid Drake, William Parker, and many more.

You can view solo performances of Spontaneous Combustion and Focused on YouTube, and check out his Facebook and Instagram pages.

This concert and other Buttonwood Tree events brought to you by our generous donors, volunteers, and the following organizations: