JAZZ PIANIST CYRUS CHESTNUT'S PERFECT PRESENTATION OF A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS WAS INTERRUPTED AT THE PARADISE JAZZ SERIES

Pianist Cyrus Chestnut

Cyrus Chestnut has a rough time completing a concert at the Paradise Jazz Series without incident. He's one of the leading jazz pianists of his generation and one of the few acts that consistently pack the PJS. Last year, he performed his annual Charlie Brown Christmas set. Midway through the stellar presentation, a mentally fucked up person called Chestnut a nigger. The incident made the local news. The class act that he is Chestnut continued swinging after the bigot scum was rushed out of Orchestra Hall. Friday evening, Chestnut returned to PJS for another serving of a Charlie Brown Christmas. Drummer Kelton Norris, bassist Herman Burney, and special guest vocalist Haley Driver were in the throes of a perfect game when some unexpected drama happened. It was a big night for the young vocalist, Driver, a native of St. Louis, who lived up to Chestnut's buildup. He told the packed concert hall Driver would sell out Ford Field and Madison Square Garden one day. Talk about being put on the spot. Driver didn't choke. She managed timeless holiday classics such as "Christmas is Coming," "Winter Wonderland," and "Christmas Song" like a vocalist with decades of stage experience. Driver even served a soul-tingling version of "When I Fall in Love." Chestnut was brilliant all night, particularly on reworking "My Little Drum." The drama occurred near the end of the concert. A woman sitting near the stage collapsed. The music stopped when someone yelled for a doctor as Chestnut built another outstanding solo. The focus went from the bandstand to the woman. Chestnut told everybody to stay calm and ended the concert shortly after. I felt terrible for the woman who attended the concert for an evening of Christmas swing but ended up on the floor receiving CPR. I also felt for Chestnut, who has always played his ass off in Detroit. Getting him to return to the jazz series after being hit last year with the ugliest word in the English language took convincing. I also couldn't help thinking about the rumor circulating at the Detroit Jazz Festival that bassist Stanley Clark is jinxed. His set gets canceled because of inclement weather whenever he's scheduled to headline the festival. I pray Chestnut will continue to play the series because he's so adorned here.