About
A key presence in the Bay Area's music scene for over fifteen years.
Charles Chen is a San Francisco Bay Area pianist who has performed or recorded with Randy Brecker, Billy Drummond, Bob Sheppard, Roy McCurdy, Adam Nussbaum, Mike Richmond, Ralph Moore, Peter Washington, and Kenny Washington. He has played Yoshi's, the San Jose Jazz Festival, and Freight & Salvage, and in 2019 won first place at Jazz Search West.
He leads a trio and has performed internationally in Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan. His debut album, Charles, Play!, was named one of the Best Albums of 2024 by DownBeat Magazine.
His students have earned full scholarships to Juilliard, MSM, Berklee, and NEC, won YoungArts distinctions and all-state placements, and taken first prize for arranging and performance at the Charles Mingus competition. He serves as historian of the South Bay Traditional Jazz Society and is an admin of Jazzcord, a 7,000-member jazz community where he writes historical essays and album reviews.
Music
The Long Way Home
New release — pre-order nowRecorded live in New York with bassist Bill Crow (98) and drummer Steve Little (91), two players who were on the scene when these tunes were new. Standards by Oscar Pettiford, Sam Cooke, and Duke Ellington.
Charles Chen, piano · Félix Lemerle, guitar · Bill Crow, bass · Steve Little, drums
Building Characters
"Jazz is full of legends — the Duke, the Count, the Lady." The record pairs those legends with figures from fiction and myth, one original composition per portrait.
Charles Chen, piano · Randy Brecker, trumpet · Bob Sheppard and Lawrence Feldman, tenor sax · Mike Richmond, bass · Adam Nussbaum, drums
Charles, Play!
DownBeat Magazine — Best Albums of 2024The debut album, about music-making as creative play: what imagination and a few constraints can unlock in a group.
Charles Chen, piano · Ralph Moore, tenor sax · Peter Washington, bass · Kenny Washington, drums
Press
“A brilliant pianist… Chen produced a wildly ambitious night featuring a 50-piece ensemble with strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion and special guests, including saxophone great Bob Sheppard.”
“…he possesses an unusually sweeping command of jazz’s 20th-century evolution.”
“Chen’s rhythmic agility and wide-spectrum facility with a century of jazz idioms makes him an inspiring accompanist.”
"Charles Chen has stood out as a key presence in the Bay Area's music scene for the past 15 years."
"…a talented young pianist worth keeping an eye on."
"Pianist Chen shows his prowess both on piano and as a composer on five of the selections heard here."
Shows
Gallery
Study and work together
Private study
Lessons in piano, improvisation, and composition. Charles's students have earned full scholarships to Juilliard, MSM, Berklee, and NEC.
Inquire →Performance
Solo, trio, or quartet for concert series, festivals, and private events, in the Bay Area and on the road.
Book →Words & history
Historical essays, album reviews, and program notes. Charles has written for Jazzcord for years and keeps the archives for the South Bay Traditional Jazz Society.
Commission →Get in touch
Booking, press and lessons — charles@charlesperforms.com