and how to sequence it too; he s an auteur. --The New York Times
[Charles] hones a velvet, supple tone that s as melodically captivating as it is rhythmically
agile...there s always a gracefulness to Charles playing that s immediately pleasing. --Downbeat
and English speaking Caribbean as well as North America, Creole Soul highlights myriad
inspirations from Haitian Creole chants and blues to bebop and R&B while drawing on an array of
rhythms including Rocksteady, Reggae, Bel Air, Kongo and Calypso.
Charles has been hailed as a daring improviser by Jazz Times while Ben Ratliff of The New York
Times called him one of the more ambitious soloists and composers. A musician and professor at Michigan State University, Charles studied under piano virtuoso Marcus Roberts at Florida State University and Mark Gould, former principal trumpeter of the Metropolitan Opera, at Juilliard. He was also mentored by Jamaican reggae and jazz luminary Monty Alexander and the late multiple Grammy Award-winning Trinidadian-American percussionist/songwriter Ralph MacDonald.
http://www.etiennecharles.com/
