Chilly Gonzales is a Canadian who lives in Paris. He’s an “amateur” rapper who’s recently been performing his raps with symphony orchestra. “The Reminder,” the 2007 album he produced with Feist, was nominated for a Grammy. In 2009 he set a Guinness World Record for the longest concert by a solo artist; he played piano for over 27 hours. He’s challenged other pianists to public piano battles—and has won. He regularly performs dressed in pajamas and bathrobe. He has declared himself a musical genius.
Chilly Gonzales has also just released “Solo Piano II,” an album of beautifully proportioned pieces that are easy to enjoy, but hard to classify. And now Chilly Gonzales joins David Garland in the WNYC Studio to perform his music, and for a lively conversation about the ideas behind it.
Chilly Gonzales "Knight Moves" on WNYC's Spinning On Air
Chilly Gonzales "Train of Thought" on WNYC's Spinning On Air
Chilly Gonzales "White Keys" & "Rideaux Lunaires" on WNYC's Spinning On Air
- Chilly Gonzales performs his Piano Concerto No. 1 at Lincoln Center, Nov. 1st
- Chilly Gonzales performs Supervillain Live with Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna
- Gonzales vs Jean-Francois Zygel - The Piano Battle
- Gonzales vs Andrew WK - The Piano Battle
- The final moments of Gonzales setting a new world record for longest solo concert
- Gonzales & Feist - When I Was a Young Girl
- ChillyGonzales.com
Comments [3]
Fantastic introduction to this amazing musician. Thanks for the beautiful audio escape, and the turn on to a new (to me) artist.
Mr. Gonzales, your conversation inspired me to get out my computer to say thanks! I don't quite understand this prior comment by the stuffy LPSloane here, but I'm a musician and a former student of music, and I appreciate your compositions, your playing and this conversation. Hey, do you have any comment about the jazz and popular piano music of Japan?
Mr. Gonzales' simplistic approach to music and then his inability to relate to jazz and art of the the highest order, specially after years of study is astonishing. While all artists are entitled to express themselves through their art - perhaps he should rethink his negativity, as well as reflect upon what many consider his own limited talent - before being interviewed on air again.
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