The new album from jazz piano virtuoso WIll Rast. Rast, 25, plays with intensity and direction. His song writing, however, sets him apart. Rast's stunning compositions bridge the gap between childhood wonderment and the reality of life in the 21st century

8 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Fusion, URBAN/R&B: Contemporary urban



Details:
Hear the music from the artist who recently sold out Washington, D.C.'s premier jazz venue, Blues Alley, "The nation's finest jazz and supper club" according to the New York Times.

Will Rast born May 23, 1981 began his career as a pianist when he was 10 years old. From an early age he showed interest in classical music and began playing the instrument by ear, copying what he heard in recordings of music by Mozart, Bach and Tchaikovsky to name a few. Before long, he had gained an interested in jazz, emulating the styles of Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Thelonious monk to form a recognizable style of his own by the age of 17. He attended Manhattan School of Music where he studied under world-renowned pianist, Fred Hirsch. After attending school in New York, he returned to his home, Washington, DC where he began looking for work. Always eager to take chances, Will found himself caught up in the DC music scene, performing in a variety of situations. Relying on raw emotion and technical virtuosity to drive the point home, Rast's compositions often enclose a central theme from which melodic variations emerge into all out improvisations which then merge, methodically with the restated melody. A master technician in his own right, Rast has an impeccable sense of time and rhythm that he uses to tell his stories. In addition to being a talented composer and soloist, Will has worked as a sideman with several national acts, including pop singer, Mya, hip-hop vocalist, W. Ellington Felton and Roots-music vocal group from Kenya, Jabali Afrika, traveled the world, and in doing so played in front of audiences of thousands. Will now lives in Bethesda, Maryland