Words from the World Stage

os Angeles-born and bred, Billy Childs has built a remarkable career as a pianist, composer, and arranger largely away from the New York jazz scene. The child of two teachers, he was classically trained both in high school and at USC, where he studied composition. After early gigs with J.J. Johnson and Freddie Hubbard, Childs went on to lead his own groups and release a dozen albums on the Windham Hill, Stretch, Shanachie and, most recently, Mack Avenue labels, netting 13 Grammy nominations. Artists such as Dianne Reeves and Chris Botti have leaned on his composing and arranging chops. Especially gifted in working with singers and the features the same core instrumentalists who were on the Grammy-winning from 2018: Steve Wilson (saxophones), Hans Glawischnig (bass), and Eric Harland (drums), along with vocalists Alicia Olatuja, Aubrey Johnson, and Sara Gazarek.