About Cary
When Cary was 8 years old he began playing flutophone, then cornet in the high school concert band and began piano lessons. He played in the Michigan State Marching Band and Jazz Band. He abandoned a career as a chemical engineer after college to move to Boston to study jazz piano. There he took lessons with Bob Winter and vocal coach, Eddie Watson, and learned to play electric bass in a trio with Al Vega. Cary has played with Claudio Roditi, Joe Hunt, John Lockwood, Greg Hopkins, and many other Boston musicians from the 1970s, including that  cohort of Brazilians who taught him a lot about samba and bossa-nova. In 1980, he moved to the Seacoast to teach chemistry at Exeter High School and PEA Summer School. In 2004, he matriculated to UNH as the first doctoral student in a new program in chemistry education research. Graduating with a Ph.D. in 2014 he did some teaching but is now retired and has returned to practicing the piano. About jazz he writes, "What I like most about playing jazz is how melody, harmony and rhythm interact spontaneously."
You can email Cary at: [email protected]

Cary Kilner's Picks: Volume 68
By Cary Kilner

Modern Jazz Quartet – Django & Tunes from the LP “The Sheriff”
These tunes show the band in fine form. They are one of the longest reigning bands in jazz. The first link sounds like a John Lewis trio until 1:30 when Milt Jackson slides in. All the tunes on the LP are great – I had it as a kid. I should have mentioned John in my trio essay. He is another pianist of great economy. You have to like that first well-known jazz standard tune with its many parts.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=wXnkD7_5vqM&si=PSVtT4EuGPDoeVC-
https://youtu.be/_0f3w8ra298?si=BQNLT6ax1keDxszA
https://youtu.be/_0f3w8ra298?si=opYAPnmgV9VHbhsg
 
Grant Green – Django
Here's another version with Grant who I previously featured on that Larry Young album, “Into Something.” Note that this is a classic Blue Note album, including some of the BN artists from that particular period, such as Bobby Hutcherson on vibes and Joe Henderson on tenor.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=bA9qpIB8xQM&si=QEVBXh_n4APNWSKh
 
Paul Desmond – Poor Butterfly
A classic quartet with guitar. Previously, I gave you one with the astonishingly understated Canadian guitarist, Ed Bikert. This great quartet still has Connie Kay on drums, but Gene Cherico replaces Ron Carter. Jim Hall plays the guitar part very much like Ed does, in a classy, understated way.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=MjV9isr2UfI&si=uRe4kLCAmLo5xej0
 
George Gershwin – That Certain Feeling
Simply amazing solo piano work from a piano roll. As you can hear, he is easily as proficient as any of our current jazz pianists.
https://youtu.be/_p8xKT0aZ80?si=7zM8IEeSbQfH9h6W
 
Thelonius Monk – Lulu’s Back in Town
Here’s a good example of Monk’s minimalism. Wow, the classic quartet and a video at that! You can see Monk’s famous gyrations and his hands and feet in action. Note, Monk was on the cover of “Time Magazine” three times, back in the day.
https://youtu.be/9QAYpuTLhVk?si=M7PSU38DkOt7BZeN

Rene Rosnes and Bill Charlap duo --Never Will I Marry
This husband-and-wife team play beautifully together. Recall that Rene leads the band, “Artemis,” who was at Jimmy’s.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=xgya62mb1NU&si=BQfVCGPvuUbzoNd7
 
Branford Marsalis – Swingin’ at the Haven
He is truly an outstanding sax player. His father, Ellis, is on piano and plays in a very modern style, and he kills it! So there are four brilliant musicians in this family, including Wynton and Delfeayo (trombone).
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=wOYiz8KhEDo&si=yuWLspT_F8Yw_BlI