Paul Cornish makes a powerful first impression.
Born in Houston and now based in Los Angeles, the pianist first caught the ear of tenor saxophone star Joshua Redman at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. Cornish, 28, started attending the summer program during his student years at Houston’s prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He moved through the program’s ranks from student to mentor and eventually joined the faculty, which is how Redman first heard him.
Redman recalled that as the two were in the process of putting together a new band, he “was struck by Paul’s musicality and his ability to fit into any musical situation.”
“He had a very selfless approach to the music — this intuitive or maybe studied sense of how to deliver what was going to make the music feel good, a unique and sometimes unpredictable approach that was also kind of shocking and surprising at the same time,” he said. “That’s a difficult balance to pull off, for a pianist in particular.”
They exchanged phone numbers, but Cornish thought it was more of a formality at the time. He recalls that he didn’t have any expectations that their collaboration would develop further, and he certainly wasn’t planning to give Redman a call.
But a few months later, Redman reached out to see if Cornish was available for a few gigs, and the two debuted together at the Tucson Jazz Festival in January 2023. Cornish treated the concert as an audition, memorizing Redman’s book “and checking out every version I could,” he said. “He’s called me back since then, and he’s not sick of me yet.”
Featured on Redman’s new album, Words Fall Short, with the stellar young rhythm section tandem of bassist Philip Norris and drummer Nazir Ebo — the same group that is performing at Yoshi’s Sep. 25 and 26 — Cornish has relished the challenge. “It’s been one of the greatest learning environments for me,” he said. “Playing with someone so generous and encouraging who’s sharing the space with us. And it all goes back to meeting at Stanford, a gift that keeps on giving.”
In many ways, Redman’s quartet, which has served as a launching pad for rising musicians in the past, has raised Cornish’s visibility at an ideal moment: just as he prepares to step out as a bandleader in his own right.
Released in August, You’re Exaggerating! on Blue Note Records is Cornish’s debut record under his own name. It’s an exhilarating trio session focusing on nine Cornish originals, and it features fellow Angelenos Joshua Crumbly on bass, Jonathan Pinson on drums, and special guest Jeff Parker on guitar.
He’s introducing himself to Bay Area audiences in the coming days with performances at SJZ Break Room on Friday, Oct. 3, and at Oakland’s Piedmont Piano Company on Saturday, Oct. 4. He’ll be joined by the up-and-coming bassist Jermaine Paul.
Cornish and his peers are all part of a movement of young musicians who have found L.A. to be an attractive alternative to new York city. “It’s a great place for the music and creativity,” Cornish said, while acknowledging that for pure jazz talent, the Big Apple is still tops. “But I was interested in other stuff. I wanted to get into film scoring and tour with pop artists. Rather than forcing you to get in a box, it’s more of a place where you have to branch out a little bit. Some of the most incredible creators are here as well.”
His bandmates are two of the many reasons that the Southern California jazz scene is on the rise, and that tide is also making waves farther north. While Pinson is one of the busiest jazz drummers in L.A., he’s also been a regular presence on Bay Area stages over the past decade. Just in the past few years, he’s done about a dozen extended residencies at the Tenderloin jazz spot Black Cat with an array of bandleaders, including French guitarist Romain Pilon, bassist Marcos Varela, pianist Mathis Picard, saxophonist Danny Janklow, and vibraphonist Sasha Berliner — whose band also featured Jermaine Paul.
Though Paul is a few years younger than Cornish, he’s become a ubiquitous force on the L.A. scene since the pandemic receded. Equally proficient on electric and double bass, he’s been getting calls for gigs with a diverse constellation of stars, from MC Hammer, Redveil, and Macy Gray to Dianne Reeves, Carmen Lundy, and Gerald Clayton.
“The last few years, I’ve seen him popping up everywhere,” said Cornish, who featured Paul at his first Bay Area gig as a bandleader last July at the Stanford Jazz Festival. “I think we first did a gig with Keyon Harrold, and once you meet somebody, you start seeing them everywhere. We became fast friends and connected musically. He’s an incredible electric player as well, but right now I’m very particular about acoustic piano and bass.”
That doesn’t mean Cornish never plugs in. He often incorporates subtle electronics in the form of samples and pads, combining an acoustic sensibility with an openness to production values inspired by everything from hip-hop to film scores.
“I grew up in the church, and a lot of the various eras of gospel music are a big influence on me,” he said. “Even within jazz, artists like Herbie [Hancock] and Robert Glasper have embraced this very present-moment electric component to the point where that’s become more the norm. I’m starting in a place where it’s scaled back, kind of minimalist, and I’m distilling those influences a bit more.
