Charles Covington Jr. is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist and a U.S. Life Master in chess.

Career

A native of Baltimore, Covington became interested in jazz when the high school principal broadcast music by

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

and

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...

on the intercom. He served in the U.S. Army, attended the

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a Private university, private music and dance music school, conservatory and College-preparatory school, preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1857, it became affiliat ...

, and learned piano and organ at the Hammond School of Music. He performed in clubs and at the Royal Theater. After the manager of

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

heard Covington perform in New York City, he invited him to tour with Benson. He also worked with Ethel Ennis, J.J. Johnson, O'Donel Levy, and Nathan Page. An interest in chess led Covington to chess clubs in New York. He has been certified a Life Master by the U.S. Chess Federation and is considered one of the top black chess players in the country. He has written books on chess, checkers, and math. For twenty years he taught at the Peabody Conservatory, then at Howard University. Covington has also performed as a magician. He was the pianist for the television program ''BET on Jazz''.

Awards and honors

* On the cover of ''Expo'' magazine as Jazz Musician of the Year, 1983 * Jazz pianist in residence, Kennedy Center * Life Master, U.S. Chess Federation

Discography

As leader

* ''It's Time for Love'' (Jazz Karma, 1992)

As sideman

With O'Donel Levy * '' Black Velvet'' (Groove Merchant, 1971) * '' Breeding of Mind'' (Groove Merchant, 1972) * '' Dawn of a New Day'' (Groove Merchant, 1973) * '' Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky'' (Groove Merchant, 1974) * ''

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

'' (Groove Merchant, 1976) With Nathen Page * ''Page 1'' (Hugo's Music, 1977) * ''Page 2'' (Hugo's Music, 1978) * ''Plays Pretty for the People'' (Hugo's Music, 1979) With others *

, '' Shape of Things to Come'' (A&M/CTI, 1968) * J.J. Johnson &

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of " More", the theme from the movie ''Mondo Ca ...

, ''

Betwixt & Between ''Betwixt & Between'' is an album by American jazz trombonists Kai Winding and J. J. Johnson featuring performances recorded in 1968 and released on the CTI label.

'' (A&M/CTI, 1969) * Ethel Ennis, ''10 Sides of Ethel Ennis'' (BASF, 1973) * Gary Thomas, ''Exile's Gate'' (JMT, 1993)

References

External links

Official site

Kennedy Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Covington, Charles Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American pianists American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists