Paul Cornish may describe himself as “slow and indecisive about a lot of things,” but that’s certainly not apparent in his career.
The 29-year-old pianist “dove headfirst into jazz” during middle school, attended the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz at UCLA on a full ride scholarship, and signed with Blue Note Records last year.
As a teen, Cornish attended Houston’s lauded High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which has nurtured exceptional jazz pianists, including Jason Moran, Robert Glasper, and Cornish’s contemporary James Francies.
“Studying in my high school, I feel very fortunate because my peers were playing at a ridiculous level,” he said.
Cornish keeps leveling up. In 2023, he was a finalist in both the American Pianists Awards and the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Piano Competition.
Now based in Los Angeles, Cornish is touring with saxophonist Joshua Redman, and he recently released a buzz-worthy debut record You’re Exaggerating! on Blue Note Records. Prior to a Sept. 12 performance with the Seattle pop-up jazz series The Goodbye Look, Cornish talked with KNKX about his early influences, generational shifts in jazz and his forthcoming sophomore record.
Interview Highlights
On his favorite aspects of jazz
I think the thing that has always stood out to me is the freedom of expression. Like I remember hearing Thelonious Monk for the first time, and I was like, "Oh, okay. This makes sense.”
The point is our expression in this music, and everyone having that opportunity to explore and express themselves freely. Everyone has a perspective, and I think through the expression of that perspective, it allows us to see the world in a more holistic way.
I just enjoy the different perspectives we have in the music, in tandem with the commitment to the craft. The beautiful thing is that all these great masters of the music have done it in their own way, and it's like completely just changed the whole landscape, not just in jazz, but in music, because they have that courage.
On working with saxophonist Joshua Redman
He works very hard. I don't know if I've been around anybody that works harder in terms of his craft. You know, he's constantly writing, and now he's running marathons. He's just a very smart person. It wasn't any accident that he went to Harvard and was about to go to law school. It's just inspiring to see someone at that level still pushing himself as if he were 20 years old and trying to make a name for himself. I mean, he's very much aware of who he is, but he doesn't use that as any excuse to rest, you know. He’s constantly pushing.
On the process of making his debut record
I'm very slow and indecisive about a lot of things, so I'm thankful I got my really good friend Henry Solomon, who's an amazing producer. We lived together, we went to school together, we played on each other's projects. So, he knows me very well. And so, with the first record and with this last record, we just sat down, and he's like, "Yeah, let me know what you think of the recording.” I sent him all these originals I was thinking of, and with him we were able to sit down and pick what felt like a cohesive statement.
On the role of humor in his life and art
People tend to think I'm a very serious person, and maybe because I keep a straight face and I talk pretty monotone, but I love dry humor. I love The Office. Some of my favorite comedians are people that can deliver some of the darkest and absurd jokes, but with a straight face. I think that's the side of it that I try to embrace. That kind of element of surprise. You don’t expect this guy who seems very serious to be saying very silly things or playing little jokes in the music. I love that element.
On his generation’s contributions to the jazz idiom
I think embracing all the things that we grew up on. I love modern jazz because that's what was happening when I was in high school and I was learning the music. So, people like Robert Glasper or Ambrose Akinmusire or Aaron Parks; I think they opened a world of embracing indie music or hip-hop that was happening at that time, and electronics and sampling. Growing up on that, we've just tried to find our version of that with what's been happening in our current world.
We’re in this time again where genres are really melting together… I think my generation has really embraced that idea of like, genre truly doesn't matter. We just want to create great music because all these things have influenced us, and that's going to be part of our expression naturally. Even though we come from very strong jazz training, we see improvisation really as a vehicle to explore all music.
On his forthcoming record, Testament
A lot of it's around identity, but in the sense of what are our lives a testament to? Like, at the end of your life, what could you say your life is a testament to? It’s just navigating that. And I think, even as a trio, a big thing for us was finding our identity. It wasn't necessarily spoken about, but through the course of the first record coming out and getting these few years to play live a lot, it just naturally evolved. So, yeah, I think that's what we wanted to kind of highlight. And then for me, a big part of my art and expression is like my faith, and so there's also that angle of testament, like the Bible, and living a life that is reflective of those values.
Paul Cornish will play two sets presented by The Goodbye Look at Open Form in Seattle on Saturday, Sept. 12, before heading to The 1905 in Portland on Sunday, Sept. 13.
