Lafayette Gilchrist is a keyboardist, composer, and the newest piano chair in the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra.

In this episode, Gilchrist shares his story of growing up in Washington, DC, and what led him at age 17 to finally sit down at a piano and begin teaching himself to play and compose. He describes how his early love of hip-hop, funk, and go-go evolved into a passion for jazz, sparked by Chuck Brown’s riffs and inflections woven into the popular music of the time. After earning a degree in economics, Gilchrist left college to begin his professional life but also launched his band, spending hours in music stores selecting jazz albums purely by their cover art.

His is a story of individualism and discovery, a reminder that there is no single path to virtuosity or success in music. Like many professional musicians, he understands the many roles required to build a career and his journey offers inspiration to musicians of all ages.