William Chernoff

William Chernoff is a Canadian jazz bassist from Vancouver, British Columbia. Will is known for his original instrumental music and for playing bass on the Vancouver jazz scene since his teens. He released his latest EP titled <a href="spotify:album:3Nnq6g9ccrEA4QHAdEemd6" data-name="Queen&#39;s Park">Queen&#39;s Park</a> in November 2024, featuring a quintet that plays brand-new music by Will alongside the repertoire of his two albums to date.

On Will’s newest album, <a href="spotify:album:14uJ3Hl8ntQjq847cFSvUR" data-name="Maybe Eventually">Maybe Eventually</a>– his second as a leader – he presents a set of mainstream jazz trio with <a href="spotify:artist:0gSph8hZ75jwRMuyy9ueRL" data-name="Francis Henson">Francis Henson</a> on guitar and <a href="spotify:artist:6seGRnMy5Ytl3WY6X6dMVC" data-name="Carson Tworow">Carson Tworow</a> on drums. The trio&#39;s music is often described as accessible and unfussy; jazz journalist Chris Wong writes that &#34;swing and melodicism&#34; are &#34;at Chernoff&#39;s artistic core&#34;. Though Will’s repertoire often begins firmly straight-ahead with warmth and confidence, deeper album cuts like the title track bring the trio into ECM-inspired sounds beyond swing, drawing particularly from the legendary electric bassist Steve Swallow.

Will released his first album, <a href="spotify:album:10bHsOVryMXgSf8FrMJKHu" data-name="Aim to Stay">Aim to Stay</a>, digitally and on CD in 2020 with radio airplay across Canada. The album captures Will in a quartet with Thad Bailey-Mai on trumpet, <a href="spotify:artist:5obWvG0ikceXOD0a45DSHO" data-name="Jonny Tobin">Jonny Tobin</a> on piano, and Carson Tworow on drums.

As a sideman, Will has performed with artists including <a href="spotify:artist:0ahtSggrsy1v2oJuKfmzGm" data-name="Bria Skonberg">Bria Skonberg</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:63I9MhUvAFUYg9PGngsZZb" data-name="Laura Crema">Laura Crema</a>, and Brad Turner, whose group the <a href="spotify:artist:1ESTPRPj4YivdXL82r4w1W" data-name="Brad Turner Quartet">Brad Turner Quartet</a> greatly influenced Will; and formerly as a member of the band <a href="spotify:artist:340TVTiBq0kQMps84hww9B" data-name="Early Spirit">Early Spirit</a>.