Jazz pianist and composer Tim Chernikoff has been making his mark in the New York jazz scene with a style that many have noticed for its high level of passion and adventurous spontaneity. His mission in music has always been the same— to stay true to himself at all costs and to create a performance that raises the energy and heightens the level of awareness of his audience. His original compositions are noted for their identifiable sounds, and the potential for dazzling interplay and interpretation is always realized with brilliance by his stellar ensemble.


In his place of origin the Bay Area California, Chernikoff grew up hearing some of the most distinguishable jazz musicians of this generation. Hearing Taylor Eigsti as a teenager was his first memorable introduction to the world of contemporary jazz, and attending the Stanford Summer Jazz Workshop put him in great hands studying with the workshop’s now internationally lauded artists such as Dayna Stephens and Ambrose Akinmusire. During the time he has been in New York, Chernikoff has gained the attention of the jazz community in his regular sit-ins at the Smalls Jam Session as well as numerous shows at venues such as the Kitano Jazz Club, DROM, Metropolitan Room and jam sessions in Brooklyn.