Warren Chiasson

Who is Warren Chiasson?

Warren Chiasson is a Canadian jazz vibraphonist who is a pioneer of the four-mallet vibraphone technique.

Chiasson was born in Nova Scotia and moved to New York City in 1959. He played with George Shearing from 1959-61 and then split off to form his own group, though he did also play with Chet Baker and Tal Farlow. He played vibes in New York through the 1960s and spent four years playing percussion for the Broadway musical Hair. In 1972 he played with Shearing again and also released a record under his own name. In the mid-1970s he toured with Roberta Flack.

Chiasson played on the B.B. King album Blues 'n Jazz, which won a Grammy Award in 1984. Other work as a session musician includes recordings with Hank Crawford, Les McCann, Helen Ward, and Chuck Wayne. He played at the 1988 50th anniversary of From Spirituals to Swing at Carnegie Hall; when Lionel Hampton was unable to perform, Chiasson filled in opposite Benny Goodman.