Cornelius Claudio Kreusch

German-born pianist and composer Cornelius Claudio Kreusch studied with Mal Waldron, and his 1994 debut, The Vision, featured rap poetry. Kreusch's second release, Black Mud Sound, appeared in 1995, and lent its name to the pianist's own imprint, BlackMudSound Records (as well as his touring band), and he has used the label to release close to a dozen albums since, each featuring his unique fusion of funk, jazz, and Afro sounds. Classically trained, Kreusch -- called CCK by his many fans -- studied with Waldron, Mordecai Shehori, and Claude-France Journes, among others, includ...