Raised in Northwest Ohio (Fostoria), Chet began playing the piano at the age of 4 and studied with Mrs. Rita Schultz, William M. Lininger, then for several years through the Creative Arts Program at Bowling Green State University under Helen Lakofsky. While continuing to play the piano, Chet went on to play several brass instruments, including trumpet, flugelhorn, french horn and spent 2 years on valve trombone. He attended the Stephen Collins Foster Music Camp at Easter Kentucky University, as well as Ohio Northern's Music Camp for all six years, and was a camp counselor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Blue Lake, Michigan. He marched for two years with the Toledo Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corps (one of the world’s top corps) as a lead soprano and soloist, playing throughout the Mid-West, and from Montreal to Miami, Florida.

Chet eventually went on to pursue music more seriously by studying at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio. A graduate in '88, there he majored in Jazz Performance on Trumpet and Piano, and studied with Tim Hagans, Frank Vincent, Rick Van Matre, Pat Harbison and Phil DeGreg. While in college Chet took advantage of certain musical opportunities, such as playing piano on a cruise ship (Sea Escape Cruise Lines) and for a while would even take a Greyhound bus back north to play with Stan Sterner’s Big Band, which was based in Findlay, Ohio.

Chet involved himself with a number of groups while in the Cincinnati area, including The Park Avenue Band, Stacy Mitchhart and Blues-U-Can-Use, The Junglecats, ACJ, the Devon Wells Quartet, and the Chet Chwalik Jazz Quartet, and even had the pleasure of accompanying Red Rodney (who played with Charlie Parker) on a version of Miles Davis's "So What". While in each band Chet has always played both horn and keys. While in these various groups, he has opened up for the Yellow Jackets, Hiroshima, The Guess Who, and the Classic Rock All-Stars. Chet has sinced played with Alusion (Classic Rock band), Off The Record (Top 40 Dance/Wedding band), Mogen David and the Grapes of Wrath, and The Hepcat Revival.

Chet was also playing keyboards and trumpet with The Overton Project, a funk/smooth jazz group. Chet has also played lead trumpet or piano with The Paul Jeffries Band and the Runyan Jay Big Band and has played trumpet and piano with "Swingmania." Chet rounded out his gig schedule by often subbing on piano for the popular "Cookin'" group at Rusty's Jazz Cafe, featuring Leon Cook on guitar and vocals, his son Damen Cook on drums, and Tony Ben on percussion.

Among his influences Chet credits Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Tom Harrell, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, and Tim Hagans.


A list of some of the places Chet has played:

An accomplished composer and arranger, he can be heard on his two recordings, "Six Years to the Second" (1999); and "...Merry Christmas to You" (1994), as well as "Missin' the Train" (courtesy The Hepcat Revival, 1999). Chet primarily plays the Alesis QS8, as well as the Blessing ML-1 trumpet, Schilke MII trumpet, and Yamaha YFH731 flugelhorn. Chet also primarily uses the 14A4A Schilke mouthpiece, as well as the 14F4 flugelhorn mouthpiece.

Chet can also be heard on his recording of lullabies, "To Dream Is To Believe". This recording was created as a gift for his children and is full of gentle, peaceful music, yet with an improvisatory approach that makes it all the more unique among recordings for children.

What's happening currently? (return to top)

Chet currently lives in the Sacramento, California area.  He performs frequently with local jazz singers, including Valerie V, Nicole Hodson and Joey Ventitelli, as well as duos and trios, and doing solo jazz piano work.  He established his teaching business, The Tuning Note, teaching piano, trumpet and jazz improvisation to both school-aged and several adult students.  Chet has also performed with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and the Folsom Lake Symphony Orchestra.  Chet is a professional accompanist, including accompanying the choirs at Folsom High School, Sutter Middle School, and Folsom Middle School as well as students at UC Davis.  He has returned to hosting one of the longest running jam sessions for jazz musicians.

Newly formed, Chet has created the TTN Brass Quintet, consisting of himself, his daughter on french horn, and other fine musicians performing the works of Clarke, Purcell, Pachelbel, Mouret, Handel, Bach, Haydn, and many others.  He also writes and arranges music for this group.

 Additionally Chet continues to enjoy his heritage, performing the music of Poland with his Polish Band, Pol_Muz, Polska Muzyka z Sacramento, playing festivals both in San Francisco and Sacramento, and several other events.  As Chet returns to Ohio he continues to play with groups in the Toledo, Ohio area.  

Other projects include writing new music, arranging new and old charts for big band and small groups, and doing piano tuning on the side.