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Jon Faddis
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he'd even sat in with his hero's combo at the famed Jazz Workshop in San Francisco.
Upon graduating high school in 1971, Jon joined Lionel Hampton's band as a featured soloist and moved to New York. That same year, responding to an invitation from Mel Lewis to drop by the Village Vanguard whenever he got to New York, Jon sat in with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band on one of their regular Monday night sessions. That sit-in turned into four years of Monday nights playing with the band, as well as a tour of the Soviet Union with the highly acclaimed unit. Jan also toured with Charles Mingus and recorded on the Pablo label with Dizzy and Oscar Peterson.
Other highlights included filling in (at age of 18) for an ailing Roy Eldridge in an all-star concert led by Charles Mingus at New York's Philharmonic Hall; a Carnegie Hall gig with Sarah Vaughan; two years in attendance at the Annual Colorado Jazz Party where he was featured in a historic duet with Eubie Blake; performances with Gil Evans' and Count Basie's big bands; appearances at Radio City Music Hall and festivals here and abroad; and sitting in with Dizzy whenever possible.
In light of these accomplishments — his recognition in the jazz polls, myriad accolades from the critical press, burgeoning numbers of international fans, heady praise from the likes of Diz, Mingus and Mel Lewis, and the pressure of public life — is it any wonder that a (then) 20- year old Jon Faddis opted for the sequestered life of the studio musician? However, those studio years ultimately proved significant in his artistic development. Exposure to a diverse spectrum of music helped shape him into the broad-based interpreter and (creator in) African-American idioms that he is today. Jon's distinctive trumpet voice would be heard on albums by performers as disparate as Duke Ellington, the Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Kool and the Gang, Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones, Billy Joel and Stanley Clarke, to name a few. His horn was heard on the theme of "The Cosby Show," on the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood's films "The Gauntlet" and "Bird," and on many commercials. Jon Faddis had become one of the most in-demand session musicians in New York. A turning point was the invitation from Dizzy to accompany him on a visit to the White House in 1982. The occasion was an "In Performance" ceremony in which Dizzy and several other major American artists showcased young colleagues they believed to be "on the verge of exceptional careers." Jon's participation in the event was apparently enough to convince him he had a lot more to offer than horn section lead on jingles, or the occasional solo (often uncredited) on a lavish studio production of a pop star.
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Charles Mingus: The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's
by Angelo Leonardi
Il 22 aprile scorso nel centenario della nascita di Charles Mingus la Resonance Records ha pubblicato un altro magistrale inedito storico. Ci riferiamo a The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's, registrato nell'agosto 1972 dalla CBS britannica nel celebre locale londinese. Non è tanto un disco perduto ma un documento accantonato per decenni, che vede protagonista l'inedito sestetto del bassista in una fase di transizione. Abbiamo quasi due ore e mezza di musica di qualità sonora eccellente e ...
read moreCharles Mingus: The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's
by Ken Dryden
Charles Mingus was larger than life as a composer, performer and bandleader. A writer of frequently difficult music, Mingus was demanding of himself and his musicians, yet he never wanted his works to sound overly polished. These recordings made over two consecutive nights at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in jny: London in 1971 were recorded to be released on Columbia Records. Unfortunately, the gross incompetence of the label's president, Clive Davis, who dropped the entire jazz roster in 1973, except ...
read moreCharles Mingus: The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's
by Mike Jurkovic
After the emotional and economic bankruptcies of the late 1960s that nearly took him out of the picture entirely, 1972 broke well for Charles Mingus. He had re-signed with Columbia and delivered the revered Let My Children Hear Music. (He would, a year later, be part of the great Clive Davis jazz purge of 1973 which included Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, and, some argue Ornette Coleman.) Grants and commissions were coming in and his music, in all its bold, gnarly, ...
read moreCharles Mingus: The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's
by Mark Corroto
Professionally recorded for Columbia Records, but never released, this live concert from London's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is seeing the light of day some fifty years later, as well as marking the centennial celebration of Charles Mingus' birth. The music was never released, not because it was unworthy (it is indeed worthy), but because Mingus along with Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Keith Jarrett and Ornette Coleman were let go by the label's chief, Clive Davis. Only Miles Davis survived the ...
read moreMike LeDonne: It's All Your Fault
by Jack Bowers
Even though listed on only four tracks, organist Mike LeDonne's superlative Groover Quartet performs on every one of the nine selections on LeDonne's admirable new recording, It's All Your Fault--and that's a good thing, as each member of the quartet (LeDonne, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein, drummer Joe Farnsworth) is an accomplished soloist and ardent team player. On the album's remaining tracks, the quartet is assimilated into LeDonne's seventeen- member big band, a taut and high-powered unit that ...
read moreCharles Mingus: Mingus At Carnegie Hall (Deluxe Edition)
by Chris May
This 2-CD set takes the 1974 album Mingus At Carnegie Hall (Atlantic) and adds seventy minutes of previously unissued material recorded at the same concert. It is as worthwhile an addition to Charles Mingus' recorded legacy as 2020's previously unissued 2-CD set Charles Mingus @ Bremen 1964 & 1975 (Sunnyside). Why it has taken so long for either set to be released is anybody's guess. But at least we have them now. Mingus led many great bands ...
read moreJon Faddis at The Wheel
by Mark Sullivan
Jon Faddis The Wheel Greenville, SC March 8, 2018 “The Wheel Sessions" have been taking place in the funky performance space called The Wheel in Greenville, South Carolina since August, 2016. Ten bucks gets you two sets of music with many of the best jazz players in Upstate South Carolina and the Asheville, North Carolina area, plus your choice of beer or wine. There is a deep bench of excellent local performers who have graced ...
read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he'd even sat in with his hero's combo at the ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he'd even sat in with his hero's combo at the ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he'd even sat in with his hero's combo at the ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he'd even sat in with his hero's combo at the ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he\'d even sat in with his hero\'s combo at the ...
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Elio Villafranca Continues Cinque World Tour To Mexico! November 6th With Special Guest Jon Faddis!
Source:
Scott Thompson Public Relations
Grammy Consideration In Multiple Categories! 2018 DownBeat Winner- Rising Star- Keyboard 4.5-star Review, Cinque Elio Villafranca's Cinque World Tour continues from Japan, Australia and Tasmania this summer on to Mexico on November 6th with Special Guest Jon Faddis! Nov. 6 Guadalajara, Mexico Cinque Release Concert at Centro de Promoción Cultural, ITESO Special Guest: Jon Faddis-trumpet Featuring: Dick Oatts- alto sax/soprano sax/flute Wayne Escoffery- tenor sax Bruce Harris- trumpet ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he\'d even sat in with his hero\'s combo at the ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he\'d even sat in with his hero\'s combo at the ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Jon Faddis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Jon Faddis' birthday today!
Born in Oakland, CA, on July 24, 1953, Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show." Three years later, his trumpet teacher Bill Catalano, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton band, turned the jazz- struck youngster on to Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Jon had not only met Dizzy, he\'d even sat in with his hero\'s combo at the ...
read more
A splendid jazz reunion
Source:
Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
Trumpeter Jon Faddis' guest appearance with the Naples (FL) Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra on Wednesday, April 1 had all the ingredients that go into a fine jazz show - extraordinary talent and musicality, doses of humor, and a keen rapport with the audience. It was also a chance to share the bandstand with a musician with whom he'd crossed paths many times in the Big Apple through the years - tenor saxophonist Lew Del Gatto. Del Gatto, a 25-year veteran of ...
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