4th Annual Jazz Social
Presented by Pecknel Music Company & Yamaha Corporation of America
Musical ambassador and interpreter of America’s music, Wycliffe Gordon experiences an impressive career touring the world performing hard-swinging, straight-ahead jazz receiving great acclaim from audiences and critics alike. His unmatched modern mastery of the plunger mute and his exceptional technique and signature sound, has solidified Gordon a place in musical history known as one of the top trombonists of his generation.
The Critics seem to agree. Once again, the Downbeat Critics Poll named Wycliffe “Best Trombone” for four years now, (2016, 2014, 2013 & 2012), and Jazz Journalists Association named him “Trombonist of the Year” again this year, 2016, as well as eight times previously. In 2015, Wycliffe was named “Best Trombone” by Jazzed Reader’s Poll, and was presented the Satchmo award from the Sarasota Jazz Club, received the Louis Armstrong Memorial Prize presented by the Swing Jazz Culture Foundation, and was named Artist of the Year (2015) by the Augusta Arts Council. He is also a past recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Vanguard Award, among others.
In addition to an extremely successful solo career, Gordon tours regularly leading his quintet known as Wycliffe Gordon and His International All-Stars, headlining at legendary jazz venues and performing arts centers throughout the world. He is commissioned frequently, and has an extensive catalog of original compositions that span the various timbres of jazz and chamber music. Musicians and ensembles of every caliber perform his music throughout the world and his arrangement of the theme song to NPR’s “All Things Considered” is heard daily across the globe. His show “Jazz a la Carte” was named one of the five best moments in jazz by the Wall Street Journal. Gordon is a former veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has been a featured guest artist on Billy Taylor’s “Jazz at the Kennedy Center” Series.
Gordonʼs recordings are a model of consistency and inspiration. His most recent release, “Within These Gates of Mine” is an original soundtrack and film score for the 1920’s silent film “Within Our Gates” by African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, and was launched this spring at the Savannah Music Festival after a screening of the film. His arrangement of “Bill Bailey” from his CD “Dreams of New Orleans” on Chesky Records, can be heard in the recent blockbuster “Race” the biopic of track legend Jesse Owens. Other releases, “Somebody New,” a big band album featuring the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra, his “Hello Pops, A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” cd and “The Intimate Ellington: Ballads and Blues” continue to get rave reviews. His musical expertise is sought out by artists across the globe and has been captured on countless projects with other artists including Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Natalie Merchant, Rene Marie, Dianne Reeves, Anat Cohen, Ricky Skaggs, Arturo Sandoval and Doc Severinsen to name a few.
In addition to performing, composing and recording, Gordon is one of Americaʼs most persuasive and committed music educators, and serves as Artist-in-Residence at Augusta University in Augusta, GA. Last season he returned for a residency at Columbia College in Chicago, and continued as Music Director for the LALPC (Louis Armstrong Legacy Project). This year, he will be in residence at the James Morrison Academy in Australia and returns to Centrum and Vail music camps. He has published several books including “This Rhythm On My Mind with accompanying CD released in 2012 and “Sing It First”—Wycliffe’s own unique approach to playing the instrument, released in 2011. His work with young musicians and audiences from elementary schools to universities all over the world is extensive, and includes master classes, clinics, workshops, children’s concerts and lectures — powerful evidence of his unique ability to relate musically to people of all ages.
Wycliffe Gordon is a Yamaha Performing Artist and has his own line of Wycliffe Gordon Pro Signature Mouthpieces by Pickett Brass. For additional information visit www.wycliffegordon.com.
Mr. Gordon’s appearance made possible through the generosity of Pecknel Music Company and Yamaha Corporation of America.