Jon Faddis

Jon Faddis is a complete and consummate musician - conductor, composer, and educator. Marked by both intense integrity and humor, Faddis earned accolades from his close friend and mentor John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, who declared of Faddis, "He's the best ever, including me!" As a trumpeter, Faddis possesses a virtually unparalleled range and full command of his instrument, making the practically impossible seem effortless. Time Out New York (2003) praises Faddis as "the world's greatest trumpeter … brash soloistic logic and breathtaking technical acuity," and Nat Hentoff, The Wall Street Journal, characterizes Faddis as "a trumpet player of prodigious lyrical force" (2005).

Born in 1953, Faddis began playing at age eight, inspired by an appearance by Louis Armstrong on television. Meeting Dizzy Gillespie at 15 proved to be a pivotal beginning of a unique friendship that spanned over three decades. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Faddis joined Lionel Hampton's band, moving from Oakland, CA to New York. Faddis worked as lead trumpet for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, formed his own quartet, and soon began directing orchestras, including the Grammy-winning United Nation Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie 70th Birthday Big Band, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (1992-2002), and the Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York (2003-present). The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, celebrating its 40th anniversary at Columbia College Chicago in 2005-2006, named Faddis as its Artistic Director in autumn 2004. Faddis will continue to conduct both the JFJONY and the CJE in the future. Faddis has also served as guest conductor and featured guest with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Faddis' original compositions include the Jazz opera Lulu Noire (1997) (named a "Top 10" pick by USA Today); others may be heard on his Grammy-nominated Remembrances (Chesky), Into the Faddisphere (Epic), and Hornucopia (Epic). Faddis' forthcoming CD, TERANGA (KOCH Records, June 2006), features new compositions by the trumpeter, joined by members of the Jon Faddis Quartet - David Hazeltine (piano), Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bass), & Dion Parson (drums) - together with special guests Alioune Faye (sabor), Abdou Mboup (djembe & talking drum), Russell Malone (guitar), Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone), Frank Wess (alto flute) and Clark Terry (flugelhorn & vocals).

Faddis remains true to the tradition of honoring mentors, regularly leading master classes and clinics worldwide, and also teaching as a full-time faculty member at the Conservatory of Music, Purchase College-SUNY (where he is Artist-in-Residence, Professor & Director of Jazz Performance) and as guest lecturer at Columbia College Chicago.

When Jon Faddis burst on the jazz scene as a teenager, observers were amazed by his technique and his ability to sound like an identical twin of Dizzy Gillespie (whose complex style had never been successfully duplicated before). After a period, he was typecast as a Dizzy imitator but Faddis' remarkable range (hitting higher notes than Gillespie ever could) and the gradual development of his individual sound have helped him overcome the early fault. In fact, Faddis can now also imitate Roy Eldridge and Louis Armstrong quite well, too. Gillespie was always Faddis' idol, from the time he started playing trumpet at age eight. After moving to New York in the early '70s, Faddis played with Lionel Hampton and Charles Mingus (guesting on a recorded concert with the bassist when Roy Eldridge became ill) and then recorded two notable albums for Pablo including a duet session with Oscar Peterson. After playing a bit with Gillespie (their best encounters in the mid-'70s were unfortunately not recorded), Faddis seemed to disappear, sticking to studio work and playing first trumpet with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. After re-emerging in the mid-'80s, Faddis recorded for Concord and Epic and in 1993 became the musical director of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra. He released Teranga on Koch in 2006. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide