Guest Artist

Your underwriting commitment enables us to bring a world-class artist to the Monmouth County Community and will be acknowledged in suitable signage at the event, on the Jazz Arts Project website. and in social media posts leading up to the event.

About Artist:

Jon Faddis is a complete and consummate musician, conductor, composer, and educator. As a trumpeter, he possesses an unparalleled range and full command of his instrument, making the near impossible seem effortless.

 

As a young trumpet student in Oakland Ca. Jon Faddis had an encounter with his hero Dizzy Gillespie, resulting in a lifelong friendship and musical partnership that lasted until Gillespie’s death in 1993. Jon joined vibraphonist Lionel Hampton’s band at 18 and went on to work with a litany of major names, including the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Charles Mingus, Oscar Peterson, George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Grant Green, and dozens of others. 

 

In addition to his extensive work as a sideman and session artist, Faddis has released 11 albums as a leader, including the GRAMMY-winning 1998 Chesky session Remembrances.  He has directed orchestras, including the Grammy-winning United Nations Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, the Carnegie Hall Centennial Big Band, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and the Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York. He has also served as guest conductor and featured guest with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

 

Jon also has an enduring commitment to the education of young musicians and frequently conducts clinics and masterclasses, devoting personalized attention to teaching the next generation of jazz musicians. The Jon Faddis Award for Musical Excellence is presented each year to the most promising jazz trumpet player in the New York area. He is a full-time faculty member and Director of Jazz Performance at the Conservatory of Music, Purchase College-SUNY,  and holds the first-ever honorary doctorate in Jazz from Manhattan School of Music, as well as numerous other accolades and awards. 

 

Whatever the context – classroom or concert hall – and whatever the style, Jon Faddis epitomizes the best in Jazz.