Wycliffe Gordon
| Wycliffe Gordon | |
|---|---|
 Photo by Frank Kramer | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wycliffe Gordon |
| Also known as | "Pine Cone" |
| Born | May 29, 1967 |
| Origin | Waynesboro, Georgia |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | trombone, didgeridoo, also trumpet, tuba, Piano and vocals |
| Labels |
WJ3 Chesky Criss Cross |
| Associated acts | Randy Sandke, Maurice Hines, Wynton Marsalis |
| Website | www.wycliffegordon.com |
Wycliffe A. Gordon (born May 29, 1967 in Waynesboro, Georgia) is an American jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. Gordon also plays didgeridoo, trumpet, tuba, piano, and sings.[1]
Growing up
Gordon came from a strongly religious and musical background that influenced the early direction of his music. His late father, Lucius Gordon (1936–1997), had been a church organist at several churches in Burke County, Georgia. His father had also been a classical pianist and teacher. Gordon became particularly inspired in jazz at age thirteen, 1980, by listening to jazz recordings inherited from his great-aunt. The collection included a five-LP jazz anthology produced by Sony-Columbia. In particular, he was drawn to musicians like Louis Armstrong[2] At that age, he was attending Langford Middle School in Augusta, Georgia, and his band director was James K. Staples (born 1958). Gordon graduated in 1985 from Butler High School in Augusta.
Career highlights
His early works as a professional were with Wynton Marsalis, but in recent years he has expanded beyond swing and has experimented with new instruments. The strongest example of this might be The Search where he plays didgeridoo and covers Thelonious Monk songs.[3] He has also played Gospel music.
In 1995, Gordon arranged and orchestrated the theme song for NPR's All Things Considered.[4] Gordon's arrangement and orchestration is the third version of the widely recognized melody composed in 1971 by Donald Joseph Voegeli (1920–2009).
Discography
As leader
- Slidin' Home. Nagel Heyer. 1999. OCLC 44191129
- The Search. Nagel Heyer. 2000. OCLC 47082174
- The Gospel Truth. Criss Cross Records. 2000. OCLC 47662209
- What You Dealin' With. Criss Cross Records. 2001. OCLC 51836480
- United Soul Experience. Criss Cross Records. 2002. OCLC 52482236
- We, with Eric Reed (Piano). Nagel Heyer. 2002.
- Dig This! Criss Cross Records. 2003. OCLC 53345078
- In The Cross. Criss Cross Records. 2004. OCLC 60345569
- Cone's Coup. Criss Cross Records. 2006. OCLC 76952955
- A Tribute to Storyville. Sidney Bechet Society. 2006.
- This Rhythm on My Mind, with Jay Leonhart (Bass). Blues Back Records. 2006. OCLC 94587589
- We 2, with Eric Reed (piano, vocal). WJ3 Records. 2007. OCLC 181168761
- Bloozbluzeblues. Blues Back Records. 2007.
- Boss Bones. Criss Cross Records. 2009. OCLC 235523653
- Cone and T-Staff. Criss Cross Records. 2010. OCLC 489036524
- The Word. Blues Back Records. 2011.
- Hello Pops, a tribute to Louie Armstrong. Blues Back Records. 2011.
- Dreams of New Orleans. Chesky Records. 2012. OCLC 809623621
- The Intimate Ellington / Ballads and Blues. Criss Cross Records. 2013.
As sideman
With John Allred
- John Allred & Wycliffe Gordon: Head To Head. Arbors Records. 2002. OCLC 51971188
With Marcus Roberts
With Randy Sandke
- The Music of Bob Haggart Featuring His Porgy and Bess Arrangements. Arbors Records 2002. OCLC 52353041
With Maurice Hines
- Maurice Hines: To Nat "King" Cole With Love. Arbors Records. 2006. OCLC 71194466
With Ron Westray
Blues Back Records
Blues Back Records was an American independent jazz label founded by Gordon in 2006 — coinciding with the release of his Rhythm On My Mind album, a collaboration with bassist Jay Leonhart. His desire for full artistic control was the impetus for creating Blues Back. It was during a meeting with Leonhart while Gordon composition "I Want My Blues Back" played in the background, that the two laughed and decided on the name for the company. BluesBack had produced other artists in Wycliffe's universe who met Gordon's criteria for originality. The company, Blues Back Records, Inc., a New York corporation, became inactive in 2011.[5]
Audio and video samples
- Audio: Gordon's 1995 arrangement of the "All Things Considered Theme," composed in 1971 by Donald Joseph Voegeli (1920–2009)
- Video: "Root Groove," featuring Gordon, et al., Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, PBS broadcast (1999)
References
- ↑ The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Second edition, Vol. 2 (of three volumes), edited by Barry Dean Kernfeld, London: Macmillan Publishers (2002) OCLC 46956628
- ↑ Jazz Times
- ↑ All About Jazz
- ↑ NPR: Theme Music, 30th Anniversary Celebration of All Things Considered
- ↑ Interview — Wycliffe Gordon: What This is All About, by Esther Berlanga-Ryan, All About Jazz, September 1, 2010
External links
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