Jon Faddis
Channel: JazzAscona
Date: 2011-07-04

American trumpeter Jon Faddis is one of the highlights of JazzAscona 2011. Born in California in 1953, he started playing music at the age of eight, inspired by a performance by the great Louis Armstrong, which was broadcasted on TV. After his first steps in the world of music, Faddis met trumpet icon "Dizzy" Gillespie, who, together with Stan Kenton's trumpeter Bill Catalano, believed in Faddis' talent when he was still a young promising musician.
After several appearances on pop albums, in the 1970s and 1980s Faddis begun his solo career, which led him to become, according to critics, one of the best trumpeters ever. The Californian artist reached this status thanks to his technique and to his lungs' breath, which allows him to produce impressive high-pitched tones that, in time, have become his trademark.
Farris' career took a turning-point when, beside composition and performance, he started directing. Among the orchestras he conducted are the Grammy Award winning United Nation Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie 70th Birthday Big Band, the Carnegie Jazz Band (1992-2002), and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble.

JazzAscona 2011 will be celebrating the centennial of the birth of Roy Eldridge, the great trumpeter who is ranked right next to Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie for his musical skills and success. The honor of paying homage to the illustrious trumpeter will go to Jon Faddis, more than once nominated for the Grammy Awards.