Roswell Rudd

Roswell Rudd (born Roswell Hopkins Rudd, Jr. in Sharon, Connecticut, on November 17, 1935) is an American jazz trombonist. Although skilled in all styles of jazz (including dixieland, which he performed while in college), he is known primarily for his work in free and avant-garde jazz. Since 1962 Rudd has worked extensively with saxophonist Archie Shepp, a close friend.

Rudd participated in key free jazz recordings, notably with the New York Art Quartet, on the soundtrack recording for Michael Snow's 1964 film New York Eye and Ear Control, and Michael Mantler & Carla Bley's 1968 Jazz Composer's Orchestra - Communications featuring Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Larry Coryell and Gato Barbieri. A major factor in Rudd's career has been his lifelong friendship with Steve Lacy and their numerous recordings and performances of the music of Thelonious Monk.

Rudd graduated from Yale University where he had played with Eli's Chosen Six, a dixieland band of Yale students that Rudd joined in the mid-'50s. The sextet played the boisterous trad-jazz style of the day and even made two albums, including one for Columbia. JazzTimes Magazine said that "...all of Rudd's future endeavors--including his landmark collaborations with Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, John Tchicai and Steve Lacy--grew out of the lessons learned while playing rags and stomps for drunken college kids in Connecticut." [1] Rudd later taught ethnomusicology at Bard College and the University of Maine. On and off for a period of three decades, Roswell Rudd assisted Alan Lomax with his world song style (Cantometrics) and Global Jukebox projects and the wealth of information on the music of this planet that he absorbed inspired him to collaborate beyond the periphery of western music.

Rudd has been a frequent visitor to the African nation of Mali, performing and recording with Malian musicians. His 2001 CD MALIcool, a cross-cultural collaboration with kora player Toumani Diabaté and other Malian musicians represented the first time the trombone had been featured in a recording of Malian traditional music.

In 2004 he brought his TROMBONE SHOUT BAND to perform at the 4th Festival au Désert in Essakane, Tombouctou Region, Mali.

In 2005 he extended his reach even further, recording a CD with a traditional Buryat music group from Mongolia, entitled Blue Mongol. More recently he has recorded with "Latin" musicians from NYC.

Rudd conducts master classes and workshops both in the United States and around the world.

He co-leads an ensemble with Archie Shepp, as well as touring with MALIcool, the Mongolian Buryat Band, as well as being a featured guest.


Awards and honors

* In 2000 Rudd was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in composition.
* In 2003, 2004, and 2005 he was voted Trombonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.
* His 1999 album Monk's Dream was nominated for a Grammy for Solo Performance as well as a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
* 52nd Annual Downbeat Critic’s Poll – one of the best of 2003
* One of the 10 best of 2003 – Chris Porter, Washington City Paper
* THE CODA TOP TEN OF 2002 - Selected by Duck Baker

Discography

* 2007 - Roswell Rudd Quartet Keep Your Heart Right (Sunnyside Records)
* 2006 - Roswell Rudd & Yomo Toro El Espiritu Jibaro (Sunnyside Records)
* 2005 - Roswell Rudd and the Mongolian Buryat Band Blue Mongol (Sunnyside)
* 2002 - Roswell Rudd’s MALIcool (UNIVERSAL/Sunnyside)
* 2001 - The Charlie Kohlhase Quintet plays the Music of Roswell Rudd - Eventuality (NADA)
* 2001 - Roswell Rudd and Archie Shepp Live in New York (Universal SA)
* 2000 - B r o a d S t r o k e s (Knitting Media)
* 1999 - New York Art Quartet - 35 Reunion (DIW)
* 1999 - Monk’s Dream Steve Lacy/Roswell Rudd (Universal/Verve)
* 1996 - The Unheard Herbie Nichols-VOL 1 & 2 with John Bacon, Jr and Greg Miller (CIMP)
* 1978 - The Definitive Roswell Rudd (Horo)
* 1976 - Blown Bone (Nippon Phonogram)
* 1976 - Inside Job with Enrico Rava, Dave Burrell, Stafford James & Harold White (Arista/ Freedom)
* 1973 - Numatik Swingband (JCOA)
* 1971 - Flexible Flyer, Sheila Jordan, Hod O'Brien, Barry Altschul, Arild Andersen (Arista)
* 1966 - Everywhere Robin Kenyatta, G. Logan, Charlie Haden, L. Worrell (Impulse)

Other recorded appearances

* 2006 - Dry Bones - with Sonic Youth (Shout! Factory)
* 2003 - Sex Mob - Dime Grind Palace (ropeadope records)
* 2002 - Seize the Time – Nexus Orchestra (Splasch Records)
* 1997 - Newsense with Elton Dean (Slam Records)
* 1996 - Bladik Keith Tippett et al. (Cuneiform)
* 1996 - Terrible NRBQ & Terry Adams (New World)
* 1996 - Rumors of an Incident with Elton Dean (Slam Records)
* 1995 - Wozzek’s Death with Allen Lowe (Enja)
* 1995 - Wild Weekend NRBQ & Terry Adams Virgin
* 1994 - Dark Was the Night with Allen Lowe
* 1992 - Darn it with Paul Haines AMERICAN CLAVE
* 1984 - That’s the Way I Feel Now Produced by Hal Wilner - Monk Compositions
* 1982 - Regeneration with Steve Lacy, Han Benink, Misha Mengelberg & Kent Carter Soul Note
* 1981 - Interpretations of Monk Barry Harris, Steve Lacy, Don Cherry, Charlie Rouse, Mal Waldron, Muhal Richard Abrams, Ed Blackwell, Ben Riley, Richard Davis, Anthony Davis DIW / KOCH INT'L
* 1979 - Divine Song - with Sangeeta Michael Berardi, Rashied Ali, Eddie Gomez, Archie Shepp New Pulse Artists
* 1979 - Sharing - Giorgio Gaslini Discgidella Quercia
* 1978 - Enrico Rava Quartet Enrico Rava, J.F. Jenny-Clarke & Aldo Romano ECM
* 1976 - Dinner Music with Carla Bley Watt
* 1976 - Maine BVHAAST
* 1975 - Trickles Steve Lacy, Beaver Harris, Kent Carter Soul Note
* 1974 - Village on the Left Marcello Melis & Don Moye Soul Note
* 1972 - The Third World with Gato Barbieri IMPULSE
* 1972 - Roswell Rudd ( New York Art Quartet) AMERICA
* 1971 - Escalator over the Hill by Carla Bley JCOA
* 1971 - Liberation Music Orchestra (album) Charlie Haden Impulse
* 1968 - Communications with Michael Mantler and JCOA WATT
* 1967 - Live At Donaueschingen SABA
* 1966 - Mama Too Tight with Archie Shepp Impulse
* 1966 - Until with Robin Kenyatta (Atlantic)
* 1966 - New York Eye and Ear Control Don Cherry, Albert Ayler, John Tchicai and Gary Peacock (ESP)
* 1966 - Live in San Francisco with Archie Shepp (Impulse)
* 1964 - New York Art Quartet John Tchicai, Milford Graves (ESP)
* 1964 - Four for Trane with Archie Shepp (Impulse)
* 1963 - School Days Steve Lacy, Dennis Charles, Henry Grimes (HAT HUT)
* 1962 - Into the Hot Gil Evans / Cecil Taylor (Impulse)
* 1961 - New York City R & B Buell Neidlinger, Cecil Taylor (Mosaic)
* 1957 - Eli’s Chosen 6 Yale University Dixieland Band (Columbia)