Jazz Articles about Jim Rotondi

Jim Rotondi: 1000 Rainbows

by Dan Bilawsky
August 1, 2010

Trumpeter Jim Rotondi's steady stream of solo albums and work with the collective supergroup One For All--along with his role as a jazz educator and Selmer clinician--have put him at the epicenter of the jazz world. For this, his third album on Posi-Tone Records, Rotondi rounded up some fellow Big Apple-based heavy hitters to join him, including vibraphonist Joe Locke and drummer Bill Stewart. Rotondi tackles everything from The Beatles to Buddy Montgomery on 1000 Rainbows and, ...

Jim Rotondi at The Turning Point Cafe

by David A. Orthmann
May 14, 2010

Jim Rotondi The Turning Point Café Piermont, NY April 11, 2010

When the words “Bye, Bye" sounded from outside The Turning Point Cafe in the middle of Jim Rotondi's “Angel Eyes" cadenza, he didn't hesitate to imitate the singsong tone of the woman's voice. A journeyman whose credits include the Ray Charles Band, the collective One For All, as well as several discs as a leader on the Posi-Tone, Criss Cross and Sharp Nine ...

Jim Rotondi with Joe Locke at Jazz Cafe, Detroit

by C. Andrew Hovan
February 24, 2008

Jim Rotondi Quintet featuring Joe Locke Jazz Cafe at Music Hall Detroit, Michigan December 22, 2007

It's not an easy proposition. Locating good live jazz has become a major challenge in even the major cities outside of New York. Oh sure, you can find local musicians honing their craft at the neighborhood bar or catch major artists at corporate-sponsored events staged in a concert hall setting, bringing with them all the inherent pomposity ...

Jim Rotondi: Iron Man

by Elliott Simon
August 14, 2006

The harsh sterility that can sometimes characterize post bop horn-based quintets is noticeably lacking on Iron Man. Jim Rotondi's trumpet and flugelhorn are deliciously warm, and saxman Jimmy Greene's tenor fits right into the overall mood. A member of the hard bop ensemble One for All, Rotondi eschews the piano here in favor of seasoned vibraphonist Steve Nelson and wisely taps drummer Bill Stewart, along with bassist Doug Weiss, to solidify a stylish sound. The title cut ...

Jim Rotondi: Trumpet Man Seeking New Pleasures

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 2, 2004

Part of a new breed of mainstream artists who have managed to carve a niche among the bustling and often overwhelming New York jazz scene, trumpeter Jim Rotondi has developed quite a resume working with a long list of jazz luminaries that happens to include Charles Earland, George Coleman, Mike LeDonne, and Cecil Payne. Part of a small coterie of like minded artists; Rotondi has recorded often for Criss Cross Jazz both as a leader and a sidemen. Together with ...

Jim Rotondi: The Pleasure Dome

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 1, 2004

His already impressive catalog of work for Criss Cross notwithstanding, trumpeter Jim Rotondi's Destination Up is arguably one of his best records, and it gained numerous critical kudos when it was released a few years back. While the trumpeter's follow-up for the Sharp Nine label might not be as ambitious as its predecessor, it's no less engaging. Furthermore, Rotondi continues to foster an individualistic approach that comes out of the Freddie Hubbard/Woody Shaw bag, but which has amalgamated into a ...

Jim Rotondi: New Vistas

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 1, 2004

Aptly titled to be sure, Jim Rotondi's New Vistas offers somewhat of a new direction for this hard bop trumpeter, who finds himself mixing it up with a cast of new friends. Although he had included a few cuts with Larry Goldings on B3 for his debut Criss Cross release, this session also marks the first time that Rotondi has opted for an organ combo approach that goes beyond the norm with a little extra help from Chris Potter. In ...