Home » Member Page
Stafford Hunter
About Stafford
About Me
Multi-Grammy nominated trombonist & sea shells player (and sometimes vocalist) is a Philadelphia native (but born in
Atlantic City, NJ). He became a professional musician at the age of 16. And, was an award winner of the Al Grey Award for
Musical Excellence. It acknowledged Stafford as the Most Promising Jazz Trombone Talent. Graduate of the New School
Jazz & Contemporary Music Program (NYC). Of which, he was the first trombonist to actually graduate from the New
School Jazz Program.
Beside music, Stafford appeared as a model in the December 1992 issue of L'Uomo Vogue (the Italian Vogue magazine for
men). This issue also featured jazz greats like Milt Hinton, Clark Terry, Louie Bellson, etc... And, he appeared in a
documentary film on the late-great pianist; Dorothy Donegan. Also, he was an actor in a movie entitled the Day the
Ponies Come Back which was released March of 2001 in France. And, he appeared in a diet Coke television commercial
which featured the great Elton John.
He has performed at former-US President Bill Clinton's first inaugural. Since then, the trombonist has performed, recorded
and toured all over the world with the likes of Illinois Jacquet, McCoy Tyner, Lester Bowie & Brass Fantasy, Abdullah
Ibrahim, Charli Persip, Charles Tolliver, Tony Bennett, Roy Hargrove, Donald Byrd Dance Troupe, Cab Calloway Orch., Joss
Stone, Orrin Evans, the Mingus Big Band, Lauryn Hill, Frank Foster, Clark Terry, Reggie Workman, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Lionel
Hampton Orchestra, Dionne Warwick, Lenny Kravitz, Muhal Richard Abrams, Amy Winehouse, Oliver Lake, Steve Turre &
Sanctified Shells, and has been a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra since 1998 among other groups.
Stafford still performs with the Duke Ellington Orchestra but manages to tour the USA, South America, Europe, and Asia
with his own groups, Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band, and many other groups. Also, he frequently gives master
classes, lectures, concerts as a special guest and gives lessons at universities & high schools and privately in Japan, Russia
Europe and around the world.