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Andy Hunter
Andy Hunter has a strong and unique musical voice, whether expressed through his instrument or his writing and arranging. Born in Northern Michigan and musically raised on the music scenes of Cleveland, Shanghai and New York City, Hunter now resides primarily in Cologne, Germany where he performs regularly with the WDR Big Band featuring many of the top artists in jazz today.
Hunter has performed and toured around the world as a regular member of the Mingus Big Band (Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Orchestra), the Richard Bona Group, the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Jazz Orchestra, T.S. Monk’s 10-tet “Monk on Monk, and Cuban groups such as Ochún and La Tipica Novel. He has also recorded and performed with bands including Snarky Puppy, the Bob Mintzer Big Band, Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band, The Birdland Big Band, The FatCat Big Band, La Cumbiamba and Hector Martignon’s Banda Grande, and toured with the Dave Holland Big Band, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Robben Ford, and Ocho y Mas, backing up salsa singers Rubén Blades, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tito Nieves, La India, Eddie Santiago and Frankie Negrón.
As an educator, Hunter has served on the jazz faculty of Tri-C College in Cleveland and Rutgers University in New Jersey, where his students have been winning prizes and recognition at multiple major festivals. He continues to give clinics and master classes all over the world.
(music samples and performance schedule available at www.hunterandy.com)
Awards
Winner, 1996 Downbeat Student Music Awards Jazz Composition Competition
Winner, 2002 International Trombone Association "Frank Rosolino Jazz
Trombone Competition"
Finalist, 2003 Thelonious Monk Competition
Winner, 2005 "Antti Rissanen International Trombone Competition," Finland
Winner, 2006 "ETW National Jazz Trombone Competition," Washington, DC
Gear
RATH custom trombone, England
Tags
3 Cohens, WDB Big Band: Interaction
by Angelo Leonardi
A dieci anni di distanza dalla loro ultima collaborazione discografica, Yuval, Anat e Avishai Cohen tornano con quest'album live, che documenta il concerto dato con la WDR Big Band il 16 giugno 2022 alla Filarmonica di Colonia. Altra figura centrale dell'evento è Oded Lev-Ari, che ha scritto le partiture e diretto l'orchestra. Oded collabora con i Cohen sin dagli anni in cui tutti studiavano a Tel-Aviv. Anche se suonano assieme dall'adolescenza, il sodalizio professionale dei tre fratelli è ...
Continue ReadingThe 3 Cohens: Interaction
by Mike Jurkovic
As a thriving collective, the 3 Cohens have recorded four outstanding studio albums over the first quarter of the 21st century: the self-produced One (2003), 2007's Braid, 2011's Family and 2013's Tightrope, (last three released by Anzic Records, the label founded by clarinetist Anat Cohen with kindred-spirit producer-collaborator Oded Lev-Ari). Dipping, darting, diving, the 3 Cohens have crisscrossed the global stage, bringing their joyful high-flying interplay to Brazil, New York, Europe and Australia. Searing, swerving and soaring, trumpeter Avishai Cohen's revved-up swing testament, ...
Continue ReadingWDR Big Band: Bluegrass
by Jack Bowers
Violinist Darol Anger literally had a dream, one in which he was performing his bluegrass music not with the David Grisman Quintet or another small group but in front of a full-fledged big band--and in Germany, of all places. Even though it was a dream he thought would never come true, it was so vivid and tantalizing that Anger shared it with his longtime friend and musical colleague, mandolinist Mike Marshall, who agreed that it was rather far-fetched but nonetheless ...
Continue ReadingMarshall Gilkes: LifeSongs
by Dan Bilawsky
A sojourn in the city of Cologne is akin to a homecoming for Marshall Gilkes. The lauded trombonist spent four memorable years in that cultural hub beside the Rhine, making his mark within the ranks of the WDR Big Band's brass section, and his departure in December of 2013 did nothing to dampen his love for the region and the tremendous fellow feeling binding him to his colleagues. Illustrating this point, one month later Gilkes returned for a proper farewell ...
Continue ReadingChuck Owen: Renderings
by Angelo Leonardi
Nato dalla collaborazione tra la WDR Big Band e Chuck Owen, Renderings conferma quest'ultimo ai vertici dell'orchestrazione mainstream contemporanea e l'orchestra tedesca l'autorevole e avvincente ensemble che sappiamo. L'idea del progetto nasce quando la splendida sassofonista della big band, Karolina Strassmayer, ha chiesto a Chuck di arrangiare una sua composizione, stimolando il bandleader a impegnarsi in un ampio lavoro con l'orchestra di Colonia. Impegni personali e circostanze varie (tra cui la pandemia) hanno ostacolato il progetto, che ...
Continue ReadingMarshall Gilkes and WDR Big Band: Life Songs
by Jack Bowers
Maryland-born trombonist Marshall Gilkes, who spends much of his time working in and around various jazz bases in North America, returns to his “second" home, Cologne, Germany, for Life Songs, his eighth album as leader and third with his former employer, Cologne's world-class WDR Big Band. Gilkes spent the years 2010-13 in the WDR trombone section, shortly before he and the ensemble released the widely praised albums Koln (Alternate Side, 2015) and Always Forward (Alternate Side, 2018). ...
Continue ReadingChuck Owen: Renderings
by Pierre Giroux
Renderings by Chuck Owen and The WDR Big Band is a remarkable jazz album that showcases the artist's mastery as a composer, arranger and bandleader. This release stands as a testament to Owen's innovative approach to jazz music blending traditional elements with modern influences to create a unique and captivating sonic experience. The album title is an apt description of the musical approach taken by Owen, as he focuses on the works by other composers along ...
Continue ReadingTrombonist/Composer Andy Hunter Releases New CD "Think Like a Mountain"
Source:
Two for the Show Media
The new Andy Hunter album, Think Like a Mountain, will be released October 30th, 2012. The album features Alex Sipiagin on Trumpet, Jason Marshall on Baritone Saxophone, Dave Kikoski on Fender Rhodes, Boris Kozlov on Bass, and of course, the writing, arranging, and Trombone voice of Andy Hunter. About Andy Hunter: Andy Hunter is an exciting, bold musician deeply entrenched in the New York music scene. An experienced leader and highly in-demand side man, he performs around the world with ...
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-All About Jazz, SPOKE's 3rd album, (R)anthems review by Dan Bilawsky
“This is one of those rare gems that is worth putting on “loop” to play repeatedly. It is difficult to say which aspect of this CD is more impressive, the remarkable compositions or the impeccable playing and empathetic interplay. Either way, this is music making at its absolute highest level.”
–International Trombone Association Journal, Think Like a Mountain review by Richard Birk, 2014
Primary Instrument
Trombone
Credentials/Background
Tri-C College (2002-2004) Rutgers University (2010-2011)
Photos
Music
Knife's Edge
From: RenderingsBy Andy Hunter
