Results for "John Swana"

John Swana

John Swana is one of the most exciting trumpeters to arrive for a decade," declares Mark Gardner, co-author of Blackwell's Guide to Recorded Jazz.

Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, Swana took up Trumpet at the age of 11. He was drawn to jazz at the age of 17 after hearing Dizzy Gillespie, and the interest developed into a passion while he was in college. There he began transcribing the solos of Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, and Tom Harrell.

Swana has performed and toured with the Mingus Big Band. He has also played with well known jazz names such as Don Patterson, Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker, Stanley Turrentine, Harold Mabern, Cecil Payne, Johnny Coles, Ralph Peterson, Charles Fambrough, Bobby Watson, Trudy Pitts, Bootsie Barnes, Craig Handy, Chris Potter, Stephen Scott, Tim Warfield, Eric Alexander, Sam Newsome, Brad Mehldau,Vincent Herring, Uri Caine, Tim Armacost, Peter Leitch, Peter Bernstein, Ravi Coltrane, Ralph Bowen, Terrel Stafford, Seamus Blake, and Robin Eubanks

Volcanic

By Chris Aschman

Label: Self Produced
Released: 2026
Track listing: Select Your Racer; Neon Dream; Triangles; Sirens; Mairi’s Wedding; Swamp Think; Undercover.

Laid Back Vol. 1, featuring John Swana

By Rich Willey

Label: Self Produced
Released: 2026
Track listing: Laid Back (Night Life); Triple Play; Relax & Take It Easy; Long Lost Brothers; Ladies First; That’s My Little Girl; Hip Slick & Cool.

Rich Willey: Laid Back Vol. 1, featuring John Swana

by Jack Bowers
June 20, 2026

Chicago-based trumpeter and composer Rich Willey oversees an impressive 11-piece ensemble on Laid Back, Vol. 1, which embodies seven of his melodically enticing and rhythmically strong compositions, all neatly arranged by Wally Minko. The one drawback in this otherwise pleasing session is a disconcerting funk/Latin beat, which lends an aura of sameness to every ...

Rich Willey: Laid Back Vol. 1, featuring John Swana

by Jack Bowers
June 13, 2026

Chicago-based trumpeter and composer Rich Willey oversees an impressive eleven-piece ensemble on Best Laid Plans, which embodies seven of his melodically enticing and rhythmically strong compositions, all neatly arranged by Wally Minko. The one clear drawback in this otherwise pleasing session, however, is an incessant rock beat, which lends an aura of sameness to ...

Chris Aschman: Volcanic

by Jack Bowers
May 10, 2026

Although multi-instrumentalist Chris Aschman's third recording may be a shade less than Volcanic, it does deliver some heavy punches marshaled from its roots in the funk/rock/fusion format. Aschman, who plays trumpet and steel pans, is clearly on board with that, as he wrote all save one of the album's seven numbers and arranged every one.

Embraceable Brazil

By Tom Cohen

Label: Versa Records
Released: 2025
Track listing: Eu So Quero Um Xodo; You're So Vain; Francisca; The Girl from Ipanema; Tarde; Bye Bye Brasil; Brigas Nunca Mais; Look to the Sky; Adeus America; Aquelas Coisas Todas; Cafe Com Pao; Joyous Lake; Bebe (live)

Tom Cohen: Embraceable Brazil

by Jack Bowers
October 17, 2025

Philadephia-based drummer and arranger Tom Cohen uses groups of various sizes from trio to octet recorded over a ten-year span to tailor an elegant musical “love letter" to Brazil and its iconic dance music, the bossa nova, on Embraceable Brazil, an album whose charming melodies and vibrant rhythms represent the best that picturesque South American country ...

Minas - 40th Anniversary Concert, Cake, and Dance Party in Philadelphia on April 11

February 13, 2025

Orlando and Patricia Haddad invite the public for a concert, cake, and dance party, celebrating 40 impressive years making music in Philadelphia. Known for their Brazilian ensemble Minas, Orlando and Patricia moved to the Philadelphia area from Rio de Janeiro in 1984, where they continued to perform and record while pursuing graduate studies at local universities. ...

Ralph Bowen: Five

by C. Andrew Hovan
September 1, 2024

Although he's better known in educational circles due to his solid commitment to jazz pedagogy as a member of the faculty at Rutgers University, Ralph Bowen has been a vital member of the jazz community since debuting with the group Out of the Blue back in the mid '80s. His adaptability to a diversity of musical ...