Take Five With Jon Crowley

Meet Jon Crowley: Forward-thinking trumpeter and composer, Jon Crowley was born in Malvern PA, a suburb of Philadelphia, in 1982. He began studying the trumpet at age six with Elin Frazier, a student of Carmine Caruso. While in high school he developed an interest in Jazz and began attending local jam sessions and sitting in with various musicians around Philadelphia. Jon spent the next four years attending Muhlenberg College, studying Jazz with Charles Fambrough and John Swana. After Graduating with his B.A. in Music, Jon went straight to New York City, where he attended NYU, graduating in the Spring of '07; receiving his Masters in Jazz Performance and Composition. While at NYU, Jon studied with Laurie Frink, Kenny Werner, Ralph Alessi, George Garzone, Brian Lynch, Joe Lovano, Don Friedman and Dave Pietro. Jon has played with Charles Fambrough, John Scofield, Lenny Pickett, Chris Potter, Ralph Alessi and Don Friedman. Jon has performed around New York City at venues such as The Blue Note, 55 Bar and Lincoln Center. Since graduating, he can be seen performing around New York City and the Northeast both as a sideman and with his own groups. Jon is currently working on his first CD, which will be released later this year.

Instrument(s):

Trumpet, flugelhorn.

Teachers and/or influences?

Elin Frazier, Charles Fambrough, John Swana, Laurie Frink.

I knew I wanted to be a musician when...

I heard Dizzy Gillespie's Groovin' High, I didn't know the trumpet could sound like that.

Your sound and approach to music:

I want to play music that expresses emotion/feelings. I do not fear change and I love to be challenged.

Your teaching approach:

It's important to have fun and get exciting about making music.

Your dream band:

Dave Holland, Herbie Hancock, Brian Blade, Wayne Shorter.

Road story: Your best or worst experience:

One summer I played at a restaurant weekly. I made the mistake one week to eat two McDonald's Cheeseburgers before the gig. I felt horribly ill during the first set, sat out the second set and was given a weird drink from the chef to fix me. I don't know what was in the stuff, but I played an amazing last set. I'm still trying to figure out what he gave me.

Favorite venue:

Chris' Jazz Cafe, Philadelphia.

Your favorite recording in your discography and why?

Connections.

The first Jazz album I bought was:

Dizzy Gillespie, Groovin' High.

What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?

I believe that a performance should always be special. I will always try to make something special happen. An 'average' performance is unacceptable.

Did you know...

I can speak French, ride horses and am a big Anderson Silva fan.

CDs you are listening to now:

Miles Davis, Live in Tokyo;

Sara Serpa, Praia;

Brian Blade Fellowship, Seasons of Change;

David Binney & Edward Simon, Afinidad..

Desert Island picks:

Joe Henderson, Evening with Joe Henderson;

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (Cliché, but I'd have to have it);

Bill Evans, Interplay;

Woody Shaw, Cassandranite..

How would you describe the state of jazz today?

A lot of people still think its 1958; it's not.

What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?

Support of live music.

What is in the near future?

I just want to continue to grow as a composer and improviser.

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