Roswell Ruddbiography

Roswell Rudd (born Roswell Hopkins Rudd, Jr. in Sharon, Connecticut, on November 17, 1935) is an American jazz trombonist.
Although skilled in all styles of jazz (including dixieland, which he performed while in college), he is known primarily for his work in free and avant-garde jazz.
Since 1962 Rudd has worked extensively with Archie Shepp, a close friend.
Rudd participated in key free jazz recordings, notably with the New York Art Quartet, on the soundtrack recording for Michael Snow's 1964 film New York Eye and Ear Control, and Michael Mantler & Carla Bley's 1968 "Jazz Composer's Orchestra- Communications" featuring Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Larry Coryell and Gato Barbieri.
A major factor in Rudd's career has been his lifelong friendship with Steve Lacy and their numerous recordings and performances of the music of Thelonious Monk.
Rudd graduated from Yale University, and later taught music-ethnology at Bard College and the University of Maine.
On and off for a period of three decades, Roswell Rudd assisted Alan Lomax with his world song style project and the wealth of information on the music of this planet inspired him to collaborate beyond the periphery of western music.
Rudd has been a frequent visitor to the African nation of Mali, performing and recording with Malian musicians.
His 2001 CD MALIcool, a cross-cultural collaboration with kora player Toumani Diabaté and other Malian musicians represented the first time the trombone had been featured in a recording of Malian traditional music.
In 2004 he brought his TROMBONE SHOUT BAND to perform at the 4th Festival au Désert in Essakane, Tombouctou Region, Mali.
In 2005 he extended his reach even further, recording a CD with a traditional Buryat music group from Mongolia, entitled Blue Mongol.
Rudd conducts master classes and workshops both in the United States and around the world.
He co-leads an ensemble with Archie Shepp, as well as touring with MALIcool, the Mongolian Buryat Band, as well as being a featured guest.



ROSWELL RUDD is known for his groundbreaking work with groups and musicians like Herbie Nichols, the NEW YORK ART QUARTET, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Carla Bley, and Steve Lacy with whom he had collaborated for more than forty years.
In 2000 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in composition.
In 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2009 he was voted TROMBONIST OF THE YEAR by the Jazz Journalists Association.
In the 1970's and 1980's he was the recipient of several grants from the NEA in composition and performance.
His solo recordings include the well known EVERYWHERE, Rudd's Sextet (1966 - Impulse), which was re-released in 1998 by Impulse and included the Cecil Taylor Unit in which Rudd performs as well; FLEXIBLE FLYER, (1973 and 1998 Arista Freedom ), and REGENERATION (1982 and 1998 - SOUL NOTE) .
He has been a featured soloist on numerous other recordings and in 1999 the Steve Lacy/Roswell Rudd Quartet recorded MONK'S DREAM which was released on Universal/Verve.
BROAD STROKES, released in 2000 on Knit Media, was nominated for 4 Grammy's.
His record Archie Shepp/Roswell Rudd LIVE IN NEW YORK on Universal was voted one of the best of 2001 by Gary Giddins of The Village Voice and by Jazz Magazine, the leading French publication.
Mr. Rudd was honored, along with Mr. Shepp, as a Master of American Music last February in Alice Tully Hall.
Roswell Rudd has not only received international recognition as a performer, but as well for his compositions and arrangements ranging from large scale music dramas to instrumental jazz suites.
His jazz operas BLUES FOR PLANET EARTH and GOLD RUSH have achieved cult status from their performances in the 1960's.
Mr. Rudd was Staff Musicologist for Alan Lomax' World Song Styles project from 1964 through 1994 on an intermittent basis and was editor for a self-teaching module for world music.
Roswell Rudd's MALIcool, his first collaboration with African musicians, and recorded in Bamako, Mali with Malian musicians in 2001, was released in May, 2002 on Universal/Sunnyside.
It was voted one of the best CD's of 2003 and has received accolades for its unique achievements by journalists of both jazz and world music.
"EL ESPIRITU JIBARO" a collaboration with Yomo Toro and Bobby Sanabria is also on Sunnyside, as his is Quartet KEEP YOUR HEART RIGHT with vocalist Sunny Kim and features original songs.
His collaboration, Roswell Rudd and the Mongolian Buryat Band, is available on Sunnyside.
His love for the trombone and more than fifty years of playing it has culminated in his TROMBONE TRIBE cd on Sunnyside.