Cecil Bridgewater

Cecil Bridgewater
Bridgewater in 1984
Bridgewater in 1984
Background information
Born (1942-10-10) October 10, 1942 (age 82)
Urbana, Illinois, USA
Genreshard bop
Instrumenttrumpet
Years active1969-present

Cecil Bridgewater (born October 10, 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter and composer.

Biography

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Bridgewater was born in Urbana, Illinois and studied at the University of Illinois.[1] He and brother Ron formed the Bridgewater Brothers Band in 1969, and in the 1970s he was married to Dee Dee Bridgewater. In 1970, he played with Horace Silver, and following this with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis from 1970 to 1976. Also in the 1970s, he played with Max Roach, starting a decades-long association. Elsewhere he has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Randy Weston, Charles McPherson, Joe Henderson, Roy Brooks, Abdullah Ibrahim and Sam Rivers. Bridgewater's first disc as a leader appeared in 1993. Bridgewater has also composed works premiered by the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and Meet the Composer.[2]

Cecil Bridgewater has become a great supporter of The Jazz Foundation of America in their mission to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including musicians that survived Hurricane Katrina. Cecil performed at the 2008 Benefit Concert, "A Great Night in Harlem" at the Apollo Theater.[3]

He currently teaches as adjunct faculty at Manhattan School of Music, New School, William Paterson University, and The Juilliard School.

Discography

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As leader

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  • I Love Your Smile (Blue Moon, 1992)
  • Mean What You Say (Brownstone, 1997)

As sideman

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With Muhal Richard Abrams

With Anthony Braxton

With Jon Faddis and Billy Harper

With Frank Foster

With O'Donel Levy

With Mel Lewis

With Charles McPherson

With Jimmy Owens

With Houston Person

With Max Roach

With Horace Silver

Both above albums compiled on The United States of Mind (Blue Note, 2004)

With Lonnie Liston Smith

With Dakota Staton

With John Stubblefield

With Buddy Terry

With The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra

With Mickey Tucker

With McCoy Tyner

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

References

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  1. ^ "The Independent Ear | the Black jazz audience… a different experience for the artist?".
  2. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p8141/biography
  3. ^ America, Jazz Foundation Of (2008-02-20). "Jazz Foundation of America: 7th Annual Great Night in Harlem announced!". Jazz Foundation of America. Retrieved 2024-07-12.