Roswell Hopkins Rudd Jr. (November 17, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American jazz trombonist and composer.
Although skilled in a variety of genres of jazz (including Dixieland, which he performed while in college), and other genres of music, he was known primarily for his work in free and avant-garde jazz. Beginning in 1962 Rudd worked extensively with saxophonist Archie Shepp.Archie Shepp Discography, jazzdisco.org; accessed December 22, 2017.
Biography Rudd was born in Sharon, Connecticut, United States. He attended the Hotchkiss School and graduated from Yale University, where he played with Eli's Chosen Six, a dixieland band of students that Rudd joined in the mid-1950s. The sextet played the boisterous trad jazz style of the day and recorded two albums, including one for Columbia Records. His collaborations with Shepp, Cecil Taylor, John Tchicai, and Steve Lacy grew out of the lessons learned while playing rags and stomps for college audiences in Connecticut.Profile , Jazztimes.com; accessed December 22, 2017. Rudd later taught ethnomusicology at Bard College and the University of Maine."Bard Press Release: JAZZ AT BARD PRESENTS THE ROSWELL RUDD QUARTET IN CONCERT ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22", bard.edu, February 18, 2003; accessed December 22, 2017.
On and off, for a period of three decades, he assisted Alan Lomax with his world music song style (Cantometrics)Alan Lomax, Roswell Rudd, and Victor Grauer. "Cantometrics: an approach to the anthropology of music", Berkeley, Calif.: University of California, Extension Media Center, 1976. and Global Jukebox projects."The Global Jukebox" , Association for Cultural Equity; accessed December 22, 2017.
In the 1960s, Rudd participated in free jazz recordings such as the New York Art Quartet; the soundtrack for the 1964 film New York Eye and Ear Control; the album Communications by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra; and in collaborations with Don Cherry, Larry Coryell, Pharoah Sanders, and Gato Barbieri. Rudd had lifelong friendships with saxophonists Shepp and Lacy and performed and recorded the music of Thelonious Monk with Lacy.Peter Stone. "Roswell Rudd" . Association for Cultural Equity; accessed December 22, 2017.
Rudd and his producer and partner Verna Gillis went to Mali in 2000 and 2001. His album MALIcool (2001) is a cross-cultural collaboration with kora player Toumani Diabaté and other Malian musicians.Kelefa Sanneh (February 18, 2004). "WORLD MUSIC REVIEW; When Cultures' Sounds Don't Match, but Echo", The New York Times; accessed December 22, 2017.
In 2004, Rudd brought his Trombone Shout Band to perform at the 4th Festival au Désert in Essakane, Tombouctou Region, Mali. In 2005, he extended his work further, recording an album with the Mongolian Buryat Band, a traditional music group from Mongolia and Buryatia, entitled Blue Mongol. He also conducted master classes and workshops in the United States and internationally."Mitteleuropean Jazz Academy Roswell Rudd Master Class Meran/o (I)", YouTube; accessed December 22, 2017.
Rudd died of prostate cancer on December 21, 2017, at home in Kerhonkson, New York. His archives were donated to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Awards and honors Nomination: Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance Male and Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Monk's Dream (1999) Trombonist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association (2003–05, 2009–10)Jazz Journalists Association, Jazz Awards -- 2003; Jazzhouse.org, accessed December 22, 2017.Jazz Journalists Association Eighth Annual Jazz Awards - Winners; Jazzhouse.org, accessed December 22, 2017.Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards 2005; Jazzhouse.org, accessed December 22, 2017.Profile, Wn.com; accessed December 22, 2017.JJA Jazz Awards: 2010 Winners, Jazzhouse.org; accessed December 22, 2017. Best Trombonist, Down Beat Critics' Poll (2010); Archive.is, accessed December 22, 2017.
Discography As leader/co-leader Recording dateAlbumLabelYear releasedNotes 1965-11Roswell RuddAmerica Records1971 1966-07EverywhereImpulse!1967 Also released as part of Mixed 1973-07Numatik Swing BandJCOA1973 Live with the Jazz Composer's Orchestra 1974-03Flexible FlyerFreedom1975 Live 1976-03Blown BonePhilips / Emanem1979 1976-05Inside JobFreedom1976 Live 1978-07SharingDischi Della Quercia1978 With Giorgio Gaslini 1979-03The Definitive Roswell RuddHoro1979 Rudd plays all instruments 1982-05RegenerationSoul Note1983 With Steve Lacy, Misha Mengelberg, Kent Carter, Han Bennink 1996-11The Unheard Herbie Nichols, Vol. 1CIMP1997 1996-11The Unheard Herbie Nichols, Vol. 2CIMP1997 1999-06Monk's DreamVerve2000 1999-03 –2000-01Broad StrokesKnitting Factory2000 2000-01Eventuality: The Charlie Kohlhase Quintet Plays the Music of Roswell RuddNada2000 2000-09Live in New YorkVerve2001 Live with Archie Shepp 2001-01MalicoolSunnyside2002 With Toumani Diabaté 2002-01–2004-03Roswell Rudd & Duck Baker: LiveDot Time2021 Live with Duck Baker 2004-08AirwalkersClean Feed2006 With Mark Dresser 2005-10Blue MongolSunnyside2005 2002-06, 2002-07, 2003-01, 2006-05El Espíritu JíbaroSunnyside2007 With Yomo Toro 2008-06Keep Your Heart RightSunnyside2008 2008?El EncuentroMojito2008With David Oquendo 2009?Trombone TribeSunnyside2009 2011?The Incredible HonkSunnyside2011 2013?Trombone for LoversSunnyside2013 2014-07Strength & PowerRareNoiseRecords2016 2016August Love SongRed House2016With Heather Masse 2017?EmbraceRareNoiseRecords2017
As a member Yale University Dixieland Band, Eli's Chosen Six College Jazz: Dixieland (Columbia, 1957) Ivy League Jazz (Golden Crest, 1957)
The New York Art Quartet 1964: New York Art Quartet (ESP-Disk, 1965) 1965: Mohawk (Fontana, 1965) 1965: Old Stuff (Cuneiform, 2010) – Live 1999: 35th Reunion (DIW, 2000) box set: Call It Art (Triple Point, 2013)[5LP] – contains four hours of previously unreleased material and a 150-plus-page coffee-table book
As sideman
With Carla Bley Escalator over the Hill (JCOA, 1971) Dinner Music (Watt, 1976) European Tour 1977 (Watt, 1977) Musique Mecanique (Watt, 1979)
With Elton Dean Rumors of an Incident (Slam, 1996) Newsense (Slam, 1997)
With Archie Shepp Four for Trane (Impulse!, 1964) Archie Shepp Live in San Francisco (Impulse!, 1966) Mama Too Tight (Impulse!, 1967) – rec. 1966 Life at the Donaueschingen Music Festival (SABA, 1968)
With others Buell Neidlinger, Cecil Taylor, New York City R&B (Mosaic, 1961) Gil Evans, Into the Hot (Impulse!, 1962) Steve Lacy, Dennis Charles, Henry Grimes School Days (Hathut, 1963) Robin Kenyatta, Until (Atlantic, 1966) Don Cherry, Albert Ayler, John Tchicai and Gary Peacock, New York Eye and Ear Control (ESP-Disk, 1967) Michael Mantler, The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (JCOA, 1968) Gato Barbieri, The Third World (Flying Dutchman, 1969) Charlie Haden, Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse!, 1971) Marcello Melis and Don Moye, Village on the Left (Soul Note, 1974) Steve Lacy, Beaver Harris, Kent Carter, Trickles (Soul Note, 1975) Hans Dulfer, Arjen Gorter, and Martin van Duynhoven, Maine (Bvhaast, 1976) Marcello Melis and Enrico Rava, Don Moye, Gruppo Rubanu, The New Village on the Left (Black Saint, 1977) Enrico Rava, J.F. JennyClarke and Aldo Romano, Enrico Rava Quartet (ECM, 1978) Sangeeta Michael Berardi, Rashied Ali, Eddie Gomez, Archie Shepp, Divine Song (Sunjump, 1979) V.A., Interpretations of Monk (DIW, 1981) Hal Willner, That's the Way I Feel Now: A tribute to Thelonious Monk (A&M, 1984) Paul Haines, Darn it (American Clave, 1992) Allen Lowe, Dark Was the Night (Music & Arts, 1994) NRBQ and Terry Adams, Wild Weekend (Virgin, 1995) Allen Lowe, Woyzeck's Death (Enja, 1995) Keith Tippett et al., Bladik (Cuneiform, 1996) NRBQ and Terry Adams, Terrible (New World, 1996) Nexus Orchestra, Seize the Time (Splasch, 2002) Dime Grind Palace, Sex Mob (Ropeadope, 2003) one track with Sonic Youth, The Harry Smith Project (Shout! Factory, 2006) Michael Mantler, Concertos (ECM, 2008) – rec. 2007 The Second Approach Trio, The Light (Solyd, 2009)
References
External links Roswell Rudd and Verna Gillis feature, nytimes.com, November 23, 2007. Interview with Roswell Rudd, npr.org, 2002 Discography , Mindspring.com; accessed December 22, 2017.