James E. Pugh

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James E. Pugh

James Edward "Jim" Pugh (born November 12, 1950 in Camden , New Jersey ) is an American jazz musician ( trombone , composition ).

Live and act

Pugh, who grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania , began learning the piano at the age of five before turning to the trombone at age ten. He received lessons from Matty Shiner from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and from 1968 he studied at the Eastman School of Music with Emory Remington, Donald Knaub, Chuck Mangione and Ray Wright. After graduation, Pugh toured with Woody Hermans Thundering Herd (1972-1976) before joining Chick Corea's fusion band Return to Forever in 1977/78 .

Pugh then freelanced as a trombonist in New York City for 25 years; he can be heard on albums by Yusef Lateef , George Benson , Joe Lovano , Barbara Cook , Jay Leonhart and Carla Bley . With his own big band he recorded the album Cristal Eyes in 1981 . In 1984 he co-directed The Pugh-Taylor Project (which released two albums) with bass trombonist Dave Taylor . Further albums under his own name followed.

As a studio musician, Pugh has worked for Yo-Yo Ma , Steely Dan , Orchestra of St. Luke’s , André Previn , Paul Simon , Barbra Streisand , Tony Bennett , Michael Jackson , Madonna , Pink Floyd and Frank Sinatra . In 2003 he performed Nathaniel Shilkret's Concerto for Trombone at Carnegie Hall . He can also be heard on the records of the musicals City of Angels , Fosse and Victor / Victoria . In recent years he toured with the fusion band Steely Dan . He is a founding member of the Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble , which also interpreted the music by himself and Daniel Schnyder .

Pugh composed for film, television and radio (such as the theme tune for the radio program Performance Today ). His composition Lunch with Schrödinger's Cat was premiered in 1989 by Marin Alsop and the Concordia Chamber Orchestra at Lincoln Center . He performed his Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra in 1992 as a soloist with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra. The New York premiere took place in March 2000 with Joseph Alessi as soloist and Leonard Slatkin as conductor of the New York Philharmonic . The Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble recorded Pugh's compositions on his Signum album Scenes of Spirits .

Pugh has taught jazz trombone as a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 2005 .

Prizes and awards

Pugh is the only trombonist to receive a Virtuoso Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Science . In 2008 National Public Radio named his album X over Trombone one of the 2008 Best Classic CDs.

Discographic notes

  • 1981: Crystal Eyes (Pewter)
  • 1984: The Pugh / Taylor Project (DMP Digital Music Products)
  • 2001: Pugh Mosso
  • 2002: E'nJ Legend and Lion with Eijiro Nakagawa
  • 2004: Echano
  • 2004: E2'nJ2 (TNC, with Eijiro Nakagawa)
  • 2006: E'nJ Just Us
  • 2007: X Over Trombone (Albany)
  • 2007: Holly and the Ivy
  • 2012: The Devil's Hopyard (Jazzmaniac)
  • 2012: Pugh Taylor II (Pewter)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Meeting (AllAboutJazz)
  2. ↑ X Over Trombone at Allmusic (English)
personal data
SURNAME Pugh, James E.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pugh, Jim; Pugh, James Edward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician (trombone, composition)
DATE OF BIRTH November 12, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH Camden , New Jersey