Johnny Răducanu
Johnny Răducanu (born December 1, 1931 in Brăila , † September 19, 2011 in Bucharest ) was a Romanian musician of modern jazz ( double bass , piano , arrangement , composition).
Live and act
Răducanu came from a Roma family whose musical tradition can be traced back to the 17th century. He had been taking piano lessons since he was eight and, thanks to his talent, was given an apprenticeship at the music school in his hometown. From 1949 to 1953 he studied at the Conservatory of Cluj bass; He finished his studies at the Conservatory of Bucharest , where he attended the master class of Josef Prunner. During this time he played as a bassist in various bands, with János Kőrössy and in the Electrocord Orchestra (the studio band of the state record label Electrocord). With this orchestra he took part in the World Youth Games in Moscow in 1962 , where he appeared with a trio as early as 1957 and received a gold medal. In 1966 he recorded one of the first Romanian jazz records: Jazz in Trio . In the next few years he also performed in Warsaw and Prague. He belonged to Guido Manusardi's free jazz trio and was involved in the recording of his album Blues For Vali . In 1969, he gave concerts in East Berlin with the Freetet of Richard Oschanitzky . At the jazz festivals of Ploieşti (1969 to 1971) and Sibiu (1974 to 1976) he appeared with various formations and earned a reputation as the best Romanian jazz bassist. He also played with internationally known musicians such as Art Farmer , Slide Hampton and Friedrich Gulda .
In 1977 he switched to the piano and increasingly appeared as a soloist. He also composed for the film (Mușchetarii în vacanță) . In 1984 he was placed under house arrest by the communist regime in Tescani , as his composition "Tescani '84" is reminiscent of. In 1999 he recorded the album "Jazz over the Carpathians - Johnny Raducanu meets Theodora Enache". In 2005 he recorded the solo album Jazz Bestament in Paris .
Răducanu was the President of the Romanian Jazz Federation. He is considered the nestor of Romanian jazz; Duke Ellington called him the Mr. Jazz of Romania. In 2002 he published his autobiography Loneliness… my job (Regent House Printing & Publishing, 2002).
Prizes and awards
1987 Răducanu was made an honorary member of the Louis Armstrong Academy in New Orleans on the occasion of a visit to the USA . In 2005 the Romanian Composers' Association awarded him their Excellence Prize.
Discographic notes
- Jazz in Trio (1966)
- Confessions II (1982)
- Gipsy in Blue (1990)
- Chamber Jazz Music (2008)
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Răducanu, Johnny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Răducanu, Crețu |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Romanian jazz musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 1, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brăila |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 19, 2011 |
| Place of death | Bucharest |