Dominick Farinacci
Encyclopedia
Dominick Farinacci is an American
jazz
trumpeter, composer, and big band
leader, is currently signed to major label E1 Music. Farinacci was one of 18 artists worldwide invited to be a part of the inaugural class of the Jazz Studies Program at The Juilliard. Farinacci is known for winning the "International New Star Award", Disneys "New Star Award", and topping the charts as one of Japan's #1 jazz musicians.
, and began playing trumpet
in sixth grade at age eleven in Solon,Ohio. When asked why he picked the trumpet to play, Dominick said, "I really wanted to play drums like my uncle, who was a professional drummer in Cleveland. So my aunt bought me a set of drums and my uncle assembled them for me, but I failed the drum auditions for the band! And the director said he really needed trumpet players, and asked if I would give that instrument a try." Shortly after he began playing trumpet, Dominick started to listen to many trumpet players, including Louis Armstrong and Harry James. "I remember hearing a recording of Louis Armstrong
playing A Kiss to Build a Dream On and wanting to sound just like him. Harry James' You Made Me Love You had a similar effect on me, so I learned their interpretations by ear, and tried to make my sound like their sound."
He joined a Saturday music program at Tri-C Community College in Cleveland, which taught him more about playing in big bands, small groups, improvisation, and music theory. He put a band together with some of his friends and mentors in Cleveland and began dropping off demo recordings to local club owners. By eighth grade he had a few steady gigs around town with his own band, and listeners soon became aware of his abilities. "Playing gigs around town allowed me to start hanging out with many of the older musician - some of whom were my teachers in the Saturday program - and they started to see that I was really serious about playing.".
Soon, Dominick was working five to six nights a week in the local jazz clubs with his own group, and as a sideman with some of the older musicians in town. As word spread of his talent, he auditioned for the High School Grammy Awards All-Star Big Band in California, and was accepted. Here he met other young musicians from around the country who had similar musical passions, and had an opportunity to play at the Grammy Awards After-party. He was selected to participate in this prestigious band for three consecutive years. He also attended the Berklee College of Music
Summer Jazz Program, and was offered a full-tuition scholarship to attend Berklee after he graduated from high school. At age 16 he received the prestigious Yamaha Young Performing Artist Award, which provided him an opportunity to play a solo piece at the University of Illinois for a crowd of more than 2,000 people. He was also selected to perform with the Monterey High School All-star Big Band on a summer tour throughout Japan in 1999.
At 17, Dominick performed at the Tri-C Jazzfest in Cleveland, opening for Wynton Marsalis and his big band. Wynton was informed by one of his band members about Dominick's playing, and he invited Dominick backstage to play for him after his concert. Wynton was very supportive of Dominick, and a few months later, invited him to New York to perform as a special guest with him on a live PBS broadcast, Live From Lincoln Center: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong
. It was during this time that Dominick heard about a brand new jazz program that was being initiated at The Juilliard School. He auditioned for the program and was accepted on a full four year scholarship, and was one of only eighteen musicians selected worldwide to be in the inaugural class of the Juilliard Jazz Program.
In September 2001, Dominick moved to New York to attend Juilliard. Within the first two months of school, Wynton invited Dominick to be featured in a concert at Lincoln Center; a tribute to two of his favorite trumpet players, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan: Night of the Cookers. Here Dominick met the producer of the event, Todd Barkan, who really loved his playing. In March 2002, Dominick received a phone call from Todd with an offer to record as a leader for the Japanese label, M&I Records. In April 2002 he recorded his debut record for Japan, Manhattan Dreams, which featured pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Chip Jackson, and drummer Joe Farnsworth... and he would go on to record a total of six records for M&I. So, by the time he graduated from Juilliard, he had received the two aforementioned Gold Disc Awards, the International New Star Award, had won first place in the ITG Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition, and had traveled to Japan to promote his records eight separate times.
Upon graduating from Juilliard, Dominick signed with The Jazz Tree, a well-known management company in New York City whose roster of past clients over the years has included Diana Krall
, Joshua Redman
, Christian McBride
, Freddie Hubbard
and J.J. Johnson
, among distinguished others. In 2006 Dominick was featured at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on Dee Dee Bridgewater's JazzSet for NPR, as well as at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. He was a member of Miles to Miles, a band led by Jason Miles, and was featured on various recordings Jason produced: What's Going On: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye
, and 2 Grover With Love: a Tribute to Grover Washington Jr. He also performed and recorded with saxophonist Joe Lovano in 2007. In 2008 Dominick debuted his own band at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Detroit International Jazz Festival, and the Tri-C JazzFest. He toured Korea and Japan with a Juilliard faculty and alumni quintet, and signed his first major USA recording contract with KOCH Records (E1 Music).
heard him play in Cleveland and invited Dominick to New York City
to perform with him on a special PBS broadcast "Live from Lincoln Center." Shortly after that Dominick was one of 18 artists worldwide invited to be a part of the inaugural class of the Jazz Studies Program at The Juilliard School
.
While attending Juilliard, Dominick balanced his studies with his professional career, signing a major record contract with a Japanese record label that sky-rocketed his career throughout Japan. His CDs placed number 1 on the jazz charts in Japan and garnered him the "International New Star Award," an honor previously awarded to Diana Krall
. While enjoying success abroad, here in America he was awarded 1st place honors in the Carmine Caruso International Trumpet Competition, was awarded from Disney the "New Star Award," and has continued to make a name for himself touring the country headlining the major clubs and festivals.]].
Recently he has opened for British rock stars Jamie Cullum
and Jeff Beck
at the famed O2 in London
, has gained recognition from none other than Quincy Jones
who says of Dominick "this kid is 360 degree!", and has performed at Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra. Last February he released his US debut CD "Lovers, Tales & Dances," E1 Music collaborating with the legendary producer Russ Titleman, who has produced hits for Eric Clapton
, James Taylor
and many others. He will release his 2nd US CD on May 31, 2011, "Twilight Blue."]].
Release 2/24/2009,"koche Records" [E1 Music]
Tracklisting
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpeter, composer, and big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
leader, is currently signed to major label E1 Music. Farinacci was one of 18 artists worldwide invited to be a part of the inaugural class of the Jazz Studies Program at The Juilliard. Farinacci is known for winning the "International New Star Award", Disneys "New Star Award", and topping the charts as one of Japan's #1 jazz musicians.
Overview
Dominick is from Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, and began playing trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
in sixth grade at age eleven in Solon,Ohio. When asked why he picked the trumpet to play, Dominick said, "I really wanted to play drums like my uncle, who was a professional drummer in Cleveland. So my aunt bought me a set of drums and my uncle assembled them for me, but I failed the drum auditions for the band! And the director said he really needed trumpet players, and asked if I would give that instrument a try." Shortly after he began playing trumpet, Dominick started to listen to many trumpet players, including Louis Armstrong and Harry James. "I remember hearing a recording of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
playing A Kiss to Build a Dream On and wanting to sound just like him. Harry James' You Made Me Love You had a similar effect on me, so I learned their interpretations by ear, and tried to make my sound like their sound."
He joined a Saturday music program at Tri-C Community College in Cleveland, which taught him more about playing in big bands, small groups, improvisation, and music theory. He put a band together with some of his friends and mentors in Cleveland and began dropping off demo recordings to local club owners. By eighth grade he had a few steady gigs around town with his own band, and listeners soon became aware of his abilities. "Playing gigs around town allowed me to start hanging out with many of the older musician - some of whom were my teachers in the Saturday program - and they started to see that I was really serious about playing.".
Soon, Dominick was working five to six nights a week in the local jazz clubs with his own group, and as a sideman with some of the older musicians in town. As word spread of his talent, he auditioned for the High School Grammy Awards All-Star Big Band in California, and was accepted. Here he met other young musicians from around the country who had similar musical passions, and had an opportunity to play at the Grammy Awards After-party. He was selected to participate in this prestigious band for three consecutive years. He also attended the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
Summer Jazz Program, and was offered a full-tuition scholarship to attend Berklee after he graduated from high school. At age 16 he received the prestigious Yamaha Young Performing Artist Award, which provided him an opportunity to play a solo piece at the University of Illinois for a crowd of more than 2,000 people. He was also selected to perform with the Monterey High School All-star Big Band on a summer tour throughout Japan in 1999.
At 17, Dominick performed at the Tri-C Jazzfest in Cleveland, opening for Wynton Marsalis and his big band. Wynton was informed by one of his band members about Dominick's playing, and he invited Dominick backstage to play for him after his concert. Wynton was very supportive of Dominick, and a few months later, invited him to New York to perform as a special guest with him on a live PBS broadcast, Live From Lincoln Center: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
. It was during this time that Dominick heard about a brand new jazz program that was being initiated at The Juilliard School. He auditioned for the program and was accepted on a full four year scholarship, and was one of only eighteen musicians selected worldwide to be in the inaugural class of the Juilliard Jazz Program.
In September 2001, Dominick moved to New York to attend Juilliard. Within the first two months of school, Wynton invited Dominick to be featured in a concert at Lincoln Center; a tribute to two of his favorite trumpet players, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan: Night of the Cookers. Here Dominick met the producer of the event, Todd Barkan, who really loved his playing. In March 2002, Dominick received a phone call from Todd with an offer to record as a leader for the Japanese label, M&I Records. In April 2002 he recorded his debut record for Japan, Manhattan Dreams, which featured pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Chip Jackson, and drummer Joe Farnsworth... and he would go on to record a total of six records for M&I. So, by the time he graduated from Juilliard, he had received the two aforementioned Gold Disc Awards, the International New Star Award, had won first place in the ITG Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition, and had traveled to Japan to promote his records eight separate times.
Upon graduating from Juilliard, Dominick signed with The Jazz Tree, a well-known management company in New York City whose roster of past clients over the years has included Diana Krall
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
, Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.-Biography:...
, Christian McBride
Christian McBride
Christian McBride is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors...
, Freddie Hubbard
Freddie Hubbard
Frederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
and J.J. Johnson
J.J. Johnson
J. J. Johnson was a United States jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. He was sometimes credited as Jay Jay Johnson....
, among distinguished others. In 2006 Dominick was featured at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on Dee Dee Bridgewater's JazzSet for NPR, as well as at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. He was a member of Miles to Miles, a band led by Jason Miles, and was featured on various recordings Jason produced: What's Going On: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, and 2 Grover With Love: a Tribute to Grover Washington Jr. He also performed and recorded with saxophonist Joe Lovano in 2007. In 2008 Dominick debuted his own band at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Detroit International Jazz Festival, and the Tri-C JazzFest. He toured Korea and Japan with a Juilliard faculty and alumni quintet, and signed his first major USA recording contract with KOCH Records (E1 Music).
Career
Cleveland native Dominick Farinacci has had a tremendous amount of success both nationally and worldwide. When he was only 17 years old, Wynton MarsalisWynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
heard him play in Cleveland and invited Dominick to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to perform with him on a special PBS broadcast "Live from Lincoln Center." Shortly after that Dominick was one of 18 artists worldwide invited to be a part of the inaugural class of the Jazz Studies Program at The Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
.
While attending Juilliard, Dominick balanced his studies with his professional career, signing a major record contract with a Japanese record label that sky-rocketed his career throughout Japan. His CDs placed number 1 on the jazz charts in Japan and garnered him the "International New Star Award," an honor previously awarded to Diana Krall
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
. While enjoying success abroad, here in America he was awarded 1st place honors in the Carmine Caruso International Trumpet Competition, was awarded from Disney the "New Star Award," and has continued to make a name for himself touring the country headlining the major clubs and festivals.]].
Recently he has opened for British rock stars Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...
and Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
at the famed O2 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, has gained recognition from none other than Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
who says of Dominick "this kid is 360 degree!", and has performed at Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra. Last February he released his US debut CD "Lovers, Tales & Dances," E1 Music collaborating with the legendary producer Russ Titleman, who has produced hits for Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
and many others. He will release his 2nd US CD on May 31, 2011, "Twilight Blue."]].
Honors
Dominick has won various awards over the years in the United States and in Japan. Having previously recorded six albums as a leader on Japan's M&I label, he received Gold Disc awards for two of those recordings from Swing Journal Magazine: Say It and Besame Mucho. In 2003 he received the International New Star Award in Japan, an honor previously awarded to Diana Krall and Christian McBride. Many of his Japanese releases have placed #1 on the Swing Journal Jazz Charts. In the United States, Dominick was the recipient of the ITG Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition in 2003. Over the years he has performed and/or recorded with many high-profile jazz artists such as Joe Lovano, Wynton Marsalis, Ira Sullivan, Mulgrew Miller, Carl Allen, Jason Miles, and Joe LaBarbera.]].Releases
Lovers, Tales and DancesRelease 2/24/2009,"koche Records" [E1 Music]
Tracklisting
- .Don't Explain
- Libertango
- Estate
- Visioni
- Ne me Quitte Pas
- E Lucevan e Stelle
- Erghan Diado (Song of Shopsko)
- Silent Cry
- Love Dance
- Bibo Na Aozoro
- Lonely Woman
- Theme from The Pawnbroker
- Ponyo (Japan bonus track)
External links
- Official Website http://www.dominickfarinacci.com/index.html
- E1 music Biography http://www.eonejazzworld.com/artists/dominick-farinacci/dominick-farinacci-video/viewvideo/138/dominick-farinacci/dominick-farinacci-qlovers-tales-a-dances-epk
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105578576
- Last fm http://www.last.fm/music/Dominick+Farinacci
- Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OBBRNI
- Cd Universe http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Dominick+Farinacci/a/albums.htm
- All Music http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dominick-farinacci-p680798