Danny Jonokuchi - LYDIALIEBMAN.COM

A Decade
Release Date: August 23, 2024
Label: Bandstand Presents

Danny Jonokuchi's newest album A Decade, is a big band album featuring compositions that not only outline the signature flourish of the bandleader’s writing that earned him opportunities writing for Terell Stafford and Dick Oatts, but stands as an autobiographical testament to Jonokuchi’s ability to conquer every imaginable hurdle placed before him.

At its core, A Decade is a story. Jonokuchi, now well-known and beloved for his prowess as a trumpeter, began his career by overcoming a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Born with a congenital lung disease that remained malign through his young childhood, the condition manifested suddenly and aggressively when he was in high school. Already on track to be a powerhouse trumpeter, Jonokuchi was faced with a lung collapse that required surgical intervention. The life-saving surgery worked, but removed part of his lung. This forced a halt on his playing, and likewise forced him to reevaluate and rediscover his relationship with music, before instilling in him a new, indomitable resolve. Like the hero’s journey out of a classic myth cycle, Jonokuchi’s obstacles did not cease there.

In his 20s, Jonokuchi was a victim of random violence in South Philadelphia. The assailant brutally attacked him, leaving him with traumatic injuries to his mouth and permanent scar tissue on his embouchure. The incident, which would have permanently ended the career of many musicians, only further steeled Jonokuchi’s resolve. During the year-long hiatus of natural recovery in which Jonokuchi was unable to play trumpet, he honed his musicianship by digging deeply into composing and arranging, particularly for large ensembles. Finally, the hero’s journey culminated in one final obstacle: moving to New York. Jonokuchi had to relearn to play trumpet, almost from scratch, and decided that if he were to begin again, he may as well do so in New York. Now, ten years after his move to New York, Jonokuchi has risen up the ranks as a powerfully multifaceted musician whose hurdles of the past only acted to make him a greater person and musician. A Decade, then, is a testament to this journey and to his ten years in New York that have brought him to this point.

Musically, this album leaned into the traditions of jazz that have never phased out: swing, blues, and big band. Resting on Jonokuchi’s rock-solid abilities as an arranger, A Decade predominantly comprises jazz standards. The use of these melodies is a form of parallelism to Jonokuchi’s life: like the bandleader, these melodies have endured, adapting and remaining resilient and relevant today. “By arranging these classics, I sought to capture the indelible spirit of the music,” Jonokuchi says. “The energy of the shout choruses and the intimacy of the solos are meant to evoke a sense of joy, reflecting the unbreakable nature of swing and the blues.”

One of the pieces that best embodies the autobiographical elements and perseverance of this album is Jonokuchi’s original composition, “South Philly”. As the title suggests, this piece is directly inspired by the traumatic and life-altering incident to which Jonokuchi was an unfortunate victim. “‘South Philly’ is really about the assault that took away my passion,” Jonokuchi says. “It was incredibly sudden and earth shattering. It showed me how fragile life is and just how easily our path can change.” The album encompasses a broad range of emotion in its narrative, and this is evident on the inclusion of Jonokuchi’s arrangement of the Rodgers & Hart standard, “This Can’t Be Love”. When the world stopped in its tracks in 2020, Jonokuchi capitalized on the cessation to expand his musicality through singing. This arrangement of his vocal performance was originally slated to be on the bandleader’s album Voices (2023), but Jonokuchi decided to keep that spotlight to fully showcase his favorite vocal collaborators in New York, and reserved this arrangement for the big band iteration in which it now appears. In recent years, Jonokuchi learned more about his heroes, and in so doing discovered some of the hardships Wayne Shorter endured during his lifetime. Deeply moved by this knowledge, Jonokuchi felt compelled to honor Shorter’s legacy and arranged his piece, “Ping Pong”. Jonokuchi chose to use Mambo elements in this arrangement not only as a nod to Shorter’s original arrangement, but also to imbue the piece with a sense of tenacity.

A hallmark of every strong big band record is the band itself, and Jonokuchi’s fifth album rises to and far surpasses that standard. With Danny Jonokuchi at its fore as bandleader, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and vocalist, the album goes forth to further boast the presence of trumpeter Terell Stafford as a featured guest on Lionel Hampton’s “Red Top”. The band’s strength is found not only in its guests and leader, but in the foundational musicians atop which its sound is built. The big band for A Decade comprises, varying per track: Robert Edwards, Sara Jacovino, and Jason Jackson (trombones); Reginald Chapman (bass trombone); Nick Marchione (lead trumpet); John Lake, Scott Wendholt, Bruce Harris, Sam Hoyt, James Zollar, and Noah Halpern (trumpets); Andrew Gould, Chris Oatts, and Christopher McBride (alto saxophones); Jon Beshay and Chris Lewis (tenor saxophones); Andrew Gutauskas (baritone saxophone); Jeb Patton (piano); Samuel Harris (bass); Kevin Congleton (drums); and Víctor Pablo (percussion).

With A Decade, Danny Jonokuchi has established himself as more than a writer, more than a trumpeter, and more than a vocalist; he has proven that his is an artist, a poet, a creator capable of wearing his heart on his sleeve and presenting an exhibit filled with a degree of honesty and brilliance that it veritably overflows. As Jonokuchi places before audiences his reflection on his past decade in New York, listeners will be primed and eager for the potential of what will unfold in the next ten years and beyond.

Voices
Release Date: August 18, 2023
Label: Outside in Music

Voices features eleven of the most promising rising jazz vocalists of our time, with each putting their own unexpected and singular spin on newly arranged jazz standards. The album’s first three singles “You Turned The Tables On Me“, “Born to be Blue” and “All Or Nothing At All” are streaming now on all digital platforms.

Danny Jonokuchi first moved to New York City a decade ago, initially developing the concept for Voices upon meeting the seventeen masterful musicians that now populate the incomparable Danny Jonokuchi Big Band, and the eleven vocalists featured prominently on this release. The bandleader longed to create a project that spoke to each musician’s artistry and collaborative abilities. Jonokuchi shares: “Voices serves as a reminder of the magic that unfolds when talented musicians come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts… Without an ounce of exaggeration, Voices is truly my dream album.”

Over the past 10 years, Danny Jonokuchi has cemented his posture as one of the preeminent voices on the trumpet and in modern big band arranging. The 2020 winner of the Count Basie Great American Swing Contest and the 2020 ASCAP Foundation Louis Armstrong Award, Jonokuchi’s well-crafted arrangements have been performed by an eye-popping array of artists ranging from pop icon Lady Gaga to veteran jazz vocalist Catherine Russell, as well as GRAMMY nominated vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, The Duke Ellington Legacy, and The Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band. Owens Jr., who wrote a foreword as part of the album’s liner notes, remarks “Voices is an obvious title for an album featuring some dynamite singers, but Danny and the members of the band have also proven to be the leading voices of their generation. I believe that as he continues with projects like Voices, Danny will continue to create an indelible mark in the jazz world and beyond.”

As an arranger, Jonokuchi is heralded for his ability to uniquely create the perfect sonic canvas over which vocalists can soar, as well as his uncanny ability to write to the strengths of each of the members of the ensemble. A Jonokuchi score has a distinct sound and feel to it that is palpable – and that dynamic, brilliant sound is displayed here in full-force.

Voices offers listeners emotive vocal renditions of standards featuring some of the very finest jazz vocalists on the scene today. The opening track of Voices is a bright, swinging rendition of the Jones & Khan classic “The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else).” The bandleader remarks “The opening track features my oldest collaborator, Alexa Barchini. She is the only musician that has been featured on every album I’ve ever released. It was a no-brainer to make this song the opener—it has a striking uptempo and happy sound, and most people familiar with my music are huge fans of Alexa’s singing.” Brianna Thomas’ show-stopping rendition of “Summertime” is another highlight of Jonokuchi’s musical masterstroke. Thomas’ vocal lines ooze with her soulful refrains. Set as the fourth track on the album, this Gershwin standard is the explosive, grand slam of the record.

Jonokuchi’s bright-tempoed samba arrangement of “What a Difference a Day Made” features jubilant vocals from Alita Moses. The bandleader remarks that his collaboration with Moses has been a long-time coming, exclaiming “Alita Moses and I have been dreaming up a big band collaboration for years but our schedules have never aligned… So when I first heard her sing my version of “What a Difference a Day Made” I’ll admit I got teary-eyed… When I heard her belting this fun samba arrangement was when I felt the project truly came together.” Listeners will enjoy Zuraitis’ sultry vocals on the bandleader’s leisurely arrangement of “Social Call”. Jonokuchi recalls “Nicole Zuraitis’ performance of “Social Call” gives me goosebumps. She gets inside of the arrangement with her flawless execution of the rather angular melody. She stays so true to the original melody that when she embellishes it there’s a profound sense of wonder.”

Voices goes far to bring the classic big band sound into 2023. Jonokuchi strikes the perfect balance of tradition and innovation, and the musicians that can be heard throughout this album’s tracks are whole-heartedly dedicated to creating an ensemble-sound that compliments the vocalist in a masterful way. The bandleader notes “I’m grateful that [the musicians] all contributed their personalities and individual voices to the final product, while taking great care to perfect the intricate details of the arrangements. This is the highest compliment they could have offered me. From the singing, to the improvised solos, to the ensemble passages, each musician infused this album with character. There are no “throw-away” notes and every phrase lifts you to the next. This is only achieved with a level of experience, professionalism, and love of the genre that is staggering.”

The Danny Jonokuchi Big Band features Andrew Gould (Alto Sax, Flute), Christopher McBride (Alto Sax, Flute), Chris Oatts (Alto Sax, Flute), Jon Beshay (Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet), Chris Lewis (Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet), Andrew Gutauskas (Baritone Sax, Flute, Bass Clarinet), trumpeters Nick Marchione (lead trumpet) Sam Hoyt, John Lake, James Zollar, Scott Wendholt, Noah Halpern, Bruce Harris, trombonists Robert Edwards, Sara Jacovino, Jason Jackson, Reginald Chapman (bass trombone), pianist Jeb Patton, bassist Samuel Harris, drummer Kevin Congleton and percussionist Víctor Pablo. The album features special guest vocalists Alexa Barchini, Tahira Clayton, Nicole Zuraitis, Brianna Thomas, Shenel Johns, Alita Moses, Charles Turner, Lucy Yeghiazaryan, Sirintip, Martina DaSilva, Hannah Gill.