Gregory Charles Royal
Encyclopedia
Gregory Charles Royal is an American
musician, composer, author, and a judge on America's Hot Musician, as well as a plaintiff in a 2009 lawsuit against Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
.
, Royal, a jazz
trombonist
, enjoyed a long career with many top bands and shows. They include the Duke Ellington
Orchestra (1989–1999), Art Blakey
and the Jazz Messengers, Slide Hampton
and his World of Trombones and as onstage trombonist with the Broadway show Five Guys Named Moe
(nominated for two Tony Awards) and Jelly's Last Jam. Royal also authored and acted in It's a Hardbop Life
, the first play to feature an entire cast of jazz musicians, which debuted at the 2004 New York JVC Jazz Festival at the Producers Club Royal Theatre. Royal actually proferred the title of the theater to the owners during that festival. Royal has done major tours in Japan, Europe, Africa and China.
The son of biochemist and microbiologist husband and wife team Gladys W. Royal and George C. Royal
, Royal, who is described by Slide Hampton as "one of the important guys on the horn", grew up in Washington, DC. He received his formal training on the trombone at age 11 in the DC Youth Orchestra Program
while simultaneously playing in the bars and clubs of Washington with Roscoe Bowie's Message Band and Show. He also received principal trombone honors in the First American Festival of Youth Orchestras and was the youngest member (age 15) of the Howard University Jazz Ensemble that also included pianist Geri Allen
. By age 15, Royal, a student at the Duke Ellington School of Arts with future trumpet star Wallace Roney
, was already a seasoned professional. They were both mentored by Art Blakey bassist Lee Otis Mickey Bass
who taught the jazz ensemble at the prestigious arts school.
As a 10th grader, Royal caught the attention of legendary drummer Art Blakey
during Blakey's appearance at Blues Alley in Washington, DC. Blakey invited Royal to live with him in the summer of 1978 at his 45th Street Manhattan apartment and join his band The Jazz Messengers. Royal's association with Blakey was an indoctrination in the New York jazz scene and led to important engagements with the Collective Black Artist's (CBA) Ensemble.
Following engagements with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Village Gate, Village Vanguard and a live radio show at Juniors in Philadelphia, Royal returned to Washington in 1978 to attend Howard University where he eventually earned a Master's degree in Jazz Studies. In 1979,at age 17, he recorded his debut album Dream Come True with pianist Geri Allen
and Clarence Seay
. Royal received honors from the Downbeat Magazine Student Recording Awards, wrote two compositions for two other Downbeat winners and received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study with Slide Hampton in 1982. Royal also received a football and track scholarship to the University of the District of Columbia. Following graduation, Royal taught high school music and played semi-pro football. Royal returned to New York in 1989 after being summoned by the Duke Ellington Orchestra to tour Japan. After leaving the Ellington Orchestra in 2000 Royal headed up a weekly engagement at Birdland in New York called the Art Blakey Jazz Messenger Revue http://www.ny.com/clubs/jazz/ which was the impetus behind It's a Hardbop Life
,.
Royal has recorded as a sideman on several labels including Sony, Music Masters and Verve and has performed on the Arsenio Hall Show on FOX, the Tony Awards on CBS, the Today Show on NBC, and with the Ellington orchestra on PBS and the BBC and the Universal Pictures release Life starring Eddie Murphy. He also wrote and produced the Pick Up 6 Game Show and two pop songs and music videos, Trust the Love You See and Can't Let Love, for the Canadian group Ariel, which charted in Canada for over 20 weeks on RPM Hot 100 and aired on Much Music and the Video Jukebox Network.
His most definitive work to date, as a trombone soloist, can be heard on It's a Hardbop Life Soundtrack-GCR Music Co., Gregory Charles Royal Dream Come True-GCR Music Co (which is being re-issued on the Celeste label), Five Guys Named Moe Broadway Cast Album-Sony, Duke Ellington Orchestra Only God Can Make a Tree-Music Masters and The Howard University Jazz Ensemble Series- Mark Records.
Most recently, Royal has done important work as Artistic Director of American Youth Symphony in Washington, DC who is the producer of America's Hot Musician
, the American Idol-like television program for instrumental musicians http://www.americashotmusician.org which aired on Lifetime Real Women and has released a first season winner's recording with Canadian Idol
finalist Sarah Loverock in October, 2009.
The release entitled The Dreamer, which was written by Royal, was certified Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association CRIA
on November 4, 2009.
America's Hot Musician
aired on Lifetime Real Women
in July 2008 with Royal, National Symphony Orchestra Principal Second Violinist, Marissa Regni and nu-metal bassist, Talena Atfield
as judges, hosted by comedian Vic Christian.
Royal is also currently appearing Off-Off Broadway in It's a Hardbop Life
at the Producers Club in New York City in a open-ended Thursday night engagement with Marvel Comics
Spider Woman Jolynn Carpenter.
Gregory Charles Royal has had feature articles in several publications including the Washington Post (October 6, 1991) and Los Angeles Times (February 11, 1997) is listed in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (Leonard Feather
, Oxford University Press 1999) and is chronicled in the book Art Blakey
: Jazz Messenger (Leslie Gourse Schirmer Books, New York 2002).
failed to issue a proclamation, as required by Alaska law,honoring Juneteenth
in 2007. Royal claims victory in the lawsuit even though it was dismissed on December 28, 2009 for lack of jurisdiction because Palin did in fact issue the proclamation before the dismissal. The court noted in its ruling that that the suit could continue as a state law claim.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician, composer, author, and a judge on America's Hot Musician, as well as a plaintiff in a 2009 lawsuit against Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
.
Biography
Prior to becoming a judge on America's Hot MusicianAmerica's Hot Musician
America's Hot Musician is an American television program which first aired on Lifetime Real Women in July 2008. The show is a reality talent competition which features strictly instrumental solo musicians of varying styles competing for a one year recording contract.In its first season the program...
, Royal, a 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...
trombonist
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, enjoyed a long career with many top bands and shows. They include the Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
Orchestra (1989–1999), Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
and the Jazz Messengers, Slide Hampton
Slide Hampton
Locksley Wellington "Slide" Hampton is an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger.He was a 1998 Grammy Award winner for "Best Jazz Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist", as arranger for "Cotton Tail" performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater...
and his World of Trombones and as onstage trombonist with the Broadway show Five Guys Named Moe
Five Guys Named Moe
Five Guys Named Moe is a musical with a book by Clarke Peters and lyrics and music by Louis Jordan and others. The musical originated in the UK in 1990 at Theatre Royal Stratford East, running for over four years in the West End, and then premiering on Broadway in 1992...
(nominated for two Tony Awards) and Jelly's Last Jam. Royal also authored and acted in It's a Hardbop Life
It's a Hardbop Life
It's a Hardbop Life is the first Off-Broadway play to feature an entire cast of jazz musicians . The play, which was written by trombonist Gregory Charles Royal, was developed from Royal's weekly engagement at Birdland in New York City called The Art Blakey Jazz Messenger Review during 2001 .The...
, the first play to feature an entire cast of jazz musicians, which debuted at the 2004 New York JVC Jazz Festival at the Producers Club Royal Theatre. Royal actually proferred the title of the theater to the owners during that festival. Royal has done major tours in Japan, Europe, Africa and China.
The son of biochemist and microbiologist husband and wife team Gladys W. Royal and George C. Royal
George C. Royal
George Calvin Royal Jr is one of the few remaining first generation African American microbiologists to receive a Ph.D in the United States and from an Ivy League institution, and was part of one of the few African American husband - wife teams in Science with Gladys W. Royal Ph.D. George C...
, Royal, who is described by Slide Hampton as "one of the important guys on the horn", grew up in Washington, DC. He received his formal training on the trombone at age 11 in the DC Youth Orchestra Program
DC Youth Orchestra Program
The DC Youth Orchestra Program is an American instrumental music education program in Washington, D.C. Although it is well known for its Youth Orchestra ensemble, it is a 12-level, curriculum-based music education program that provides instrumental music classes for students throughout the...
while simultaneously playing in the bars and clubs of Washington with Roscoe Bowie's Message Band and Show. He also received principal trombone honors in the First American Festival of Youth Orchestras and was the youngest member (age 15) of the Howard University Jazz Ensemble that also included pianist Geri Allen
Geri Allen
Geri Allen is an American composer/pianist educator jazz pianist, raised in Detroit, Michigan, and educated in the Detroit Public Schools. Allen has worked with many of the greats of modern music, including Ornette Coleman, Ron Carter, Ravi Coltrane, Tony Williams, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette,...
. By age 15, Royal, a student at the Duke Ellington School of Arts with future trumpet star Wallace Roney
Wallace Roney
Wallace Roney is an American hard bop and post-bop trumpeter.Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis from 1985 until the latter's death in 1991...
, was already a seasoned professional. They were both mentored by Art Blakey bassist Lee Otis Mickey Bass
Mickey Bass
Mickey Bass is an American bassist, composer, arranger, and music educator. He was born Lee Odiss Bass III...
who taught the jazz ensemble at the prestigious arts school.
As a 10th grader, Royal caught the attention of legendary drummer Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
during Blakey's appearance at Blues Alley in Washington, DC. Blakey invited Royal to live with him in the summer of 1978 at his 45th Street Manhattan apartment and join his band The Jazz Messengers. Royal's association with Blakey was an indoctrination in the New York jazz scene and led to important engagements with the Collective Black Artist's (CBA) Ensemble.
Following engagements with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Village Gate, Village Vanguard and a live radio show at Juniors in Philadelphia, Royal returned to Washington in 1978 to attend Howard University where he eventually earned a Master's degree in Jazz Studies. In 1979,at age 17, he recorded his debut album Dream Come True with pianist Geri Allen
Geri Allen
Geri Allen is an American composer/pianist educator jazz pianist, raised in Detroit, Michigan, and educated in the Detroit Public Schools. Allen has worked with many of the greats of modern music, including Ornette Coleman, Ron Carter, Ravi Coltrane, Tony Williams, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette,...
and Clarence Seay
Clarence Seay
Clarence Seay is a jazz bassist and composer.He has been an acoustic bassist with the Wallace Roney Quintet for over 15 years...
. Royal received honors from the Downbeat Magazine Student Recording Awards, wrote two compositions for two other Downbeat winners and received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study with Slide Hampton in 1982. Royal also received a football and track scholarship to the University of the District of Columbia. Following graduation, Royal taught high school music and played semi-pro football. Royal returned to New York in 1989 after being summoned by the Duke Ellington Orchestra to tour Japan. After leaving the Ellington Orchestra in 2000 Royal headed up a weekly engagement at Birdland in New York called the Art Blakey Jazz Messenger Revue http://www.ny.com/clubs/jazz/ which was the impetus behind It's a Hardbop Life
It's a Hardbop Life
It's a Hardbop Life is the first Off-Broadway play to feature an entire cast of jazz musicians . The play, which was written by trombonist Gregory Charles Royal, was developed from Royal's weekly engagement at Birdland in New York City called The Art Blakey Jazz Messenger Review during 2001 .The...
,.
Royal has recorded as a sideman on several labels including Sony, Music Masters and Verve and has performed on the Arsenio Hall Show on FOX, the Tony Awards on CBS, the Today Show on NBC, and with the Ellington orchestra on PBS and the BBC and the Universal Pictures release Life starring Eddie Murphy. He also wrote and produced the Pick Up 6 Game Show and two pop songs and music videos, Trust the Love You See and Can't Let Love, for the Canadian group Ariel, which charted in Canada for over 20 weeks on RPM Hot 100 and aired on Much Music and the Video Jukebox Network.
His most definitive work to date, as a trombone soloist, can be heard on It's a Hardbop Life Soundtrack-GCR Music Co., Gregory Charles Royal Dream Come True-GCR Music Co (which is being re-issued on the Celeste label), Five Guys Named Moe Broadway Cast Album-Sony, Duke Ellington Orchestra Only God Can Make a Tree-Music Masters and The Howard University Jazz Ensemble Series- Mark Records.
Most recently, Royal has done important work as Artistic Director of American Youth Symphony in Washington, DC who is the producer of America's Hot Musician
America's Hot Musician
America's Hot Musician is an American television program which first aired on Lifetime Real Women in July 2008. The show is a reality talent competition which features strictly instrumental solo musicians of varying styles competing for a one year recording contract.In its first season the program...
, the American Idol-like television program for instrumental musicians http://www.americashotmusician.org which aired on Lifetime Real Women and has released a first season winner's recording with Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
finalist Sarah Loverock in October, 2009.
The release entitled The Dreamer, which was written by Royal, was certified Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association CRIA
Cria
A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically...
on November 4, 2009.
America's Hot Musician
America's Hot Musician
America's Hot Musician is an American television program which first aired on Lifetime Real Women in July 2008. The show is a reality talent competition which features strictly instrumental solo musicians of varying styles competing for a one year recording contract.In its first season the program...
aired on Lifetime Real Women
Lifetime Real Women
Lifetime Real Women is a digital cable channel that is the sister network to Lifetime. It was launched in August 2001 and is available in over 10 million homes via digital cable...
in July 2008 with Royal, National Symphony Orchestra Principal Second Violinist, Marissa Regni and nu-metal bassist, Talena Atfield
Talena Atfield
-External links:* *...
as judges, hosted by comedian Vic Christian.
Royal is also currently appearing Off-Off Broadway in It's a Hardbop Life
It's a Hardbop Life
It's a Hardbop Life is the first Off-Broadway play to feature an entire cast of jazz musicians . The play, which was written by trombonist Gregory Charles Royal, was developed from Royal's weekly engagement at Birdland in New York City called The Art Blakey Jazz Messenger Review during 2001 .The...
at the Producers Club in New York City in a open-ended Thursday night engagement with Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Spider Woman Jolynn Carpenter.
Gregory Charles Royal has had feature articles in several publications including the Washington Post (October 6, 1991) and Los Angeles Times (February 11, 1997) is listed in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (Leonard Feather
Leonard Feather
Leonard Geoffrey Feather was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.-Biography:...
, Oxford University Press 1999) and is chronicled in the book Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
: Jazz Messenger (Leslie Gourse Schirmer Books, New York 2002).
Sarah Palin lawsuit
Royal is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging that Alaska Governor Sarah PalinSarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
failed to issue a proclamation, as required by Alaska law,honoring Juneteenth
Juneteenth
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States honoring African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. State of Texas in 1865...
in 2007. Royal claims victory in the lawsuit even though it was dismissed on December 28, 2009 for lack of jurisdiction because Palin did in fact issue the proclamation before the dismissal. The court noted in its ruling that that the suit could continue as a state law claim.