Johnny Raducanu
Encyclopedia
Johnny Răducanu was a Romania
n jazz
pianist of Romani ethnic background, whose family has a long musical tradition dating back to the 17th century.
He was born in Brăila
and started playing the double bass
at the age of 19 before switching to piano. During his musical career, some of his many collaborations outside Romania were those with Art Farmer
(trumpet
) and Slide Hampton
(trombone
), and Friedrich Gulda
(piano). In 1987, Răducanu received an honorary membership in the Louis Armstrong
Academy in New Orleans. He was the founder of the Romanian Jazz school, and during a musical career spanning over half a century, he discovered, nurtured and trained several generations of Romanian jazz musicians. Leonard Feather
called him "Mr. Jazz of Romania". He was the President of the Romanian Jazz Federation. Răducanu was married to Geta Costin from 1962-70.
Răducanu died at his apartment in the Banu Manta section of Bucharest
and is interred in a local cemetery in Cernica
, Ilfov County
, close to the capital.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n 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...
pianist of Romani ethnic background, whose family has a long musical tradition dating back to the 17th century.
He was born in Brăila
Braila
Brăila is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County, in the close vicinity of Galaţi.According to the 2002 Romanian census there were 216,292 people living within the city of Brăila, making it the 10th most populous city in Romania.-History:A...
and started playing the double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
at the age of 19 before switching to piano. During his musical career, some of his many collaborations outside Romania were those with Art Farmer
Art Farmer
Arthur Stewart "Art" Farmer was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet/flugelhorn combination designed for him by David Monette. His identical twin brother, Addison Farmer Arthur Stewart "Art" Farmer (August 21, 1928, Council Bluffs, Iowa –...
(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...
) and 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...
(trombone
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...
), and Friedrich Gulda
Friedrich Gulda
Friedrich Gulda was an Austrian pianist and composer who worked in both the classical and jazz fields.Born in Vienna as the son of a teacher, Gulda began learning to play the piano from Felix Pazofsky at the Wiener Volkskonservatorium, aged 7...
(piano). In 1987, Răducanu received an honorary membership in the Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
Academy in New Orleans. He was the founder of the Romanian Jazz school, and during a musical career spanning over half a century, he discovered, nurtured and trained several generations of Romanian jazz musicians. 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:...
called him "Mr. Jazz of Romania". He was the President of the Romanian Jazz Federation. Răducanu was married to Geta Costin from 1962-70.
Răducanu died at his apartment in the Banu Manta section of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and is interred in a local cemetery in Cernica
Cernica
Cernica is a commune in the southeast part of Ilfov County, Romania, with a population of 9,425 as of 2002. It is composed of five villages: Bălăceanca, Căldăraru, Cernica, Poşta and Tânganu, several villages on the bank of lake Cernica...
, Ilfov County
Ilfov County
Ilfov is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest...
, close to the capital.
Discography
- Jazz trio – Seria jazz nr. 4 (Electrecord, 1966)
- Jazz în țara mea (Jazz in my country) (Electrecord, 1967)
- Confesiuni (Electrecord, 1979)
- Confesiuni II (Electrecord, 1982)
- Confesiuni III – Seria jazz nr. 21 (Electrecord, 1986)
- Jazz Made in Romania (Electrecord, 1987)
- To His Friends (Alpha Publishing, 1996)
- Jazz Behind the Carpathians (Green Records, 1999)
- Jazz over the Carpathians - Johnny Raducanu meets Theodora Enache (1999)
- Jazz antifanariot (Anastasia, 2002)
- Jazz Made in Romania - Live in San Francisco (Mediaround Inc./Intercont Music, 2002)
- Jazz Bestament (Tescani Productions, 2005)
- Chamber Jazz Music (Soft Productions, 2008)
- Inside Stories - Jazz Poems (Tvr Media, 2009)