Essentially Ellington

Known to most for his work with Richard Bona and the Mingus Big Band, TATUM GREENBLATT has established himself as one of the most versatile and in-demand trumpet players on the New York City scene. He can currently be heard nightly on Broadway in the orchestra for the Tony Award-winning show “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.” Greenblatt serves on faculty at The Juilliard School and Rutgers University and is associate director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra. Named by Wynton Marsalis as one of his favorite up-and-coming young trumpeters, Greenblatt has performed with Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, as well as Blood Sweat & Tears, Rene Marie, Maria Schneider, Roy Hargrove’s Big Band, Dr. John, George Gruntz, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Reggie Workman, Orrin Evans and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, among many others. Having earned his master’s degree from The Juilliard School, Greenblatt has spent more than five years touring worldwide with the Richard Bona Group and Mingus Bands, performing in more than 60 countries on 6 continents, and can be heard frequently around New York City with such groups as the Mingus Big Band, George Gee Swing Orchestra, the Fat Cat Big Band, Birdland Big Band and Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra. Greenblatt has also appeared on dozens of recordings with a wide variety of artists, including the Captain Black Big Band, George Gruntz, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Grizzly Bear’s Shields, and the soundtrack to the motion picture “The Longest Week,” for which he also co-composed the main theme. His latest album “Imprints” his third as a leader, was released to critical acclaim in March 2012, earning a Critic’s Pick from DownBeat Magazine. Greenblatt also appeared in the 2011 film New Year’s Eve directed by Garry Marshall as a member of Jon Bon Jovi’s band.

Alongside his career as a performer, Greenblatt believes very strongly in the importance of music education, and over the course of more than a decade he has served in a wide variety of educational roles. In addition to the positions he currently holds at Juilliard, Rutgers, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Greenblatt has performed numerous big band workshops and clinics at Jazz at Lincoln Center for visiting high schools, as well as adjudicating Regional Essentially Ellington Competitions all over the United States. With the Mingus Big Band, he has served in residency at the University of Vermont, led clinics at the Mingus High School Competition, and conducted a brass workshop at the Reno Jazz Festival and Competition. Under his own name, Greenblatt has performed presented clinics and workshops at numerous schools, including Rutgers University, Newark Academy, Foxboro High School, Roosevelt High School, and taught ensembles at The New School and Temple University. A private instructor for more than fifteen years for trumpet players of all levels, Greenblatt’s students have been accepted at such prestigious institutions as Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and The New School. He also spent five years in the classroom with Midori and Friends, teaching music fundamentals to inner-city high school students in Manhattan.

Visit www.tatumgreenblatt.com to learn more.

Saxophonist JULIUS TOLENTINO has been in the New York jazz scene for 20 years. As a Vandoren, P Mauriat and RS Berklee artist he has conducted region jazz bands and has been a guest artist/clinician for numerous summer jazz programs. He has served as NJAJE Region I President from 2009 to 2011 and was the director of large ensembles at Jazz House Kids from 2010 to 2017. He is the director of the Middle School Jazz Academy in Manhattan at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is currently the jazz director at Newark Academy where he conducts five jazz ensembles.

Visit www.jtolemusic.com to learn more.