Gerard Presencer (born 12 September 1972) is an English

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

trumpeter.

Biography

Presencer showed his first interest in what was to become his chosen instrument, the trumpet, at nine. He attributes his early determination to become a trumpeter to hearing

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from ...

's solo from a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert. He has cited Dizzy Gillespie,

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording on John Coltrane's '' Blue Train'' (1 ...

, Freddie Hubbard,

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active i ...

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

, and Clifford Brown as early influences. When he was eleven, he became the youngest trumpeter with the

National Youth Jazz Orchestra The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is a British jazz orchestra founded in 1965 by Bill Ashton. In 2010. Mark Armstrong took over as Music Director of the flagship performing band, and Artistic Director of the organisation; Bill Ashton becam ...

. At the age of 18, he began playing with pianist

Stan Tracey Stanley William Tracey (30 December 1926 – 6 December 2013) was a British jazz pianist and composer, whose most important influences were Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Tracey's best known recording is the 1965 album '' Jazz Suite Inspi ...

, in his big band, octet, septet, and in duo, playing a live concert at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, later released on Blue Note Records. Presencer worked with British musicians Peter King,

John Dankworth Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (20 September 1927 – 6 February 2010), also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he ...

, John Taylor,

Ronnie Scott Ronnie may refer to: * Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name * "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe *"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load'' *Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadiu ...

Norma Winstone Norma Ann Winstone MBE (born 23 September 1941) is an English jazz singer and lyricist. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is best known for her wordless improvisations. Musicians with whom she has worked include Michael Garrick, ...

, and Mike Gibbs, as well as with international musicians, including

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

, Chris Potter, Mark Turner,

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (, 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son of ...

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was born on No ...

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, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, John Abercrombie, and

Bob Berg Robert Berg (April 7, 1951 – December 5, 2002) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Berg was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Berg started his musical education at the age of six when he began studying classical piano. He beg ...

. He is a member of Charlie Watts' various jazz groups, with which he has recorded five albums, and was a featured soloist on US3's '' Cantaloop'', Blue Note's biggest-selling album of the 1990s. He has also released albums as a band leader. In January 2010, Presencer was as a soloist with the Danish Radio Big Band for the opening of the Danish National Concert Hall. Later the same year he became a regular member of the big band and moved to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

Other genres

Presencer has collaborated frequently with contemporary classical music composer Siobhan Lamb as an improvising soloist. Two albums were released in 2012 by the Naxos label Proprius: ''Meditations'' and ''The Nightingale and the Rose''. As a session musician, he has recorded with Sting,

Jamiroquai Jamiroquai () are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...

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, James Brown,

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, Joni Mitchell, and Jonny Greenwood. He is the featured soloist on the 2011 BAFTA Award-winning score for the computer game

L.A. Noire ''L.A. Noire'' is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, the game follows detective Cole Phelps's rise among the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department as he so ...

, which features Mark Turner, John Taylor, David Freidman, Jeff Ballard, and

Larry Grenadier Larry Grenadier (born February 6, 1966 in San Francisco) is an American jazz double bassist. Early life Grenadier's father, Albert, was a trumpet player, and his two brothers, Phil and Steve, play trumpet and guitar, respectively. Grenadier be ...

Teaching

Presencer was the Head of the Jazz Department at the Royal Academy of Music from 1999 until 2010 and was Head of the Brass Department at The Jazz Institute, Berlin from 1999 to 2016. He has given workshops in European jazz conservatories (including Amsterdam, Helsinki and Copenhagen). In 2015, his book about the technical requirements of trumpet playing in improvised music was released by Warwick Music.

Discography

As leader

* ''Platypus'' (Linn, 1998) * ''The Optimist'' (Linn, 2000) * ''Dreams'' with Tony Coe (Zephyr, 2001) * ''Chasing Reality'' (ACT, 2003) * ''Groove Travels'' with Danish Radio Big Band (

Edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...

, 2016)

As sideman

With

the Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies is an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing in west London. Centered around songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy, the core members of the group since its founding, Brand New He ...

* ''Brother Sister'' (FFRR, 1994) * ''Original Flava'' (Acid Jazz, 1994) * ''Shelter'' (Delicious Vinyl, 1997) With

* ''Live at the QEH'' (Blue Note, 1994) * ''For Heaven's Sake'' (Cadillac, 1996) * ''The Durham Connection'' (33 Records, 1999) With Charlie Watts * ''From One Charlie'' (UFO, 1991) * ''Warm & Tender'' (Continuum, 1993) * ''Long Ago & Far Away'' (Pointblank, 1996) * ''Watts at Scott's'' (Black Box, 2004) * ''Charlie Watts Meets the Danish Radio Big Band'' (Impulse!, 2017) With others *

Charly Antolini Charly Antolini (born 24 May 1937) is a Swiss jazz drummer. Career Born in Zürich, Antolini started playing the traditional Swiss Basler drum. In 1956, he went to Paris, where he played with Sidney Bechet and Bill Coleman. He joined the Tre ...

, ''Recorded at the BBC Studio London'' (Bell, 1991) * Thilo Berg, ''Live Blues for Ella'' (Mons, 1993) *

Matt Bianco Matt Bianco are a British band that were formed in 1983. They are mainly known for their success in the mid-1980s and their jazz, Latin-flavoured music. The group's name suggests that Matt Bianco is a person, often assumed to be an alias for th ...

, ''Gran Via'' (RTI Music, 1995) * Matt Bianco, ''Lost in You'' (Catch, 1995) *

Naimee Coleman Naimee Coleman (born 8 December 1976) is an Irish singer/songwriter from Dundrum, Dublin, Ireland. Coleman began writing music at the age of 14 and won the 2FM Song Contest in 1994 as a member of a band named the Wilde Oscars. After signing wit ...

, ''Silver Wrists'' (Chrysalis, 1996) *

Laurence Cottle Laurence Cottle (born 16 December 1961) is a Welsh bass guitarist and composer. Career His solo recordings have been mostly in jazz and jazz fusion. He was a member of the fusion quartet The Fents and appeared on their second album, ''The Ot ...

, ''The Art of Jazz'' (KPM Music, 1993) * Laurence Cottle, ''The Laurence Cottle Quintet Live!'' (Jazzizit, 1995) *

Alec Dankworth Alexander William Tamba Dankworth (born 14 May 1960) is an English jazz bassist and composer. Biography Born in London, the son of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, Alec Dankworth grew up in the villages of Aspley Guise and Wavendon, living at ...

, ''Nebuchadnezzar'' (Jazz House, 1994) * Alec Dankworth & John Dankworth, ''Rhythm Changes'' (Jazz House, 1995) * Gabrielle, ''

Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...

'' (Universal, 1999) * Joe Gallivan, ''Innocence'' (Cadence, 1992) *

Tim Garland Tim Garland (born 19 October 1966) is a British jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His compositions draw from modern jazz and classical concert music. Career Garland was born in Ilford, Essex and grew up in Canterbury, Kent. He starte ...

, ''Made by Walking'' (Stretch, 2000) * Tim Garland, ''Return to the Fire'' (Edition, 2015) *

Stephane Grappelli Stephane may refer to: * Stéphane, a French given name * Stephane (Ancient Greece), a vestment in ancient Greece * Stephane (Paphlagonia) Stephane ( grc, Στεφάνη) was a small port town on the coast of ancient Paphlagonia, according to Arr ...

, Martin Taylor, ''Celebrating Grappelli'' (Honest, 1997) * Jonny Greenwood, ''Bodysong'' (Parlophone, 2003) * Hue & Cry, ''Showtime!'' (Permanent, 1994) *

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, ''100 and Rising'' (Talkin' Loud, 1995) * Peter King, ''Speed Trap'' (Jazz House, 1996) * Peter King, ''Lush Life'' (Miles Music, 1999) *

Kristin Korb Kristin Korb is an American jazz double bassist and vocalist. Biography Korb studied at Eastern Montana College and the University of California, San Diego. She also studied with Ray Brown, with whom she made her recording debut, released in ...

, ''Finding Home'' (Double K Music, 2014) * Joe Locke, ''4 Walls of Freedom'' (Sirocco Music, 2003) * Claire Martin, ''Make This City Ours'' (Linn, 1997) * Claire Martin, ''He Never Mentioned Love'' (Linn, 2007) *

Paddy McAloon Patrick Joseph McAloon (born 7 June 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and a founder of the band Prefab Sprout. Early life McAloon was born and grew up in Witton Gilbert in County Durham, England. He was trained to be a Catholic priest bef ...

, ''I Trawl the Megahertz'' (Liberty, 2003) * Joni Mitchell, ''

Both Sides Now "Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. First recorded by Judy Collins, it appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. The next year it was included on Mitchell's album '' Clouds'', and became one ...

'' (Reprise, 2000) *

Tete Montoliu Vicenç Montoliu i Massana, better known as Tete Montoliu (28 March 1933 – 24 August 1997) was a Spanish jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. Born blind, he learnt braille music at age seven. His styles varied from hard bop, through afro-Cuban, ...

, Peter King, ''New Year's Morning '89'' (Fresh Sound, 1989) * Mother Earth, ''The People Tree'' (Acid Jazz, 1993) * Mother Earth, ''You Have Been Watching'' (Focus, 1995) *

, ''Cookin' with Gas'' (NYJO, 1990) * Pet Shop Boys, ''Yesterday When I Was Mad'' (Parlophone, 1994) * Pet Shop Boys, ''Alternative'' (Parlophone, 1995) * PMJ, ''Love Not Truth'' (P-Vine, 2006) * Chris Potter, ''Transatlantic'' (Red Dot Music, 2011) *

Ragga Twins The Ragga Twins, also known as RTC, are an English ragga and jungle MC duo of Deman Rocker (David Destouche) and Flinty Badman (Trevor Destouche). Originating from Hackney, England, they started out on London's Unity sound system, and are r ...

, ''Freedom Train'' (Positiva, 1995) * Ragga Twins, ''Rinsin Lyrics'' (Positiva, 1995) *

Shakatak Shakatak is an English jazz-funk band founded in 1980 by Nigel Wright and former Wigan Casino DJ Kev Roberts. Following an initial white label release 'Steppin', the band's name was derived from a record store in Soho, London Record Shack. I ...

, ''Let the Piano Play'' (Victor, 1997) * Shakatak, ''Shinin' On'' (Instinct, 1998) *

Curtis Stigers Curtis Stigers (born October 18, 1965) is an American jazz singer. He achieved a number of hits in the early 1990s, most notably the international hit " I Wonder Why" (1991), which reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the US. Career S ...

, ''One More for the Road'' (Concord Jazz, 2017) *

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

, ''In the Hand of the Inevitable'' (Acid Jazz, 1995) *

Diane Tell Diane Tell (born December 24, 1959) is a Canadian musician who was born in Quebec City, Quebec. She entered the Val d’Or conservatory at the age of six. She continued her studies at the Montréal conservatory and then at CEGEP Saint-Laurent and ...

, ''Desir Plaisir Soupir'' (Sony, 1996) *

Joe Temperley Joe Temperley (20 September 1929 – 11 May 2016) was a Scottish jazz saxophonist. He performed with various instruments, but was most associated with the baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, and bass clarinet. Life Temperley was born in Cowd ...

, ''Concerto for Joe'' (Hep, 1995) *

Colin Towns Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948 in West Ham, London) is an English composer and keyboardist. He was noted for playing in bands formed by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, and later worked extensively in composing soundtracks for film, telev ...

, ''Nowhere & Heaven'' (Provocateur, 1996) * Colin Towns, ''Dreaming Man with Blue Suede Shoes'' (Provocateur, 1999) *

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, ''Silhouette in Red'' (Hansa, 1993) * Us3, ''

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'' (Blue Note, 1993) * Us3, ''I Got It Goin' On'' (Capitol, 1993) * Don Weller, ''Live'' (33 Records, 1997) *

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, ''Boy for You'' (Nude, 1998) *

Workshy Workshy is an English band formed in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in ...

, ''Soul Love'' (Canyon, 1994) *

, ''

When It Falls ''When It Falls'' is the second album by Zero 7, released on 1 March 2004. The album features vocals by Sia (on tracks "Somersault" and "Speed Dial No.2"), Mozez (on "Warm Sound", "Over Our Heads" and "Morning Song"), Sophie Barker (on "Passi ...

'' (Ultimate Dilemma, 2004)

References

External links

*Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, & Brian Priestley. ''Jazz: The Rough Guide''. *Richard Cook & Brian Morton. ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD'' 6th edition. * Gerard Presencer— discography from AllMusic
Gerard Presencer
— Linn records page *Gerard Presencer presents online course &mdash
Internal Approach to Playing the Trumpet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Presencer, Gerard 1972 births Academics of the Royal Academy of Music English expatriates in Denmark Living people English jazz trumpeters Male trumpeters DR Big Band members 21st-century trumpeters 21st-century British male musicians British male jazz musicians Almost Big Band members National Youth Jazz Orchestra members ACT Music artists