Roy Sinclair Campbell Jr. (September 29, 1952 – January 9, 2014) was an American

trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard B ...

frequently linked to

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...

, although he also performed

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

and funk during his career.

Biography

Born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, in 1952, Campbell was raised in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. At the age of fifteen, he began learning to play trumpet and soon studied at the Jazz Mobile program along with Kenny Dorham,

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 ...

and Joe Newman. Throughout the 1960s, still unacquainted with the avant-garde movement, Campbell performed in the

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

s of the Manhattan Community College. From the 1970s onwards, he performed primarily within the context of free jazz, spending some of this period studying with

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

. Campbell composed the film music for the documentary ''Survival in New York'' (1989) by

Rosa von Praunheim Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, painter and one of the most famous gay rights activists in the German-speaking world. In ov ...

. In the early 1990s, Campbell moved to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and performed regularly with Klaas Hekman and

Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. Cherry played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, and later coached the team for five se ...

. In addition to leading his own groups, he performed with

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James M ...

, William Parker,

Peter Brötzmann Peter Brötzmann (born 6 March 1941) is a German saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Early life Brötzmann was born in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He studied painting in Wuppertal and was involved with the Fluxus movement ...

Matthew Shipp Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American pianist, composer, and bandleader. Early life and education Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford B ...

, and other improvisors. Upon returning to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

he began leading his group

Other Dimensions In Music Other Dimensions In Music is a free jazz group founded in the 1980s.Allmusic/ref> The group is a collective quartet composed of trumpeter Roy Campbell, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker and drummer Rashid Bakr. Campb ...

and also formed the Pyramid Trio, a

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

less trio formed with William Parker. He died in January 2014 of hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at the age of 61.

Discography

As leader

* '' New Kingdom'' ( Delmark, 1992) * '' La Tierra del Fuego'' (Delmark, 1994) * '' Communion'' ( Silkheart, 1995) * '' Ancestral Homeland'' (No More, 1998) * '' Ethnic Stew and Brew'' (Delmark, 2001) * '' It's Krunch Time'' (

Thirsty Ear Thirsty Ear Recordings is an American independent record label. It was founded in the late 1970s as a marketing company for the then-unnamed alternative music field, and expanded to issue its own records in 1990. Thirsty Ear came to prominence ...

, 2001) * '' Akhenaten Suite'' ( Aum Fidelity, 2008)

As co-leader

with

Other Dimensions in Music Other Dimensions In Music is a free jazz group founded in the 1980s.Allmusic/ref> The group is a collective quartet composed of trumpeter Roy Campbell, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker and drummer Rashid Bakr. Campb ...

* ''

'' (Silkheart, 1990) * '' Now!'' ( Aum Fidelity, 1998) * '' Time Is of the Essence Is Beyond Time'' (Aum Fidelity, 2000) * '' Live at the Sunset'' ( Marge, 2007) * '' Kaiso Stories'' (Silkheart, 2011) with The Nu Band (Roy Campbell Jr., Mark Whitecage, Joe Fonda, Lou Grassi) * ''Live at the Bop Shop'' (

Clean Feed Clean may refer to: * Cleaning, the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment * Cleanliness, the state of being clean and free from dirt Arts and media Music A ...

, 2001) * ''Live'' (Konnex, 2005) * ''The Dope and the Ghost'' (Not Two, 2007) * ''Lower East Side Blues'' (Porter, 2009) * ''Live in Paris'' (No Business, 2010) * ''Relentlessness Live at the Sunset'' (Marge, 2011) with

Joe McPhee Joe McPhee (born November 3, 1939) is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist born in Miami, Florida, a player of tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, the trumpet, flugelhorn and valve trombone. McPhee grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, and is ...

, William Parker & Warren Smith * '' Tribute to Albert Ayler Live at the Dynamo'' (Marge, 2009)

As sideman

;with Billy Bang *'' Live at Carlos 1'' (Soul Note, 1986) ;with

's Die Like a Dog Quartet *'' From Valley to Valley'' (Eremite, 1998) ; with

Tentet + 2 * ''Short Visit to Nowhere'' (Okkadisk, 2002) * ''Broken English'' (Okkadisk, 2002) ; with Rob Brown * '' Jumping Off the Page'' (No More, 2000) * '' The Big Picture'' (Marge, 2004) ; with Whit Dickey * ''

Coalescence Coalescence may refer to: * Coalescence (chemistry), the process by which two or more separate masses of miscible substances seem to "pull" each other together should they make the slightest contact * Coalescence (computer science), the merging of ...

'' (Clean Feed, 2004) * '' In a Heartbeat'' (Clean Feed, 2005) * '' Sacred Ground'' (Clean Feed, 2006) ;with

El-P Jaime Meline (born March 2, 1975), better known by the stage name El-P (shortened from his previous stage name El Producto), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has been a ...

*''

High Water Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ca ...

'' (Thirsty Ear, 2004) ; with Ehran Elisha * ''Sweet Empathy'' (Cadence, 1995) * ''The Kicker'' (CIMP, 1998) * ''Lowe Down Suite'' (CIMP, 1999) ; with Exuberance * ''The Other Shore'' (Boxholder, 2003) * ''Live at Vision Festival'' (Ayler, 2004) ;with Garrison Fewell * ''Variable Density Sound Orchestra'' (Creative Nation Music, 2009) ; with Yuko Fujiyama * ''Re-entry'' (CIMP, 2001) ;with

Dennis Gonzalez Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is someti ...

* ''Nile River Suite'' (Daagnim, 2004) ;with

Burton Greene Burton Greene (June 14, 1937 – June 28, 2021) was an American free jazz pianist born in Chicago, Illinois, though most known for his work in New York City. He explored multiple genres, including avant-garde jazz and the Klezmer medium. Biogra ...

* ''Isms Out'' (CIMP, 2004) ;with William Hooker Trio with

Dave Soldier David Sulzer (born November 6, 1956) is an American neuroscientist and musician. He is a professor at Columbia University Medical Center in the departments of psychiatry, neurology, and pharmacology. Sulzer's laboratory investigates the interact ...

*''Heart of the Sun'' (Engine Records, 2013) ; with

Khan Jamal Khan Jamal (July 23, 1946 – January 10, 2022), born Warren Robert Cheeseboro, was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. He founded the band Sounds of Liberation in 1970. He was described by Ron Wynn as "a proficient soloist when ...

* ''Balafon Dance'' (CIMP, 2002) ; with Adam Lane * ''Blue Spirit Band'' (CIMP, 2013) * ''Oh Freedom'' (CIMP, 2013) ; with Steve Lehman * ''Structural Fire'' (CIMP, 2001) * ''Camouflage'' (CIMP, 2002) ; with Maneri Ensemble * ''Going to Church'' (Aum Fidelity, 2002) ;with

Jemeel Moondoc Jemeel Moondoc (August 5, 1946 – August 29, 2021) was a jazz saxophonist who played alto saxophone. He was a proponent of a highly improvisational style. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and studied clarinet and piano before s ...

* '' The Evening of the Blue Men'' (Muntu, 1979) * ''New York Live!'' (Cadence, 1981) * ''The Intrepid Live in Poland'' (Poljazz, 1981) * ''The Athens Concert'' (Praxis, 1982) *'' Konstanze's Delight'' (Soul Note, 1983) * ''

Spirit House A spirit house is a shrine to the protective spirit of a place that is found in the Southeast Asian countries of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The spirit house is normally in the form of sma ...

'' (Eremite, 2001) * '' Live in Paris'' (Cadence, 2003) * ''

Live at the Vision Festival ''Live at the Vision Festival'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, which was recorded live at the 2001 Vision Festival and released on Ayler Records, a Swedish label founded by Jan Ström and Åke Bjurhamn.The Zookeeper's House'' (

Relative Pitch Relative pitch is the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note by comparing it to a reference note and identifying the interval between those two notes. For example, if the note ''Do'' and ''Fa'' is played on a piano, a per ...

, 2014) ;with New Atlantis Octet * ''Unto the Sun'' (Not Two. 2013) ; with Kevin Norton * ''The Dream Catcher'' (CIMP, 2003) ; with William Parker * '' Flowers Grow in my Room'' (Centering, 1994) * '' Sunrise in the Tone World'' (AUM Fidelity, 1997) * '' Mayor of Punkville'' (AUM Fidelity, 2000) * ''

Raincoat in the River ''Raincoat in the River'' is a live album by bassist and composer William Parker's Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, which was recorded in Boston in 2001 and released on the Eremite label.

'' (Eremite, 2001) *'' Spontaneous'' (Splasc(H), 2002) * '' Mass for the Healing of the World'' (Black Saint, 2003) * '' Fractured Dimensions'' (FMP, 2003) * '' For Percy Heath'' (Victo, 2006) * '' Essence of Ellington'' (Centering, 2012) ;with

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wai ...

*''

Spiritual Unity ''Spiritual Unity'' is a studio album by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler. It was recorded on July 10, 1964 in New York City, and features bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray. It was the first album recorded for Bernard Stollm ...

'' (Pi recordings, 2005) ;with Saheb Sarbib * ''Live at the Public Theatre'' (Cadence, 1981) * ''Aisha'' (Cadence, 1981) ; with

* '' Strata'' (hatOLOGY, 1998) * '' Pastoral Composure'' (

, 2000) ; with

Alan Silva Alan Silva (born Alan Lee da Silva; January 22, 1939 in Bermuda) is an United States of America, American free jazz double bassist and Keyboard instrument, keyboard player. Biography Silva was born a British subject to an Azores, Azorean/Portug ...

* ''

Alan Silva & the Sound Visions Orchestra ''Alan Silva & the Sound Visions Orchestra'' is a live album by multi-instrumentalist Alan Silva. It was recorded in May 1999 at St. Nicholas of Myra Church in New York City during the annual Vision Festival, and was released in 2001 by Eremite Re ...

'' (Eremite, 2001) * '' H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box'' (Eremite, 2003) ;with Stone Quartet * '' Live at Vision Festival'' (Ayler, 2011) ; with

Steve Swell Steve Swell (born in Newark, New Jersey, December 6, 1954) is an American free jazz trombonist, composer, and educator. Music career Swell studied at Jersey City State Teachers College before moving to New York City in 1975 where he began his m ...

* ''Suite for Players, Listeners and Other Dreamers'' (CIMP, 2003) * '' News from the Mystic Auricle'' (Not Two, 2008) ;with Charles Tyler * ''Live at Sweet Basil vol. 1 & 2 (1984)'' (Bleu Regard, 2006) ; with

* '' Summer Sun'' (Matador, 2003)

References

External links

Official site
*
Roy Campbell on Life
brief spoken word video, Jalopy, Brooklyn, September 26, 2009. ( Punkcast) {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Roy 1952 births 2014 deaths Musicians from Los Angeles American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Free jazz trumpeters 20th-century American musicians 21st-century American musicians 20th-century trumpeters 21st-century trumpeters Jazz musicians from California 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Other Dimensions In Music members Thirsty Ear Recordings artists