Rodney Whitaker (born February 22, 1968) is an American jazz

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

player and educator.

Biography

Born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, Whitaker attended

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

, and studied with Robert Gladstone, principal bass with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. He achieved recognition performing with

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...

's Quintet and then with Roy Hargrove. His own first album ''Children of the Light'' was released in 1996. His score for the film ''China'', directed by Jeff Wray, was released on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in 2002. In 2006, Whitaker was nominated for the Juno Award Traditional Jazz Album of the Year for ''Let Me Tell You About My Day'', his album in collaboration with Phil Dwyer and Alan Jones. He has also been working with the pianist Junko Onishi. Whitaker is professor of jazz

and director of jazz studies at Michigan State University's College of Music. He has presented master classes at such institutions as Duke University,

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

the New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

(NY),

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

, and the

Detroit International Jazz Festival The Detroit Jazz Festival is a free jazz festival held every year during Labor Day Weekend at Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park in Detroit, Michigan. History The festival began in 1980. Until 2000, it was known as the Montreux-Detroit Jazz F ...

, and at the conferences of the

International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), formerly a not-for-profit corporation based in Manhattan, Kansas, was a volunteer-run organization that, among other things, allocated student scholarships through its approved festivals program ...

. He has also worked with Detroit Symphony Orchestra to develop a jazz education department, and conducts their Civic Jazz Orchestra, as well as being on the faculties of University of Michigan and

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

Discography

As leader

*''Outrospection: The Music of Gregg Hill'' (Origin Records, 2021) *''Cranbrook Christmas Jazz'' (Origin Records, 2021) *''Common Ground: The Music of Gregg Hill'' (Origin Records, 2019) with Terrell Stafford, Tim Warfield, Bruce Barth, Dana Hall, Rockelle Fortin *''All Too Soon: The Music of Duke Ellington'' (Origin Records, 2019) *''When We Find Ourselves Alone'' (Mack Avenue, 2014) *''Children of the Light'' ( DIW, 1995) with Nicholas Payton, Wallace Roney * ''Hidden Kingdom'' (DIW, 1997) with Carter, Ron Blake, Gerald Cleaver * ''The Brooklyn Session: Ballads and Blues'' ( Criss Cross, 1998) with Wycliffe Gordon, Stefon Harris * ''Yesterday Today and Tomorrow'' (Sirocco Jazz, 1999) with Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon,

Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer. Biography Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mother played trumpet, her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and h ...

* ''Get Ready'' (

Mack Avenue Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company is a sponsor ...

, 2007) with Carl Allen * ''Work to Do'' (Mack Avenue, 2008) with Carl Allen * ''When We Find Ourselves Alone'' (Mack Avenue, 2014) *''Common Ground: The Music of Gregg Hill'' (

Origin Records Origin Records is a jazz and classical music record label founded by drummer John Bishop in 1997.de Barros, Paul (July 2, 2002)Small label, big noise: Ballard's Origin Records drumming up national interest Seattle Times. With the help of drummer M ...

, 2019) *''All Too Soon: The Music of Duke Ellington'' (Origin Records, 2019) *''Cranbrook Christmas Jazz'' (Origin Records, 2021) with The Christ Church Cranbrook Choir *''Outrospection: The Music of Gregg Hill'' (Origin Records, 2021) *''Oasis: The Music of Gregg Hill'' (Origin Records, 2022)

Collaborations

* ''Live from the Detroit Jazz Festival – 2013'' (Mack Avenue, 2014)

As sideman

* ''Mora'', Francisco Mora, AACE, 1986 * ''Wait Broke the Wagon Down'', Wendell Harrison, Wenha, 1986 * ''

'', Terence Blanchard/Branford Marsalis, Columbia, 1991 * ''Don't You Know I Care'', Antonio Hart, RCA/Novus, 1991 * ''The Old & the New'', Shawn "Thunder" Wallace, MiJaWa, 1991 * ''

Simply Stated ''Simply Stated'' is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard. The album was released by Columbia Records on May 5, 1992. Background ''Simply Stated'' marked Blanchard's second album as a band leader. Blanchard explained that ...

'', Terence Blanchard, Columbia, 1992 * ''Of Kindred Souls'' w/ 4 Originals, Roy Hargrove, RCA/Novus, 1992 * ''A Portrait of You'', Donald Walden, Jazz Works, 1992 * ''Vibe'', Roy Hargrove, RCA/Novus, 1992 * ''It's All Right to Swing'', Eric Reed/Wynton Marsalis, Mo Jazz, 1993 * '' Crusin''', Junko Onishi, EMI, 1993 * ''Jmukai Quintet'', Mukai, EMI, 1993 * ''True Blue'', Mark Whitfield, Verve/Polygram, 1994 * ''Monk's Modern Music'', Rick Roe, Unknown, 1994 * ''With the Tenors of Our Time'', Roy Hargrove, Verve/Polygram, 1994 * ''Approaching Standards'', Roy Hargrove, BMG/Novus, 1994 * ''Roy Hargrove & Friends'', Roy Hargrove, Verve/Polygram, 1995 * ''The Swing & I'', Eric Reed, Mo Jazz, 1995 * ''Chicago, New York, Paris'', Johnny Griffin, Verve/Polygram, 1995 * ''Family'', Roy Hargrove, Verve, 1995 * '' Piano Quintet Suite'', Junko Onishi, Blue Note, 1995 * ''My Generation'', Teodross Avery, Impulse, 1995 * ''Collage'', Keith Saxton, Kevin Hole, 1996 * ''Pursuance–The Music of John Coltrane'', Kenny Garrett, Warner Bros., 1996 * ''Kevin, Mahogany'', Kevin Mahogany, Warner Bros., 1996 * ''A Grand Encounter'', Dianne Reeves, Blue Note, 1996 * ''The Change Over'', Rick Roe, Unknown, 1996 * ''Wholly Cat's'', Russell Malone, 1996 * ''Live @ The Kerry Town Concert Hall'', Phil Lasley, 1996 *''

Kamau Kamau is a male name of Kenyan origin that may refer to: It is primarily a masculine name in the Kikuyu, belonging to the Bantu group who migrated from the Congo region. The name was given to a group of young men who went through initiation togeth ...

'', Charles Sullivan, 1995 * ''Penn's Landing'', Clarence Penn, Criss Cross, 1996 * '' Tenor Time'',

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

, Blue Note, 1997 * Jackie Mac's Bag'', Milan Simich, Hip Bop, 1997 * ''Collected'' Roy Hargrove, Roy Hargrove, Verve, 1998 * ''Collected'' Antonio Hart, Antonio Hart, Novus/BMG, 1998 * ''Foresight'', Foresight, N2K, 1998 * ''Introducing Orin Evans'', Orin Evans, Criss Cross, 1998 * ''Dennis Jeter'', Dennis Jeter, Jeter Productions, 1998 * ''Francisco Mora'', Francisco Mora, Community, 1998 * ''Captain Black'', Orin Evans, Criss Cross, 1998 * ''Focusing the Vision'', Vincent York, Vincent York, 1998 * ''Andrew Speight Quartet'', Andrew Speight, ABC/EMI, 1998 * ''A Mingus & a Monk Among Us'', Donald Walden, Jazz Works, 1998 * ''Bluestone'', Joh Yamada, Alfa, 1999 * ''Slidin' Home'', Wycliffe Gordon, Nagel/Heyer, 1999 * ''Live from Swing City'', Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Sony, 1999 * ''Big Train'', Wynton Marsalis, Sony, 1999 * ''Marciac Suite'', Wynton Marsalis, Sony, 1999 *''

Reflections in Change ''Reflections in Change'' is the third album led by saxophonist Craig Handy which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Sirrocco Music label. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said "A fine hard bop tenor saxophonist, Craig Handy p ...

'', Craig Handy, Sirocco Music, 1999 * ''Grown Fold Bizness'', Orin Evans, Criss Cross, 1999 * ''To Those We Love So Dearly'', Victor Goines, Rosemary Joseph, 1999 * ''Title Unknown–Soon To Be Released'', Alex Graham, 1999 * ''Double Duke'', Joe Temperely, Naxos, 1999 * ''The Search'', Wycliffe Gordon, Nagel/Heyer, 1999 * ''Live @ Blue Note'', Jaz Sawyer & Irvin Mayfield, Half Note, 2000 * ''Uptown Lowdown "A Salute to D" '', Nagel/Heyer/All Stars, Nagel/Heyer, 2000 * ''Watch What You're Doin' '', Herlin Riley, Criss Cross, 2000 * ''Sweet Release'', Wynton Marsalis, Sony, 2000 * ''Reflections & Change'', Craig Handy, Sirocco Jazz, 2000 * ''Flow'', Craig Handy, Sirocco Jazz, 2000 * ''A Portrait of Kevin Mahogany'', Kevin Mahogany, Warner Bros., 2000 * ''Hymn for Roscoe Mitchell'', Stephen Rush Quartet, 2000 * ''Olive Tree'', Walter Blanding, Criss Cross, 2000 * ''Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow'', Rodney Whitaker, Sirrocco Jazz, 2001 * ''Play Penn'', Clarence Penn Quintet, Criss Cross, 2001 * ''Introducing Peter Baits'', Peter Baits, Criss Cross, 2001 * ''Introducing Milt Grayson'', Milt Grayson, 2001 * ''All Rise'', Wynton Marsalis, Sony, 2001 * ''Penns Landing'', Clarence Penn–Criss Cross, 2003 * ''Dameronia''–Donald Walden & The Detroit Jazz Orchestra–Jazz Works, 2003 * ''Louis Armstrong's Jazz Curriculum'' CD Series–LCJO–Warner Bros., 2003 * ''Introducing: Peter Baits'' – Peter Baits, Criss Cross, 2003 * ''We Got It'' – Matt Ray – Label Unknown, 2003 * ''E–Bop'' – Eric Reed – Savant, 2003 * ''Joyride'' – Wycliffe Gordon – Nagel/Heyer, 2003 * ''Flow'' – Craig Handy – Sirrocco Jazz, 2003 * ''Third Floor'' – Professors of Jazz @ MSU – MSU Jazz, 2003 * ''Freewheelin' '' – Jazz Compilation – Arkadia, 2003 * ''Hip Bop Essence'' – All Star – Hip Bop, 2003 * ''Soul Trinity''–Volume One – Frederick Sanders – FreSan, 2003 * ''Winter Moon''–Rodney Whitaker–Sirocco Jazz Ltd., 2004 * ''Let Me Tell You About My Day'' – 2004 Alan Jones, 2004 * ''Unforgivable Blackness''–DVD–Wynton Marsalis/Ken Burns, 2004 * ''Sphere''–Rick Roe–Unknown Records, 2005 * ''The Good Life''–Alex Graham–Origin, 2005 * ''Here''–Eric Reed–Max Jazz, 2006 * ''Shades of Green''–Ron DiSalvio w/Jimmy Cobb–Label N/A, 2006 * ''World Trade Music''–Francisco Catlett–Mora–Label N/A, 2006 * ''Get Ready''–Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker–Mack Avenue, 2007 * ''Work to Do''–Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker–Mack Avenue, 2008 * ''Maureen Choi Quartet''–Maureen Choi Music, 2010

References

External links

Official WebsiteRodney Whitaker Artist PageMichigan State University entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitaker, Rodney African-American jazz musicians American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists American jazz educators American music educators Post-bop double-bassists 1968 births Living people Jazz musicians from Michigan Musicians from Detroit Michigan State University faculty Wayne State University alumni DIW Records artists 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people Criss Cross Jazz artists Mack Avenue Records artists Origin Records artists