Valery Ponomarev, Russian: Вале́рий Миха́йлович Пономарёв, ''Valery Mikhaylovich Ponomaryov'', (born 1943) is a Russian-born jazz trumpeter. He has lived in the United States since 1973.
Ponomarev became interested in jazz after hearing it on Voice of America, and felt a particular affinity for
Clifford Brown
Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", an ...
.
He dedicated countless hours to transcribing, studying and memorizing legendary jazz trumpet solos. In time he decided to flee the then Soviet Union and ended up joining Art Blakey's group the Jazz Messengers. After leaving, he formed his own band, Universal Language.
On September 9, 2006, his arm was broken in an altercation with security at Charles de Gaulle Airport. The altercation involved his intention of carrying his trumpet with him onto the plane.
Ponomarev tours with his tribute big band, playing both originals and music from the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers repertoire. He teaches privately, and released his autobiography ''On the Flip Side of Sound'' in 2009. He teaches as part of the Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens program in Newark, New Jersey.
Discography
As leader
* ''Beyond the Obvious'' – with Don Braden, Martin Zenker and Jerome Jennings, ( Reservoir 2006)
* ''The Messenger'' – with Michael Karn, Sid Simmons, Martin Zenker and Jimmy Cobb, (Reservoir, 2001)
* ''A Star for You'' – with Bob Berg, Sid Simmons, Ken Walker, and
Billy Hart
Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest, among others.
Bi ...
, (Reservoir, 1997)
* ''Live at Vartan Jazz'' – with
Francesco Bearzatti
Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include:
People with the given name Francesco
* Francesco I (disambiguation), seve ...
, Sid Simmons, Kenny Walker and
Ben Riley
Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. (July 17, 1933 – November 18, 2017) was an American jazz drummer known for his work with Thelonious Monk, as well as Alice Coltrane, Stan Getz, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ahmad Jamal, and as a member of the group Sp ...
, (Vartan Jazz 1995)
* ''Live at Sweet Basil'' – with John Hicks, Peter Washington, Don Braden and, Victor Jones, (Reservoir, 1993)
* ''Profile'' – with
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...
,
Kenny Barron
Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era.
Biography
Born in Philadel ...
, Essiet Essiet and Victor Jones, (Reservoir, 1991)
* ''Trip to Moscow'' – Universal Language, (Reservoir, 1988)
* ''
Means of Identification
Means may refer to:
* Means LLC, an anti-capitalist media worker cooperative
* Means (band), a Christian hardcore band from Regina, Saskatchewan
* Means, Kentucky, a town in the US
* Means (surname)
* Means Johnston Jr. (1916–1989), US Navy adm ...
Art Blakey
Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s.
Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...
In My Prime Vol. 1
''In My Prime Vol. 1'' is an album by drummer Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded in 1977 and released on the Dutch Timeless label.
'' (
Timeless
Timeless (or atemporal) or timelessness (or atemporality) may refer to:
* Agelessness, the condition of being unaffected by the passage of time
* Akal (Sikh term), timelessness in Sikhism
* Eternity, timeless existence or infinite duration
* Immo ...
Live at Montreux and Northsea
''Live at Montreux and Northsea'' is an album by drummer Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers Big Band recorded in 1980 at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland (with one track recorded at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands) and relea ...
'' (Timeless, 1980)
With Junior Cook
*'' You Leave Me Breathless'' (SteepleChase, 1991)
With Charles McPherson
*''Live at Vartan Jazz'' (Vartan Jazz, 1997)
Reflections In Blue // Recorded At Fendal Sound Recording Studios Loenen Aan De Vecht, Holland, December 4, 1978