This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and composer Jumaane Smith (performing in Myron’s at The Smith Center April 15) as he celebrates the origins of jump blues and jazz in LOUIS! LOUIS! LOUIS! In this episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Jumaane talks about why music was a source of inspiration to him after the trials and tribulations of his early years; his four years at Julliard; working with Michael Bublé for the last eighteen years; why live music is a shared moment with the audience and why he considers himself a vessel for the music; his fascination with the Great American Songbook; his albums as timestamps; why he chose to highlight Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, and Louis Jordan; and what he learned from Michael Phelps.
Jumaane has performed on 5 GRAMMY Award-winning records (selling more than 60 million copies), 2 Emmy Award-nominated TV performances, the GRAMMY Awards with Stevie Wonder, in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (trumpet solo actor), at The White House, on the Today Show, Tonight Show, Oprah, Good Morning America, and American Idol.
Jumaane has spent the last 18 years touring and recording with Michael Bublé as lead trumpeter and vocalist, was a member of Harry Connick Jr.’s house band for the syndicated daytime TV show “Harry,” and the featured guest soloist for Jackie Evancho’s, “Songs of the Silver Screen” world tour backed by a 60-piece symphony orchestra.
He has toured with his own band to such world-class venues as Jazz At Lincoln Center, Vail Jazz Festival, Java Jazz Festival, Loew’s Regency, North Star Festival, Joe's Pub, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Catalina Island Jazz Festival, and many more.
Leave a Reply