Jon Burr (born May 22, 1953, in

Huntington, New York Huntington is one of ten Administrative divisions of New York#Town, towns in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States. The town's population was 204,127 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the 11 ...

) is an American

double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

player and author. He is a member of "Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio", a

swing jazz Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement ...

trio, along with

Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player, composer, guitarist, and mandolinist whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Mu ...

and

Frank Vignola Frank Vignola (born December 30, 1965) is an American jazz guitarist. He has played in the genres of swing, fusion, gypsy jazz, classical, and pop. Career Vignola grew up on Long Island, New York. His father played accordion and banjo and his ...

. The trio has recorded three albums, '' Hot Swing!'' (2001), '' In Full Swing'' (2003), and '' Live in New York'' (2004).

Biography

Burr studied double bass at a summer program at the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

in 1969 before attending the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

from 1970 to 1975. He was also a student of

Clem DeRosa Clem DeRosa ''(né'' Clement Richard De Rosa; May 20, 1925 – December 20, 2011, in Texas)Jim McNeely Jim McNeely (born May 18, 1949) is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and faculty. Biography Jim McNeely was born in Chicago, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois, and moved to New York City in 1975. ...

and the

Warren Covington Warren Covington (August 7, 1921 – August 24, 1999) was an American big band trombonist. He was active as a session musician, arranger, and bandleader throughout his career. Biography Covington, who was born in Philadelphia, played early ...

-led

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

.Simon Adams, "Jon Burr". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2nd edition, Barry Kernfeld, ed. Burr relocated to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1975, and there played with Steve Grossman,

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

Ted Curson Theodore Curson (June 3, 1935 – November 4, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career Curson was born in Philadelphia. He became interested in playing trumpet after watching a newspaper salesman play a silver trumpet. Curson's fath ...

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

Lee Konitz Leon "Lee" Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's ass ...

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sch ...

, and

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

in the latter half of the 1970s. Burr played with

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

from 1980 to 1985, and also recorded with

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

in the early 1980s. From 1986 he performed with

Stephane Grappelli Stephane may refer to: * Stéphane, a French given name * Stephane (headdress) A stephane (''ancient Greek'' στέφανος, from ''στέφω'' (stéphō, “I encircle”), '' Lat.'' Stephanus = wreath, decorative wreath worn on the head; cr ...

on Grappelli's tours of the United States, continuing in this role until the violinist's death. In the 1990s Burr worked extensively with

Dorothy Donegan Dorothy Donegan (April 6, 1922 – May 19, 1998) was an American classically trained jazz pianist and occasional vocalist, primarily known for performing stride and boogie-woogie, as well as bebop, swing, and classical. Biography Early li ...

and also played with

Roland Hanna Roland Pembroke Hanna (February 10, 1932 – November 13, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and teacher. Biography Hanna studied classical piano from the age of 11, but was strongly interested in jazz, having been introduced to i ...

and

Eartha Kitt Eartha Mae Kitt (née Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress. She was known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby" ...

. Jon was a founding member of

's Hot Swing Trio, from 1998 to 2006. In 2010, Burr founded the tri
Music of Grappelli
with violinist

Jonathan Russell Jonathan Russell (February 27, 1771 – February 17, 1832) was a United States representative from Massachusetts and diplomat. He served the Massachusetts's 11th congressional district, 11th congressional district from 1821 to 1823 and was the ...

and guitarist

Howard Alden Howard Vincent Alden (born October 17, 1958) is an American jazz guitarist born in Newport Beach, California. Alden has recorded many albums for Concord Records, including four with seven-string guitar innovator George Van Eps. Early life Ho ...

, and th
Jon Burr Big Band
From 2011 to 2015, Jon toured and recorded with the

Manhattan Jazz Quintet The Manhattan Jazz Quintet is a jazz musical ensemble, ensemble consisting of David Matthews (arranger), David Matthews on piano, Lew Soloff on trumpet, Victor Lewis on Drum kit, drums, Andy Snitzer on saxophone, and Charnett Moffett on double bass ...

. in 2013 Burr founded the
Jon Burr Quintet
Also an arranger and composer, he founded the musical services websit
Arranger for Hire
His web consulting and media production busines
jbQ Media
has been in existence since 1996. Burr has published three books, ''The Untold Secret to Melodic Bass'' in 2009, and ''The Improvising Chef'' in 2010, and ''Letting Go: Practical Meditation for Everyday People'' in 2011. In October 2015, Burr played bass in the musical show ''Mr. Lucky: The Songs of Henry Mancini'', by

Bistro Award Backstage is a prominent global casting platform and entertainment industry publication that connects performers, content creators, and behind-the-scenes professionals with casting directors and production teams across film, television, theate ...

-winning vocalist Jeff Macauley, with pianist and arranger Tex Arnold.Award-Winning Vocalist Jeff Macauley to Bring Highly Praised Henry Mancini Songbook Show MR. LUCKY to Don't Tell Mama, 11/21
, ''Broadway World'' (October 29, 2015).

Discography

As leader

*''In My Own Words'' ( Cymekob Records, 1996) *''3 for All'' (

Sir Roland Hanna Roland Pembroke Hanna (February 10, 1932 – November 13, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and teacher. Biography Hanna studied classical piano from the age of 11, but was strongly interested in jazz, having been introduced to i ...

Bucky Pizzarelli John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli (January 9, 1926 – April 1, 2020) was an American jazz guitarist. He worked for NBC as a staffman from 1964, including for Dick Cavett (1971) and ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in (1952). Musicians he collaborate ...

) (Cymekob Records, 1997) *''Just Can't Wait'' ( jbQ Media, 2007) *''Very Good Year''
Jon Burr Quintet
(jbQ Media, 2015)

As sideman

;With

*'' As Time Goes By'' (Timeless, 1986) *''

Cool Cat Cool Cat may refer to: * ''Cool Cat'' (album), an album by jazz trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker * ''Cool Cat'' (book), a picture book by Nonny Hogrogian * ''Cool Cat'' (film), a 1967 animated cartoon film * Cool Cat (Looney Tunes), a Warner Bros. cart ...

'' ( Timeless, 1986

989 Year 989 ( CMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Basil II uses his contingent of 6,000 Varangians to help him defeat Bardas Phokas (the Younger), who suffe ...

;With

Vic Juris Victor Edward Jurusz Jr. (September 26, 1953 – December 31, 2019), known professionally as Vic Juris, was an American jazz guitarist. Music career Juris was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, but he moved with his family to Parsippany-Troy Hill ...

*'' Roadsong'' (Muse, 1978) ;With Stephane Grappelli & Yo-Yo Ma *''

Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, revised considerably by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madc ...

'' (CBS, 1989)

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial band website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burr, John American jazz double-bassists American male double-bassists Musicians from New York (state) 1953 births Living people Writers from New York (state) 21st-century American non-fiction writers American cookbook writers American writers about music American male non-fiction writers 21st-century American double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians 21st-century American male writers