Rodney Whitaker (born February 22, 1968) is an American jazz double bass player and educator.

Biography

Born in Detroit, Whitaker attended Wayne State University, and studied with Robert Gladstone, principal bass with the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music d ...

, and trumpeter

Marcus Belgrave Marcus Batista Belgrave (June 12, 1936 – May 24, 2015) was an American jazz trumpet player from Detroit, born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He recorded with numerous musicians from the 1950s onwards. Belgrave was inducted into the class of 2017 ...

. He achieved recognition performing with Terence Blanchard's Quintet and then with

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

. 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 in 2002. In 2006, Whitaker was nominated for the

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

Traditional Jazz Album of the Year for ''Let Me Tell You About My Day'', his album in collaboration with

Phil Dwyer Philip John Dwyer (28 October 1953 – 30 November 2021) was a Welsh professional Association football, footballer. Born in Cardiff, he began his career with his hometown club Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City, joining the side as an apprentice ...

and Alan Jones. He has also been working with the pianist Junko Onishi. Whitaker is professor of jazz double bass and director of jazz studies at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

's College of Music. He has presented master classes at such institutions as

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

, Howard University, University of Iowa, University of Michigan, the New School (NY), Lincoln Center, and the Detroit International Jazz Festival, 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 progra ...

. He has also worked with

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.

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 * ''Get Ready'' ( Mack Avenue, 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, 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'', 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'', 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'', Charles Sullivan, 1995 * ''Penn's Landing'', Clarence Penn, Criss Cross, 1996 * ''

Tenor Time ''Tenor Time'' is an album by the American jazz tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, released on February 19, 1999, on somethin`else (Toshiba EMI). Track listing Personnel *Joe Lovano - tenor saxophone * Junko Onishi - piano *Rodney Whitaker - doub ...

'', Joe Lovano, 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'',

Craig Handy Craig Mitchell Handy (born September 25, 1962) is an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Oakland, California, he attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Ab ...

, 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