Ryan Kisor (born April 12, 1973) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpeter. A native of

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury County, Iowa, Woodbury and Plymouth County, Iowa, Plymouth counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, fo ...

, Kisor learned trumpet from his father, Larry Kisor, and started playing in a local dance band (the Eddie Skeets Orchestra) at age ten. Kisor began classical trumpet lessons at age 12, met Clark Terry when he was 15 (attending his summer jazz camp), and played with all-star high school bands. In 1990, Kisor won the Thelonious Monk Institute's trumpet contest at the age of 17; Nicholas Payton and Marcus Printup were among the other contestants that year. His younger brother Justin Kisor is also an accomplished jazz artist (trumpet) who he has performed numerous concerts and had record releases with Kisor.Point of Arrival CD, featuring Ryan and Justin Kisor
/ref> Following this he was signed by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

, who released his first two albums, 1992's ''Minor Mutiny'' and 1993's ''On the One''. Following this, Kisor entered the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

, where he was a student of

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944 – March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. He was a founding member of the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studie ...

among others. He has played in New York with the

Mingus Big Band Mingus Big Band is a 14-piece ensemble, based in New York City, that specializes in the compositions of Charles Mingus. It was managed by his widow, Sue Mingus, along with Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. In addition to its weekly Wednesday ni ...

and the

Michel Camilo Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a Dominican pianist and composer. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Background and career Camilo was born into a musical family and as a young child showed aptitude for the accordion ...

Big Band, with

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young ...

Wycliffe Gordon Wycliffe A. Gordon (born May 29, 1967) is an American jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. Gordon also sings and plays didgeridoo, trumpet, soprano trombone, tuba, and piano ...

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 Walter Blanding. Since 1994 he has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and has released many albums as a bandleader.

Discography

As leader

* 1992?: ''Minor Mutiny'' (Columbia, 1992) * 1993?: ''On the One'' (Columbia, 1993) * 1997: ''Battle Cry'' (Criss Cross, 1998) * 1998: ''The Usual Suspects'' (Fable/Lightyear, 1998) * 1998: ''Point of Arrival'' (Criss Cross, 2000) * 1999: ''Power Source'' (Criss Cross, 2001) * 1999: ''Kisor'' (Videoarts, 2000) * 2001?: ''Kisor II'' (Videoarts, 2001) * 2002: ''The Sidewinder'' (Videoarts, 2003) * 2002: ''Awakening'' (Criss Cross, 2003) * 2003: ''Donna Lee'' (Videoarts, 2004) * 2004: The Uptown Quintet, ''Live in New York'' (Cellar Live, 2005) – live recorded at

Smoke (jazz club) Smoke Jazz & Supper Club is a jazz club located at 2751 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The club was opened on April 9, 1999 by co-founders Paul Stache and Frank Christopher and is currently owned by Stache and his w ...

* 2005: Ryan Kisor Quintet, ''This Is Ryan'' (Videoarts, 2005) * 2006: ''One Finger Snap '' (Videoarts, 2006) * 2007: ''Conception: Cool and Hot '' (Birds, 2008) * 2008: Ryan Kisor Quintet, ''Live at Smalls'' (SmallsLIVE, 2010) – live recorded at

Smalls Jazz Club Smalls Jazz Club is a jazz club at 183 West 10th Street, Greenwich Village, New York City. Established in 1994, it earned a reputation in the 1990s as a "hotbed for New York's jazz talent" with a "well-deserved reputation as one of the best plac ...

As sideman

With

and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra * ''Blood On the Fields'' (Columbia, 1997) * ''Live in Swing City, Swingin' with Duke'' (Columbia, 1999) – live * ''Big Train'' (Columbia, 1999) * ''Essentially Ellington 2000'' (Warner Bros., 2000) * ''Plays the Music of Duke Ellington'' (Brooks Brothers, 2004) * ''A Love Supreme'' (Palmetto, 2004) * ''Don't Be Afraid...The Music of Charles Mingus'' (Palmetto, 2005) * ''Vitoria Suite'' (EmArcy, 2010) * ''Portrait in Seven Shades'' (Jazz at Lincoln Center, 2010) * ''The Abyssinian Mass'' (Blue Engine, 2016) * ''The Music of John Lewis'' (Blue Engine, 2017) * ''The Music of Wayne Shorter'' (Blue Engine, 2020) With the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra * ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' (Sweet Basil, 1992) * ''A Night in Tunisia'' (Sweet Basil, 1993) * ''Get It On'' (Sweet Basil, 1995) * ''Paint It Black'' (Sweet Basil, 1996) * ''Black Magic Woman'' (Sweet Basil, 1997) * ''Hey Duke!'' (Videoarts, 1999) * ''Some Skunk Funk'' (Videoarts, 2002) * ''Birdland'' (Videoarts, 2004) With David Matthews * ''Watermelon Man'' (Sweet Basil, 1997) * ''Furuhata Jazz in N.Y.'' (WEA, 1997) * ''Mambo No. 5'' (Sweet Basil, 1998) * ''Back to Bach'' (Milestone, 2000) * ''Impressions'' (Videoarts, 2002) * ''The Girl from Ipanema'' (Videoarts, 2002) With

* ''Nostalgia in Times Square'' (Dreyfus, 1993) * ''Gunslinging Birds'' (Dreyfus, 1995) * ''Live in Time'' (Dreyfus, 1996) – live * ''Que Viva Mingus!'' (Dreyfus, 1997) With others * Ray Anderson, ''

Big Band Record ''Big Band Record'' is an album by trombonist Ray Anderson (musician), Ray Anderson and the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band which was released on the Gramavision Records, Gramavision label in 1994.Rousell, PDiscography of Tim Berneaccessed June 2 ...

'' (Gramavision, 1994) * Ehud Asherie, ''Lockout'' (Posi-Tone, 2007) *

Ralph Bowen Ralph Bowen (born December 24, 1961) is a Canadian jazz saxophonist. Biography Bowen started piano lessons at an early age, with clarinet and saxophone lessons following soon after. At thirteen he led a quartet and performed in big bands in Tor ...

, ''Keep the Change'' (Criss Cross, 2003) *

, ''One More Once'' (Columbia, 1994) *

Carnegie Hall Jazz Band {{Use mdy dates, date=April 2025 The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band was a big band organized in 1991 by George Wein. Its musical director was Jon Faddis. The group gave its first performance in October 1992, and gave concerts paying tribute to classic ja ...

, ''The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band/Music Director Jon Faddis'' (Blue Note, 1996) * Jesse Davis, ''Live at Smalls'' (SmallsLIVE, 2012) – live * Michael Davis, ''Trumpets Eleven'' (Hip-Bone Music, 2003) * Ivan Farmakovsky, ''Next to the Shadow'' (Boheme Music, 2009) *

, ''What You Dealin' With'' (Criss Cross, 2001) * Jim Hall, ''Textures'' (Telarc, 1997) – rec. 1996 * Ian Hendrickson-Smith, ''Still Smokin' '' (Sharp Nine, 2004) *

Mike LeDonne Michael Arthur LeDonne (born October 26, 1956) is an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and educator. Having played with Benny Goodman, Milt Jackson, and Benny Golson in various stages of his career, he now leads several of his own groups ...

, ''Soulmates'' (Criss Cross, 1993) *

Mike Longo Michael Josef Longo (March 19, 1937 – March 22, 2020) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and author. Early life Longo was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to parents who had a musical background. His father played bass, his mother played organ at c ...

, ''Explosion'' (Consolidated Artists, 1999) *

Andy McKee Andy McKee (born April 4, 1979, in Topeka, Kansas) is an American fingerstyle guitar player who has released six studio albums, three extended plays, and one live album to date. A number of YouTube videos featuring McKee's highly-technical gui ...

, ''Sound Roots'' (Mapleshade, 1997) *

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...

, '' Secret Story'' (Geffen, 1992) *

, ''Dragonfly'' (Telarc, 1995) * Ted Nash, ''Presidential Suite: Eight Variations On Freedom'' (Motema, 2016) *

Melvin Rhyne Melvin Rhyne (October 12, 1936 – March 5, 2013), was a jazz organist best known for his work with Wes Montgomery. Biography Melvin Rhyne was born in Indianapolis in 1936 and started playing the piano shortly after. At 19 years old, Rhyne s ...

, ''Stick to the Kick'' (Criss Cross, 1995) *

Herlin Riley Herlin Riley (born February 15, 1957) is an American jazz drummer and a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. A native of New Orleans, Riley started on the drums when he was three. He played trumpet through high ...

, ''Watch What You're Doing'' (Criss Cross, 1999) *

, '' Jazz... Has... A Sense of Humor'' (Verve, 1999) – rec. 1998 *

Steve Slagle Steve Slagle (born September 18, 1951) is an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Slagle was born in Los Angeles and grew up in suburban Philadelphia. He received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music and received a master's degree in ...

, ''Alto Blue'' (SteepleChase, 1997) * Grant Stewart, ''Tenor and Soul'' (Videoarts, 2005) *

Steve Swallow Steve Swallow (born October 4, 1940) is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar. ...

, ''

Deconstructed Deconstruction is a philosophical theory. Deconstruction or Deconstructed may also refer to: Music Albums * ''Deconstructed'' (Bush album), a 1997 compilation album * ''Deconstructed'' (EP), an EP by Kesha * ''Deconstructed'' (Steve Swallow a ...

'' (XtraWATT, 1997) – rec. 1996 * Bobby Watson, ''Tailor Made'' (Columbia, 1993) *

Michael Weiss Michael Weiss may refer to: Sports * Michael Weiss (figure skater) (born 1976), American former figure skater * Michael Weiss (swimmer) (born 1991), American swimmer * Michael Weiss (triathlete) (born 1981), Austrian triathlete and cyclist * Michae ...

, ''Soul Journey'' (Sintra, 2003) * Paula West, ''Come What May'' (Hi Horse, 2001) * Ben Wolfe, ''Live at Smalls'' (SmallsLIVE, 2010) – live * Sam Yahel, ''Searchin' '' (Naxos, 1997) – rec. 1996

References

Ryan Kisor Ryan Kisor (born April 12, 1973) is an American jazz trumpeter. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Kisor learned trumpet from his father, Larry Kisor, and started playing in a local dance band (the Eddie Skeets Orchestra) at age ten. Kisor began clas ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

Yanow, S. (2001). Trumpet Kings. In S. Yanow, Trumpet Kings (p. 222). San Francisco: Backbeat Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Kisor, Ryan American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters 1973 births Living people Jazz musicians from New York (state) Manhattan School of Music alumni Musicians from Iowa People from Sioux City, Iowa 21st-century American trumpeters 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members Mingus Big Band members Criss Cross Jazz artists Columbia Records artists