Rick Faulkner

Bio:

Rick is originally from Charlottesville , VA but has lived in New York City since 1990. As a freelancer, he has worked with artists ranging from Max Roach to David Murray to Haitian stars Tabou Combo, and has played everything from salsa and Dixieland to the avant-garde. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the legendary ska band the Toasters, touring internationally and recording three CDs. In 1994, Rick and saxophonist Fred Reiter co-founded the critically-acclaimed New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, an innovative group mixing instrumental jazz with Jamaican ska and reggae rhythms. In addition to recording with NYSJE and the Toasters, Rick has appeared on the CDs of artists as diverse as folk singer Sloan Wainwright, Haitian band Skah-Shah 1, and Joe Gallant and Illuminati. His arrangements have been played by Michael Brecker and John Scofield, among others, and he has contributed many compositions to CDs by NYSJE, the Toasters, and Los Más Valientes. In addition, his compositions have been featured on the Lifetime television show The Place, and the soundtrack of the 1997 feature film Bang; he also writes original children’s music for the rock-folk-world group, The Blue Potatoes. In the Latin music realm, Rick has performed with Raulín Rosendo, Ramón Rodríguez, Orlando Marín, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, Dave Santiago and Latin Affair, Ray Vega, Willie Martinez' La Familia Sextet, Annette A. Aguilar's Stringbeans, and 1999 Grammy Award nominee Juan Carlos Formell. Since 1996 he has been a member of the Latin jazz ensemble Los Mas Valientes, led by his wife, flutist Jessica Valiente. Rick released his own solo CD, Waiting for the Rain, in 1999 on the Laughing Buddha label. He holds a degree in music education from Indiana University and a masters in jazz performance from the Manhattan School of Music. He has served on the music faculty of Hunter College and is director of instrumental music at the Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars in East Harlem. In addition to trombone, he also performs on acoustic and electric bass, euphonium, tuba, didgeridoo and harmonicas.

Member Since:

July 06, 2008

Influences:

Trombone: J.J. Johnson, Jimmy Knepper, Al Grey, Curtis Fuller, Vic Dickenson, Tricky Sam Nanton, Kid Ory, Bennie Green, Generoso Jimenez, Barry Rogers, Jimmy Bosch, Raul De Souza, Don Drummond, Rico Rodriguez, Fred Wesley////// Musical inspirations: Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Wayne Shorter, Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Tito Puente, Cachao, Los Van Van, Celia Cruz, Cortijo y su Combo, Martinho da Vila, Hermeto Pascoal, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Airto, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Albert Collins, Sonny Terry, Doc Watson, Oliver Mutukudzi, New Orleans brass bands, trombone shout bands, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Professor Longhair, the Meters - just to name a few!

Record Label:

Laughing Buddha