Gerard Presencer

Infobox musical artist

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Landscape = yes
Name = Gerard Presencer
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name =
Born = birth date|1972|9|12
Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Died =
Instrument = Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Genre = Jazz, Nu Jazz, Hard Bop, Beebop
Occupation = Performer, Bandleader, Educator
Years_active = 1987 - Present
Associated_acts =
URL =

Gerard Presencer (born 12 September 1972) is an English jazz trumpeter who has also made a name as a session player in pop-music contexts, and as a jazz educator.

Biography

Presencer showed his first interest in what was to become his chosen instrument, the trumpet, at nine. His anthropologist/psychologist father Alain was a trained opera singer with vast collection of jazz records. It was through him that Gerard heard Roy Eldridge's solo from a Jazz At The Philharmonic live date, a performance that Presencer attributes to his early determination to become a trumpeter. Presencer has also cited among others Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw and Clifford Brown as early influences. [http://www.linnrecords.com/artist-gerard-presencer.aspx - Linn Records - Gerard Presencer (Bio)]

At the age of eleven, he became the youngest trumpeter with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Presencer had been playing with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra for nearly five years, when he got his first important break. He was spotted on a 1988 jazz boat trip out of Southampton, where he was playing with saxophonist Tim Colwell, by Clark Tracey. Tracy asked Presencer to deputize for Guy Barker in his quintet, and subsequently formed a quartet, featuring the 15-year-old as his sole front-line player. Presencer later secured the trumpet chair in the Pizza Express Modern Jazz Sextet, where he shared the front-line with saxophonists Alan Barnes and Dave O'Higgins. Around this time, at the age of 18, Presencer also began playing with pianist Stan Tracey, in his big band, octet and septet.

Presencer continued to work with British musicians such as Tommy Smith, Stan Tracey, Peter King, John Dankworth, Julian Joseph, Ronnie Scott, Cleo Laine and Jason Rebello, as well as with international musicians, including Johnny Griffin, Phil Woods, Joe Sample, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Roy Hargrove, Red Rodney, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Joe Locke and Bob Berg.http://www.hopper-management.com/bios/en/gp_bio_e.htm - Hopper Management - Gerard Presencer (Bio)] He is a member of Charlie Watts' Tentet, with which he has recorded four albums, and was a featured soloist on US3's "Cantaloop" (Blue Note's biggest-selling release). He has also released three albums as leader.

Presencer has also been a popular session musician, recording with Sting, Jamiroquai, Zero 7, James Brown, Ray Charles, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Joni Mitchell, The Spice Girls, Paul Weller, Tina Turner, Incognito, Kula Shaker, and the Pet Shop Boys.

As a jazz educationalist, he has taught at the Guildhall School of Music, Leeds College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music (where he is Head of Jazz), as well as being a professor at Berlin's Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler.

Discography

;As a leader

*1998: "Platypus" (Linn)
*2000: "The Optimist" (Linn)
*2002: "Chasing Reality" (ACT)

;Other Appearances

*1992: "Innocence" — Joe Gallivan (Cadence)
*1993: "Hand On The Torch" — US3 (Blue Note Records)
*1993: "Front Row" — Pressure Drop (Marlboro Music/IDE)
*1993: "Super Mario Bros. (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" — Various Artists (Capitol Records)
*1993: "Live at the QEH" — Stan Tracy (Blue Note Records)
*1994: "Brother Sister" — Brand New Heavies (Delicious Vinyl)
*1995: "For Heaven's Sake" — The New Stan Tracey Quartet (Cadillac)
*1995: "100 Degrees And Rising" — Incognito (Verve)
*1995: "Alternative" — Pet Shop Boys (Parlophone)
*1995: "In The Hand Of The Inevitable" — The James Taylor Quartet (Acid Jazz)
*1995: "Get Shorty (Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack)" — Various Artists (Antilles)
*1995: "Gran Via" — Matt Bianco (AMC)
*1995: "The Finest Collection Of Workshy" — Workshy (Pony Canyon Inc.)
*1996: "Long Ago & Far Away" — Charlie Watts (Virgin)
*1997: "Shelter" — Brand New Heavies (Delicious Vinyl)
*1998: "Celebrating Grappelli" — Stephane Grappelli (Linn Records)
*1998: "Make This City Ours" — Claire Martin (Linn Records)
*1998: "Eyes Don't Lie" — Truce (Big Life)
*1999: "Flip Fantasia: Hits & Remixes" — US3 (Blue Note Records)
*2000: "Originations" — Chick Corea (Stretch Records)
*2000: "Both Sides Now" — Joni Mitchell (Reprise Records)
*2000: "Rise" — Gabrielle (Universal Records)
*2000: "Trunk Funk Classics 1991-2000" — Brand New Heavies (Delicious Vinyl)
*2000: "Duke - The Durham Connection: A Selection from the Sacred Concerts" — The Stan Tracey Orchestra (33 Records)
*2000: "Made By Walking" — Joe Locke (Stretch Records)
*2001: "Very/Further Listening 1992-1994" — Pet Shop Boys (Parlophone)
*2003: "Food Of Love" — Pressure Drop (One Eye Records)
*2003: "Is You Is" — Micatone (Sonar Kollektiv)
*2003: "Bar Lounge Classics Summer Edition" — Various Artists (Sony Music Media)
*2003: "Vintage Chill Vol. 3: Autumn" — Various Artists (Kriztal)
*2003: "4 Walls of Freedom" — Joe Locke (Sirocco Jazz)
*2004: "The Groove Lounge³" — Various Artists (EMI)
*2004: "When It Falls" — Zero 7 (Elektra)
*2004: "Dreamland" — Joni Mitchell (Asylum/Reprise Records)
*2004: "Watts At Scott's" — Charlie Watts & The Tentet (Sanctuary Black Box)
*2005: "The Best Of" — Martin Taylor (P3 Music)
*2005: "Best Smooth Jazz... Ever!" — Various Artists (Liberty)
*2008: "A Cool & Danceable Adventure" — Auratones (Challenge Records)

External links

*Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, & Brian Priestley. "Jazz: The Rough Guide". ISBN 1-85828-528-3
*Richard Cook & Brian Morton. "The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD" 6th edition. ISBN 0-14-051521-6
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gekqikvhbb29~T4 Gerard Presencer] — discography from AllMusic
* [http://www.linnrecords.com/artist_information/biography.asp?ArtistID=36 Gerard Presencer] — Linn records page

References