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Austin American-Statesman
2009 Fortunate 500: Music

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The Arrival of Jazz Trumpeter Jeff Lofton by Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, March 7, 2010

BIOGRAPHY

It's been an incredible year-and-a-half for jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader Jeff Lofton since his new hometown, also the "Live Music Capital of the World," celebrated "Jeff Lofton Day" on January 15, 2009.

Lofton finished the year with a November release of his second CD, "Jazz to the People." The self-produced CD features nine original compositions, and made KUT's Top 10 Albums of 2009: DJ Picks and the Austin Chronicle's Top 9 Austin Albums of 2009 lists.

The Austin Chronicle also listed him for Best Performing Band: Jazz in their critic's picks launching the Austin Music Poll '09-'10.

"It's so encouraging to be honored alongside popular or mainstream music," Lofton said. "The first CD I sold was to a KLBJ listener after I was on the Dudley and Bob Show. People love jazz when they get a chance to hear it."

Lofton kicked off 2010 with Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute at One World Theatre in March, drawing an impressive crowd the same night SXSW opened. The show features Davis' compositions and interpretations made famous by the first great Miles Davis Quintet during 1950 - 1959, and includes excerpts from "Kind of Blue." In August Lofton takes the show to the Iridium Jazz Club in New York.

His new side project, the Jeff Lofton Electric Thang, a jazz-funk fusion Miles-ian extravaganza, launched in March. On July 2, the Jeff Lofton Electric Thang does Bitches Brew show happens at Lambert's.

"Listen up Miles Davis fans..." from the Austin American-Statesman and "... channels Miles Davis..." from The Daily Texan were early reviews when Lofton arrived from South Carolina in 2007 as a mostly unknown to Austin's music scene. Word-of-mouth about his shows at small bars in east Austin led to a great turnout for the debut of Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute at the historic Victory Grill in September 2007. Soon his shows were being described as "...crazy good and crazy crowded..." (Joe Gross, Austin American-Statesman/Austin360.com).

On January 15, 2009, Lofton celebrated "Jeff Lofton Day" with his first live on-air performance on KUT. On the same day the Austin American-Statesman called him "... one of Austin music's recent overnight successes, even though he's been playing the trumpet for more than 30 years." In February of 2009 Lofton's original, "Shana's Song," was released on Austin Music Vol. 8, an annual compilation from the Austin Convention and Visitor's Bureau. Lofton performed at the CD release party at Antone's.

February also included Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute kicking off an Elephant Room concert series in collaboration with the Blanton Museum's "Birth of the Cool" exhibit, and the beginning of a six-month residency on Thursday nights at The Belmont.

Following are more highlights from 2009:

January:
- performance live from Studio 1A on KUT's Music with Jay Trachtenberg (click for podcast) - performance of "Georgia" by the Jeff Lofton Quintet chosen for KUT Texas Music Matter's Song of Day

February: - performance for KUT's Aeilli Unleashed featuring music from Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute in collaboration with the Blanton Museum's "Birth of the Cool" exhibit and Elephant Room series - began six-month residency at The Belmont on Austin's West Sixth Street

April: - "Jazz to the People" recording session with Red Young on piano, Chris Jones on bass and Masumi Jones on drums, with special guests Alex Coke on sax and Danielle Howle on vocals on "Crazy." The CD includes nine originals and jazz interpretations of "Crazy" and "Georgia On My Mind." - Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute at Scat Jazz Lounge in Ft. Worth

May: - performance of selections from Jeff Lofton's 1950s Miles Davis Tribute at the Blanton Museum's B-Scene party - performance at Derrick Johnson Foundation fundraiser - guest speaker at Dionysium, an Austin salon held at Alamo Drafthouse

June: - performance with the legendary jazz vocalist Donna Hightower for a Juneteenth celebration - performance for the City of Austin's mayoral and city council inauguration reception

July: - began a three-month residency at Cissi's Wine Bar on South Congress

August: - celebrated one-year of Jeff Lofton Quartet's Sunday Jazz Brunch at Waterloo Ice House - assembled a legendary Jeff Lofton Quintet line-up for an Elephant Room performance with Tony Campise on sax, Dr. James Polk on piano, and Butch Miles on drums.

September: - performance for Tribeza Style Week - named to the Austin American-Statesman Fortunate 500: Music list

October: - performance for the City of Austin's Comprehensive Plan Open House

November: - "Jazz to the People" CD release at the Mexic-Arte Museum - performance at Jazz at St. James with the Jeff Lofton Quartet featuring Donna Hightower, opening for Javon Jackson Quartet - Austin Chronicle, November 27, 2009 Music Review, 3.5 stars - KUT 90.5 FM, Music with Jay Trachtenberg, Live in Studio 1A, November 5, 2009 . - Best Bet / Top Pick, Austin American-Statesman / Austin360.com (Nov 07, 2009),- live on-air performance on KLBJ's Dudley and Bob Show

December : - performance for Austin's annual Holiday Sing Along and Downtown Holiday Stroll - appearance on KEYE's We are Austin Live - live on-air performance on KLBJ's Dudley and Bob Show - "Jazz to the People" named to KUT's Top 10 Albums of 2009: DJ Picks - "Jazz to the People" named to Austin Chronicle's Top 9 Austin Albums of 2009 lists.

Born in Germany to American parents, Lofton grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. He studied music at the University of South Carolina and has been playing trumpet for over thirty years.

Lofton debuted his first jazz CD, Jazz Therapy, in 2005, with the Jeff Lofton Quartet. The self-produced CD mixes old style be-bop with modern forms of jazz in the tradition of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane. In addition to Lofton on trumpet, the CD also includes Roland Haynes on piano, Reggie Sullivan on bass and Kenneth Salters on drums.

In 2008 he performed at the fourteenth annual Jazz at St. James Festival in Austin, which featured jazz legends Curtis Fuller and David "Fathead" Newman. The Jeff Lofton Quartet featuring Donna Hightower opened for Javon Jackson at the Jazz at St. James Festival in November 2009.

Lofton also works as an R&B and hip-hop producer, producing such artists as Legend and The Gutsmen. As a winner of a juried competition, Lofton was included on the South Carolina Arts Commission's Arts in Education Roster. Lofton teaches private lessons and has lead jazz clinics for high school students in Austin.

In South Carolina, the Jeff Lofton Quartet had a strong following from a long-running Friday night residency at Meritage in the Vista, as well as performances at Mac's on Main and at the Three Rivers Music Festival. Lofton is also well known for the Jazz Therapy Jazz Quintet featuring himself and Skip Pearson performing on Sundays at the club Group Therapy. Other groups Lofton has played with include Defellas (an avant guard jazz group), Deja Voodoo (a hip-hop/jazz fusion group) and Wadada (a reggae group).

VENUES

• One World Theatre, Austin
• The Ghost Room, Austin
• Antone's, Austin
• Lambert's, Austin
• Ruth's Chris Steak House (Bar/Lounge)
• San Antonio Arts and Jazz Festival
• Jazz at St. James Festival, Austin
• Lucky Lounge, Austin
• Elephant Room, Austin
• Blanton Museum at UT, Miles Davis Tribute, Austin
• Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin
• Scat Jazz Lounge, Fort Worth
• Annie's Cafe and Bar, Austin
• Cissi's Wine Bar, Austin
• The Driskill, Austin
• The Belmont, Austin
• Antone's, Austin - Austin Music Vol. 8 CD release
• Victory Grill - Miles Davis Tribute debut and Sunday Night Jazz series, Austin
• Reed's Jazz and Supper Club with Marc Devine Trio, Austin
• Austin Light Bar, Austin
• Kick Butt Coffee, Austin
• Central Market, Austin
• Barack Obama fundraiser, Victory Grill, Austin
• Waterloo Ice House, Austin
• Kirby's Fine Dining, San Antonio
• Espana Mediterranean Cuisine, McAllen
• Cine El Rey historic theatre, McAllen
• Shenanigan's, Brownsville
• The Irish Pub, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
• Three Rivers Music Festival, Columbia, South Carolina
• Mac's on Main jazz and blues, Columbia, South Carolina
• Hunter Gatherer Café and Brew Pub, Columbia, South Carolina
• Group Therapy (club), Columbia, South Carolina
• The Bop Shop Club (sat in), Chicago, Illinois
• The Green Mill (sat in), Chicago, Illinois

AIRPLAY/WEBPLAY

• KUT (NPR-affiliate), Austin, Texas: "Music with Jay Trachtenberg," "Aielli Uleashed," "Song of the Day," and the "Austin Music Minute"
• KRTU, San Antonio
• KLBJ "Dudley and Bob Show," Austin, Texas
• GCN Network, "Dr. Katherine Albrecht Show," nationally syndicated
• KSDS Jazz 88, San Diego, California
• KOOP "Sounds Around Town" and "Non-breaking Space," "Under the X in Texas," Austin, Texas
• WWOZ, New Orleans, LA
• WHCR, Harlem, NY
• KAZI, Austin, Texas
• KMBH, Harlingen, Texas
• WGJB Jazz Suite, Southfield, Michigan
• WUSC, Columbia, South Carolina
• SmoothAtlanta.com
• Cathay Pacific Airline on board broadcast channel,
• Hong Kong; Air New Zealand on board broadcast channel
• London Times jazz critic Alyn Shipton's Jazz Cafe
• SkyJazz.com
• Public Radio International
• Music Choice
• Sirus Satellite Radio
• XM Satellite Radio
• Live 365
• Raphpsody
• Yahoo.com

RECORDINGS

• Jazz to the People, 2009, Jeff Lofton Quartet
• "Shana's Song" included on Ausin Music Vol. 8, the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau compilation 2009 release
• Jazz Therapy, 2005, Jeff Lofton Quartet
• Black Magic, DejaVoodoo, hip-hop/funk/jazz
• Self-titled, Jahson, reggae

PRODUCER

• Jazz to the People, 2009, Jeff Lofton Quartet
• Jazz Therapy, 2005, Jeff Lofton Quartet
• Power to the People, DejaVoodoo, hip-hop/funk/jazz
• Self-titled, Legend, R&B/hip-hop
• Calling a Spade a Spade, The Gutsmen, R&B/hip-hop

PERFORMED WITH

• Dr. James Polk
• Butch Miles
• Tony Campise
• Ernie Durawa
• Marc Devine
• Alex Coke
• Red Young
• Michael Stevens
• Ed Friedland
• Masumi Jones
• Chris Jones
• Rene Sandoval
• Jim Mings, Austin guitarist (now in South Carolina)
• Ron Westray and Wycliff Gordon, trombonists, of the Wynton Marsalis septet and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
• Fred Wesley, trombonist, of the James Brown horn section
• Fred Hampton, saxophonist, of the Chicago A.A.C.M
• Skip Pearson, saxophonist
• Dr. Gregory McPherson, pianist, composer, teacher, Berklee School of Music
• John Blackwell, drummer, Prince
• Robert Gardner
• Dr. Dick Goodwin
• Dr. John Enkey
• Teddy Linder