Jim Rotondi


James Robert Rotondi was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, and conductor.
The youngest of five siblings, Rotondi was born in Butte, Montana. He played in New York City for twenty years before moving to Austria. He taught at the University for Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria. He has released over fifteen albums as a leader for Sharp Nine, Criss Cross, Posi-Tone, and Smoke Sessions Records. He played on over eighty albums as a sideman. He performed and recorded with Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, Lou Donaldson, Curtis Fuller, Benny Sharoni, Eric Alexander, and George Coleman.
Rotondi led a quintet, which featured vibraphonist Joe Locke, and an electric band with David Hazeltine called Full House, which used electronic sound on his trumpet and a variety of other electronic instruments. He was also a member of the group One for All.
In 1984, while attending North Texas State University, he won first place in the International Trumpet Guild's jazz trumpet competition.
Rotondi died of a heart attack in Le Crest, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on July 8, 2024, at the age of 61.

Discography

As leader

  • Introducing Jim Rotondi
  • Jim's Bop
  • Reverence
  • Excursions
  • Destination Up
  • New Vistas
  • The Pleasure Dome
  • Iron Man
  • Four of a Kind
  • Blues for Brother Ray
  • 1000 Rainbows
  • The Move
  • Live at Smalls
  • Hard Hittin' at the Bird's Eye
  • Dark Blue
  • Over Here
  • Finesse
  • ''Bluesbag''

    As sideman

With One for All
  • Too Soon to Tell
  • Optimism
  • Upward and Onward
  • What's Going On
  • The Long Haul
  • The End of a Love Affair
  • Live at Smoke Volume 1
  • Wide Horizons
  • No Problem
  • Blueslike
  • Killer Joe
  • The Lineup
  • What's Going On?
  • Return of the Lineup
  • Incorrigible
  • Invades Vancouver!
  • The Third Decade
  • Big George
With Eric Alexander
  • Straight Up
  • Man with a Horn
  • Solid!
  • Mode for Mabes
  • Alexander the Great
  • The Second Milestone
  • Temple of Olympic Zeus
With Charles Earland
  • Blowing the Blues Away
  • Cookin' with the Mighty Burner
  • Live
  • Stomp!
  • Charles Earland Tribute Band - Keepers of the Flame
With Irene Reid
With others
  • One O'Clock Lab Band, Lab 85
  • Ray Appleton, Killer Ray Rides Again
  • Ann Hampton Callaway, To Ella with Love
  • Steve Davis, Dig Deep
  • Bill Mobley, Live at Small's Vol. 1
  • Various Artists, 45 years of Jazz and Blues
  • Various Artists, Funky Organ B-3 Jazz Grooves
  • Susan Tobocman, Watercolor Dream
  • Bill Mobley, Live at Small's Vol. 2
  • David Hazeltine, How It Is
  • Giacomo Gates, Fly Rite
  • Mike LeDonne, Then & Now
  • Lionel Hampton, 90th Birthday Celebration
  • Paul Bollenback, Soul Grooves
  • Various Artists, Essential Young Lions, Vol. 2
  • Various Artists, Jazz That Cooks
  • Various Artists, Jazz That's Easy
  • Dena DeRose, I Can See Clearly Now
  • George Coleman, Danger High Voltage
  • Randy Johnston, Homage
  • Various Artists, Jazz for a Summer Night
  • Various Artists, That Lonely Feeling Called the Blues
  • Mike LeDonne, Then and Now
  • Mike LeDonne, Bag's Groove a Tribute to Milt Jackson
  • Cecil Payne, Chic Boom, Live at the Jazz Showcase
  • Mike DiRubbo, Keep Steppin
  • Jazz Faculty @ Purchase College, 10th Anniversary Celebration
  • Various Artists, Jazz for Singers and Dreamers
  • Dena DeRose, Love's Holiday
  • Ned Otter, Secrets Inside
  • Toshiko Akiyoshi, Jazz Orchestra Featuring Lew Tabackin, Hiroshima Rising from the Abyss
  • Mike DiRubbo, Human Spirit
  • Joe Farnsworth, It's Prime Time 
  • Various Artists, Jazz with Gentle Rhythms
  • Eric Starr, She
  • Seleno Clarke, Diversity #2 - Live at Smoke
  • Toshiko Akiyoshi, Jazz Orchestra Featuring Lew Tabackin, Last Live in Blue Note Tokyo
  • Full House, Champagne Taste – Nagel Heyer, 2005)
  • Kyle Eastwood, Paris Blue
  • Westchester Jazz Orchestra, All In
  • Peter Lerner, Cry For Peace
  • Dimitri Kolesnik, Five Corners
  • Various Artists, Funky Pieces of Silver - The Horace Silver Songbook
  • Darren Solomon, Science for Girls 
  • Alex Graham, Brand New 
  • James Silberstein, Express Lane
  • Ofer Assaf, Tangible Reality
  • Bob Mintzer, Swing Out
  • Meeting Point, Quintessence
  • Peter Hand, The Wizard of Jazz
  • Jeff Lashway, Reunion 
  • Cory Weeds, Everything's Coming Up Weeds
  • Westchester Jazz Orchestra, Maiden Voyage 
  • Alexis Cole, You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to
  • John Regen, Revolution 
  • Jared Gold, All Wrapped Up 
  • Craig Wuepper, Leaps and Bounds
  • Benny Sharoni: Slant Signature
  • Ed Neumeister, Suite Ellington 
  • Neil Slater, Legacy - Division of Jazz Studies North Texas
  • John Regen, Higher Ground
  • Win Pongsakorn, Yes, It Is! Introducing Win Pongsakorn
  • Jakob Helling, Nerds & Sweeties
  • Win Pongsakorn, ''Time Has Changed''