Nelson Rangell
Encyclopedia
Nelson Rangell is an American velvet-smooth jazz musician and composer originally from Castle Rock, Colorado
. Although Rangell is known for his work with the tenor
, alto
, and soprano
saxophone, his primary instrument is the piccolo flute
, which he began playing at the age of 15. In his time as a Jazz musician, Rangell has worked somewhat regularly with several well known Jazz artists such as Jimmy Haslip
and Russ Ferrante, and has released 15 albums since the release of his début To Begin Again on January 1, 1988.
Rangell first played flute at the age of 15. Within six months he was studying both classical and jazz music at The Interlochen Arts Academy, a national camp for gifted music students. He went on to attend The New England Conservatory of Music
in Boston. As a student he twice won Down Beat
Magazine's prestigious National Student Recording Awards competition both as best jazz and best pop/rock instrumental soloist. After college he headed to New York in 1984 to pursue his career.
The next four years were spent "paying dues"; sitting in, playing alongside, and gigging with some of the world's greatest contemporary jazz musicians including Eric Marienthal
, Hiram Bullock
, Eric Gale
, Richard Tee
, Jaco Pastorius
, David Sanborn
and many others. He also found occasional employment with the legendary Gil Evans
Monday Night Orchestra and worked on many commercial jingle recording sessions. Rangell's 1987 debut album was released on Gaia/Gramavision Records, but soon thereafter he was signed by Larry Rosen
and Dave Grusin
at GRP Records
.
In the 1980s he was a member of Members Only
, a jazz ensemble who recorded for Muse Records
.
A succession of albums followed at GRP where he recorded eight CDs, beginning in 1989. His stated ambition throughout these endeavors has been "to grow and evolve as a player and artist while making music that people can easily relate to in a form that is substantive." With his musical armory encompassing flute, piccolo, alto, tenor and soprano saxophone as well as whistling, he was well equipped to fulfill this desire. He has recorded with The Rippingtons
, Chuck Loeb
, Patti Austin
, Tom Browne, and The GRP All-Star Big Band
to name a few and is featured on Don Grusin
's Grammy nominated CD "The Hang." Though Rangell has recorded mostly in the contemporary/pop and smooth jazz formats garnering top radio play and a large audience, The Times
notes "heard live a much more robust and idiosyncratic player emerges." In the late 90s Rangell continued his career with Shanachie Records
and has now released 14 CDs nationally and internationally.
Castle Rock, Colorado
The Town of Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States and is named for the prominent castle tower-shaped butte near the center of town. It is part of Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor and is located roughly 28 miles south of Denver and 37 miles north of...
. Although Rangell is known for his work with the tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
, and soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
saxophone, his primary instrument is the piccolo flute
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
, which he began playing at the age of 15. In his time as a Jazz musician, Rangell has worked somewhat regularly with several well known Jazz artists such as Jimmy Haslip
Jimmy Haslip
Jimmy Haslip is an American electric bass player and record producer best known as a founding and current member of the pioneering fusion group Yellowjackets...
and Russ Ferrante, and has released 15 albums since the release of his début To Begin Again on January 1, 1988.
Biography
Although Rangell's parents had no musical involvement, his siblings have also established musical careers; his brothers – Andrew, a concert pianist and Bobby, a leading woodwind player in European jazz and studio scenes. His sister Paula also has a career as a singer, living in New Orleans.Rangell first played flute at the age of 15. Within six months he was studying both classical and jazz music at The Interlochen Arts Academy, a national camp for gifted music students. He went on to attend The New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
in Boston. As a student he twice won Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
Magazine's prestigious National Student Recording Awards competition both as best jazz and best pop/rock instrumental soloist. After college he headed to New York in 1984 to pursue his career.
The next four years were spent "paying dues"; sitting in, playing alongside, and gigging with some of the world's greatest contemporary jazz musicians including Eric Marienthal
Eric Marienthal
Eric Marienthal is a Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres....
, Hiram Bullock
Hiram Bullock
Hiram Law Bullock was an American jazz funk and jazz fusion guitarist.He was born in Osaka, Japan to African American parents serving in the U.S. Military. At the age of two he returned to Baltimore, Maryland with his parents, and quickly showed a prodigious musical talent...
, Eric Gale
Eric Gale
Eric J. Gale was a leading American jazz and session guitarist.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gale began playing guitar at the age of 12. Although he majored in chemistry at Niagara University, Gale was determined to pursue a musical career, and began contributing to accompaniments for such stars as...
, Richard Tee
Richard Tee
Richard Tee was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger.Tee graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the...
, Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
and many others. He also found occasional employment with the legendary Gil Evans
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
Monday Night Orchestra and worked on many commercial jingle recording sessions. Rangell's 1987 debut album was released on Gaia/Gramavision Records, but soon thereafter he was signed by Larry Rosen
Larry Rosen
Larry Rosen may refer to:*Lawrence Rosen, lawyer, specialized in technology-related intellectual property issues*Larry Rosen , musician and record producer*Larry Rosen , CEO of Harry Rosen Inc....
and Dave Grusin
Dave Grusin
David Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
at GRP Records
GRP Records
GRP Records is an American jazz record company, owned by Universal Music Group and operates through its Verve Music Group. The company's name has had different meanings. In its early days, it stood for "Grusin/Rosen Productions," after the founders...
.
In the 1980s he was a member of Members Only
Members Only (band)
Members Only was a jazz-funk project under the guidance of Chris Hills, also featuring Nelson Rangell on sax, flute & piccolo, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, Lew Soloff on trumpet, Andy Marvel on keyboards, Chris Hills on drums, keyboards, guitar & vocals, Jimi Tunnell and Billy Masters on guitar,...
, a jazz ensemble who recorded for Muse Records
Muse Records
Muse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
.
A succession of albums followed at GRP where he recorded eight CDs, beginning in 1989. His stated ambition throughout these endeavors has been "to grow and evolve as a player and artist while making music that people can easily relate to in a form that is substantive." With his musical armory encompassing flute, piccolo, alto, tenor and soprano saxophone as well as whistling, he was well equipped to fulfill this desire. He has recorded with The Rippingtons
The Rippingtons
The Rippingtons are a contemporary group mainly relating to the genres Smooth jazz, Jazz pop, and Crossover jazz. Formed in 1986 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman , their career has spanned two decades...
, Chuck Loeb
Chuck Loeb
Chuck Loeb is a guitarist who performs numerous styles of music, most notably jazz. Loeb's own solo projects have generally been commercially successful crossover jazz, which has "contemporary" or "smooth" jazz....
, Patti Austin
Patti Austin
-Life and career:Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents....
, Tom Browne, and The GRP All-Star Big Band
GRP All-Star Big Band
The GRP Band was a group compiled in the late 1980s under the direction of Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, principles of GRP Records. The band was a full band, and they mostly played well-known jazz pieces from the 1950s and 1960s written by famous musicians and composers...
to name a few and is featured on Don Grusin
Don Grusin
Don Grusin , is an American songwriter, producer and keyboardist. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and for a period of his life taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as well as at Foothill College, California before deciding to enter the music...
's Grammy nominated CD "The Hang." Though Rangell has recorded mostly in the contemporary/pop and smooth jazz formats garnering top radio play and a large audience, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
notes "heard live a much more robust and idiosyncratic player emerges." In the late 90s Rangell continued his career with Shanachie Records
Shanachie Records
Shanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. According to Harvey Pekar , it is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed by E1 Music. Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by Celtic...
and has now released 14 CDs nationally and internationally.
Discography
- To Begin Again (1988)
- Playing for Keeps (1989)
- Nelson Rangell (1990)
- In Every Moment (1992)
- Truest Heart (1993)
- Yes, Then Yes (1994)
- Destiny (1994)
- Turning Night into Day (1997)
- The Very Best of Nelson Rangell (1998)
- Always (1999)
- Far Away Day (2000)
- Look Again (2003)
- All I Hope for Christmas (2004)
- My American Songbook vol.1 (2005)
- Soul To Souls (2006)