Noel Pointer
Encyclopedia
Noel Pointer was an American jazz
violin
ist and record producer
.
He was nominated for a Grammy award
in 1981. Pointer's reputation as an outstanding jazz musician and literary advocate garnered him honorary citizenship in cities across the United States. He received special citations from the United States Congress, the US Congressional Black Caucus
, the African National Congress
(ANC), and numerous other civic and private organizations. He served as a music advisory panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA) and the United States Information Agency
(USIA).
At age 13 he made his solo debut performing Vivaldi with the Symphony of the New World Orchestra, followed by guest solo appearances with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra
.
He began playing jazz on the violin while a student at New York City
's High School of Music and Art. While attending college at Manhattan School of Music
, Pointer earned a reputation as a New York session musician
. By age 19, his experience as a free-lance musician had included steady work in The Apollo Theatre Orchestra, The Unlimited Orchestra, The Westbury Music Fair
Orchestra, The Radio City Music Hall Symphony, The Love Unlimited Orchestra (US Tour), The Dance Theater of Harlem Orchestra, The Symphony of the New World Orchaestra, and the pit orchestra
s of several Broadway shows, including Guys and Dolls and Dreamgirls.
From 1977-1981 Noel Pointer recorded seven solo albums, four of which reached the top five jazz albums listed on Billboard
's jazz charts. His debut album Phantazia won him the #1 New Male Jazz Act award in Record World
magazine, along with several other top awards in trade publications, including Down Beat
magazine.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
He was nominated for a Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1981. Pointer's reputation as an outstanding jazz musician and literary advocate garnered him honorary citizenship in cities across the United States. He received special citations from the United States Congress, the US Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
, the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC), and numerous other civic and private organizations. He served as a music advisory panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
(NEA) and the United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
(USIA).
At age 13 he made his solo debut performing Vivaldi with the Symphony of the New World Orchestra, followed by guest solo appearances with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
.
He began playing jazz on the violin while a student at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's High School of Music and Art. While attending college at Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
, Pointer earned a reputation as a New York session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
. By age 19, his experience as a free-lance musician had included steady work in The Apollo Theatre Orchestra, The Unlimited Orchestra, The Westbury Music Fair
Westbury Music Fair
The NYCB Theater at Westbury is an entertainment venue located in Westbury, New York constructed in theater in the round style with seating for 3,000 that was originally developed as a means to present top performers and productions of popular theatrical musicals at a series of venues located in...
Orchestra, The Radio City Music Hall Symphony, The Love Unlimited Orchestra (US Tour), The Dance Theater of Harlem Orchestra, The Symphony of the New World Orchaestra, and the pit orchestra
Pit orchestra
A pit orchestra is a type of orchestra that accompanies performers in musicals, operas, and other shows involving music. In performances of operas and ballets, the pit orchestra is typically similar in size to a symphony orchestra, though it may contain smaller string and brass sections, depending...
s of several Broadway shows, including Guys and Dolls and Dreamgirls.
From 1977-1981 Noel Pointer recorded seven solo albums, four of which reached the top five jazz albums listed on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's jazz charts. His debut album Phantazia won him the #1 New Male Jazz Act award in Record World
Record World
Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade publications in the United States, along with Billboard and Cash Box magazines. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but since 1964 changed it to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin, both...
magazine, along with several other top awards in trade publications, including 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.
Studio albums
- 1977: Phantazia
- 1978: Hold On
- 1979: Feel It
- 1980: Calling
- 1981: All My Reasons
- 1981: Direct Hit
- 1993: Never Lose Your Heart
External links
- [ Noel Pointer] at Allmusic
- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n10_v87/ai_16283457/ Jazz violinist Noel Pointer dies of massive stroke in New York: Jet Magazine, January 16, 1995