Home » Jazz Musicians » Tito Carrillo

Tito Carrillo

Tito Carrillo is one of the finest trumpeters to emerge from Chicago’s rich jazz trumpet legacy. He is an accomplished trumpeter, educator, bandleader, and composer, and since 1996 he has been a fixture in the Chicago jazz and latin music scenes. A native of Austin, Texas, the list of artists he has performed, recorded, and toured with is as varied and impressive as his skill set.

He has worked with Chicago heavyweights Willie Pickens, Ryan Cohan, Juan Pastor's Chinchano, and Geof Bradfield; big bands such as the Woody Herman Orchestra (Frank Tiberi, director), the Chicago Jazz Ensemble (Bill Russo and Jon Faddis, directors), the Chicago Jazz Orchestra (Jeff Lindberg, director), and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra (David Baker, director); jazz greats such as drummer Louis Hayes, trumpeter Jon Faddis, and saxophonist Vincent Herring; Salsa legends such as Andy Montañez, Tony Vega, and Cheo Feliciano; latin jazz figures such as Orlando "Maraca" Valle and Paquito D’Rivera; and pop icons Quincy Jones and Phil Collins.

Carrillo has performed in some of the most prestigious venues in the world, including Chicago’s Symphony Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and London’s Royal Albert Hall. His work has been heard at international jazz festivals in Chicago, Telluride, Montreaux (Switzerland), the Netherlands, and Finland. Recent performances include engagements with Grammy-award winning vocalist Kurt Elling, the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, and Rudresh Mahanthappa. He has appeared on over 30 album recordings, as well as the concert DVD “Quincy Jones: Live at Montreux 1996”.

Carrillo is also extremely active in jazz education, and was appointed as Assistant Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006. Prior to his appointment at Illinois, he served on the faculty at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, as well as at Northwestern University. He also has helped to spread jazz awareness to Chicago’s inner city schools through the Ravinia Jazz-in-the-Schools outreach program. Carrillo continues an active career as a guest artist/clinician at secondary and collegiate jazz programs across the nation and internationally.

Gear

Adams A4LT Bb Trumpet with 5.5" bell

Conn Vintage One Flugelhorn (Fred Powell design)

Bach 3D mouthpiece

Bobby Shew Flugelhorn mouthpiece


Tags

25
Album Review

Maddie Vogler: While We Have Time

Read "While We Have Time" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Regardless of one's opinion of the music (from this vantage point, quite favorable), it is always a pleasure to welcome a jazz group led by a woman whose talents reach beyond voice or piano. Maddie Vogler, who presides over an admirable sextet on While We Have Time (and wrote all the music therein), plays alto saxophone, and does so about as well as any of her peers, male or female. When she is not gigging or recording, ...

5
Album Review

Maddie Vogler: While We Have Time

Read "While We Have Time" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


In the introduction to alto saxophonist Maddie Vogler's debut recording, While We Have Time, are two striking images. The first is the cover shot, a pair of venerable unmatched hands, depicting those of the artist's immigrant grandmothers, beautifully and simply adorned. The second image is the inside photo of a vibrant young woman, an alto saxophone cradled in her hands. Maddie Vogler. Unusually for a debut, it is a set of all originals, but Vogler is up to ...

7
Album Review

Tito Carrillo: Urbanessence

Read "Urbanessence" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Trumpeter Tito Carillo's second bite of the apple on Origin was more than a decade in the making, following up his outstanding first release, Opening Statement (Origin, 2011). With Urbanessence (Origin, 2022), the Chicago-based artist is truly up to the task, producing a work which is an homage to everyday life in the city. The narrative makes the point that cities are home to creators, visionaries and an army of people who are motivated by the hope they provide. Cities ...

36
Album Review

Tito Carrillo: Urbanessence

Read "Urbanessence" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Urbanessence, the second album as leader from Chicago-area trumpeter, composer and educator Tito Carrillo, is a rhythmic showcase for ten of his buoyant original compositions, all of which embody his love of BAM (Black American Music) and the lyric legacy of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Peru. Carrillo, a bold and burnished improviser from the Freddie Hubbard-Lee Morgan-Donald Byrd school of hard bop, shares the front line with the energetic and versatile saxophonist Troy Roberts (who plays ...

15
Album Review

Ryan Cohan: Originations

Read "Originations" reviewed by Paul Rauch


There is a risk in creating art that reflects in essence, one's own personal journey. What that journey reveals within the context of one life may not carry the same value to a collective audience. In the case of Chicago based composer/pianist Ryan Cohan, his explorative delve into his own bi-cultural roots as presented on his new release, Originations (Origin, 2020), would not resonate with listeners if the music itself was not thrilling. Music provides unity like no other communicative ...

Read more articles
3

Website

All About Jazz Top 10 Songs: October 2022

All About Jazz Top 10 Songs: October 2022

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz features a free song every day spanning all genres of jazz, and of the songs featured in October, these ten represent our reader's favorites as indicated by total listens. Musicians and record labels can submit full length MP3s for consideration here. Enjoy! Top Tracks Sittin at the Bar Eugenie Jones From: Players 04:50 The Moon, the Sun, the Truth Gentiane MG From: Walls Made of Glass

136

"[Carrillo] has acquired a reputation as a fluid improviser, doubly- blessed with a warm lyric style and technique to burn." -Chicago Tribune

 "...musical truth in an unabashed, fiery trumpet style, rooted in the post-bop styles of Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard and laced with a tinge of Latin American soul."
JOHN BARRON, THE JAZZ WORD

 

Primary Instrument

Trumpet

Location

Chicago

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Assistant Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

While We Have Time

Origin Records
2023

buy

Urbanessence

Origin Records
2022

buy

Originations

Origin Records
2020

buy

El Regreso

Self Produced
2019

buy

Opening Statement

Origin Records
2011

buy

Ropa Vieja

From: While We Have Time
By Tito Carrillo

Momentum

From: Urbanessence
By Tito Carrillo

Imaginary Lines

From: Originations
By Tito Carrillo

Truth Seeker

From: Opening Statement
By Tito Carrillo

Videos

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.