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Gerald Cannon

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, Gerald’s initial inspiration was his father Benjamin, a guitarist, who bought him his first electric bass at the ripe young age of 10. He began playing bass in his father’s group ‘The Gospel Expressions' and he never looked back. Gerald attended The University of Wisconsin at La Crosse where he met jazz great Milt Hinton. This meeting not only changed Gerald’s major in college from physical education to music, it also changed the rest of his life.

Gerald transferred to the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee, where he spent the next four years studying jazz bass, classical bass and piano. He also studied art at Marquette University, which nurtured a natural talent and love of painting. Outside of school, Gerald began working as musical director with singer and mentor Penny Goodwin. This experience led to the creation of his own quintet ‘Gerald Cannon’s Jazz Elements,’ which laid the foundation for a solid reputation as a leader and composer in his own right.

At age 28, Gerald arrived in New York City. He immediately began earning his living playing bass in the subway and jamming at the Blue Note with renowned musicians Russell Malone, Winard & Philip Harper and Justin Robinson. From there, prestigious gigs arose with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Dexter Gordon, Cedar Walton Trio with Billy Higgins, Jimmy Smith, Little Jimmy Scott, James Williams, Hamiett Bluiett, Ed Thigpen, Frank Foster, John Bunch, Eddie Harris, Stanley Turrentine and Bunky Green.

After a short stint back home, Gerald returned to New York to work with Buddy Montgomery and Andy Bey. Good fortune followed when acclaimed trumpeter Roy Hargrove came to a club where Gerald was working. For the next seven years, Gerald performed as a member of Roy’s band at major jazz festivals all over the world, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, and the Montreal Jazz Festival. He also was a part of the award winning Crisol tour where Gerald played with great Cuban musicians like master percussionist Jose Luis “Chanquito” Quintana, Miguel “Anga” Diaz, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Chucho Valdes and studied with excellent bassist Orlando “Cachahito” Lopez and pianist Ruben Gonzalez.

Gerald carries the knowledge passed on to him by legendary bassists Ray Brown, Sam Jones, Ron Carter and Buster Williams and continues the legacy by conducting master classes throughout the U.S. and Europe. He taught at the Oberlin Conservatory in 2014, the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee, the New School in New York and at Long Island University. He also gave a number of master classes at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater and Eau Clair, at Emery University in Atlanta, Georgia and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.  Gerald was also a faculty member of the prestigious Conservatory of Maastricht, Holland.

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17
Album Review

Gerald Cannon: Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy

Read "Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy" reviewed by Jack Bowers


In June 2022, bassist Gerald Cannon assembled an all-star septet to perform compositions by his late friends and musical colleagues, drummer Elvin Jones and pianist McCoy Tyner, in concert at Dizzy's Club in New York City. It is a respectable blowing session, with capable solos by all hands, albeit a tad less than one might expect from such an esteemed ensemble. That is not to say anything on the menu is bland or unsavory. Still, expectations are ...

7
Album Review

Eddie Henderson: Witness To History

Read "Witness To History" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


Make no mistake: it is the hot buttered soul, “Shaft"-like theme of “Scorpio Rising" that first snags one's attention. But once snagged, the old cool sets in and Witness To History, trumpeter Eddie Henderson's self curated soundtrack, unwinds with a wicked fervor. A deep, wicked joy. Henderson--who has pretty much seen it all from the impulsive, jazz rock Realization (Capricorn, 1973) through The Cookers to the still palpable Shuffle and Deal (Smoke Avenue, 2020)--looks back for a PBS ...

5
Album Review

Gerald Cannon: Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy

Read "Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


In the heart of the jazz universe, bassist Gerald Cannon pays homage to a couple of legendary figures Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner with his album Live at Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy. Not only is the recording an acknowledgement of the many years Cannon spent playing with Elvin and McCoy, but it is also a virtuosic tribute to the drummer and pianist who defined their dynamic interplay as part of the John Coltrane Quartet during the ...

1
Radio & Podcasts

John Ellis, Donald Vega & Gerald Cannon

Read "John Ellis, Donald Vega & Gerald Cannon" reviewed by Joe Dimino


On the first episode of 2024, we begin with celebrated bassist Gerald Cannon live at Dizzy's Club in New York City. From there, we play releases from late 2023 and new music from 2024 including music from John Ellis, Kelly Jefferson, Mark Burnell and Christian Dillingham. Veteran musicians Donald Vega and Marius Van Den Brink also add some good flavor to this initial hour of 2024 jazz. The show comes to a close with Chris Mondak and material off his ...

5
Album Review

Eddie Henderson: Witness To History

Read "Witness To History" reviewed by Dave Linn


Dr. Eddie Henderson, 82 years old at the time of writing in 2023, has one of the most interesting stories in modern jazz and is a true Renaissance man. His parents were entertainers; his mother was a dancer at the original Cotton Club while his father was a member of the popular singing group Billy Williams and the Charioteers. Later, his stepfather was a doctor to Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington. When he was nine years old, his ...

2
Album Review

Jason Marshall: New Beginnings

Read "New Beginnings" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


Impresario extraordinaire and multi-talented saxophonist Cory Weeds has picked up the challenge to acknowledge the contribution of black musicians to jazz music in these uncertain times. Working with trumpeter and producer Jeremy Pelt, this album New Beginnings by baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall, would be the fifth release led by a black artist for The Cellar Music Group. Although his discography may be on the slim side, Marshall's bona fides are first-rate, having studied with top-notch players ...

36
Album Review

Jason Marshall: New Beginnings

Read "New Beginnings" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Anyone who appreciates the thunderous sound of an assertive baritone sax should love New Beginnings, an emphatic quartet date that shines a light on Jason Marshall's muscular horn and keeps it there from start to finish. While his teammates (Marc Cary, piano; Gerald Cannon, bass; Willie Jones III, drums) converse eloquently on every one of the album's eight numbers, Marshall affixes a decisive exclamation mark on every sentence. He does so with exceptional technique and a seemingly ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live At Dizzy's Club:...

Woodneck Records
2024

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Witness To History

Smoke Sessions Records
2023

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New Beginnings

Cellar Records
2022

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The Ways In

JZAZ Records
2022

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Shuffle and Deal

Smoke Sessions Records
2020

buy

Combinations

Woodneck
2017

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Totem Pole

From: Witness To History
By Gerald Cannon

Combinations

From: Combinations
By Gerald Cannon

Videos

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