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John Petrucelli

John Petrucelli is a jazz saxophonist and composer who began the foundation for his musical career at age 11 in the night club scene in Trenton, New Jersey. He earned his MM in Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, studying with Ralph Bowen, Stanley Cowell, Charles Tolliver and Conrad Herwig.

Petrucelli performs monthly at Somethin' Jazz Club in NYC and throughout the tri-state area.

Critic Bill Milkowski describes tenor saxophonist John Petrucelli’s work as “flowing and intense... Petrucelli weds astounding technique to harmonic and rhythmic invention and a forceful sense of swing.”

In 2015 sees Petrucelli surging onto the jazz scene with his compelling debut album The Way, which will be released on February 3, 2015, featuring emerging jazz artists Peter Park (guitar), Victor Gould (piano), Alexander Claffy (bass) and Gusten Rudolph (drums) alongside legendary drummer Victor Lewis.

Awards

2010 Gerry Mulligan Excellence in Jazz Performance and Composition Award

Gear

Super Balanced Action Tenor Saxophone Vandoren Reeds, 3.5 Ted Klum HR (prototype mp)


Tags

1
Album Review

John Petrucelli: Presence

Read "Presence" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


Call it what? Jazz-op? Jazzical? Silly names aside, histories of jazz and classical music are littered with failed attempts. Saxophonist John Petrucelli, an instructor at Carnegie Mellon University and student of jazz history, astronomy and philosophy, takes the lessons in and presents us with Presence. This ambitious and rewarding album successfully melds an up-for-it jazz quintet and expressive, equally ready-for-anything string quartet to produce an arching narrative of human potential and possibilities. Add in the daring fact that it's all ...

4
Album Review

John Petrucelli: Presence

Read "Presence" reviewed by Patrick Burnette


Tenor-saxophonist John Petrucelli's Presence is an ambitious sprawl of an album. Petrucelli features a jazz quintet (with piano, bass, guitar and drums) together with a string quartet, then gives his tunes titles like “Field of Heaven," “Garden of Angels," and “Scallop Shell of Quiet," as if to warn the listener that the album carries more conceptual weight than the average blowing session. The vaguely Sun Ra-ish cover art is another indicator, and the 82 minute running time is a big ...

5
Album Review

John Petrucelli: Presence

Read "Presence" reviewed by Dustin Mallory


The sophomore effort from saxophonist John Petrucelli is a fresh and timely release of original compositions that were recorded in 2017 at the New Hazlett Theatre in Pittsburgh. The forthcoming album, titled Presence, pairs a jazz quintet with a string quartet as they perform John's majestic ten-movement suite. The album also features a guest appearance from Melvin Butler of Brian Blade's Fellowship Band. From the outset, John poses the question “Where are we going, what are we doing? The easiest ...

6
Album Review

John Petrucelli Quintet: The Way

Read "The Way" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


The debut release from saxophonist John Petrucelli packs a mean punch. For his first outing, this Pittsburgh-based tenor man put together a lengthy, two-disc program that showcases his writing and, of greater note, his chops. In some ways, this can be seen as a musical shock and awe campaign. Petrucelli's muscular tenor proves to be a dominant and somewhat domineering force, steamrolling through this music and putting on shows of athleticism--darting and daring sprints, keening gusts, Coltrane-ish ...

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“Emerging tenor star John Petrucelli had a fabulous long improv solo as the rest of the ensemble played the melody on an old up tempo arrangement of ʻBody and Soulʼ...” —Frank Mulvaney, Jersey Jazz February 2011 Issue.
Primary Instrument

Saxophone, tenor

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

2010 Gerry Mulligan Excellence in Jazz Performance and Composition Award Graduate of the University of Virginia M.M Candidate Jazz Studies, Rutgers University Over 5 years teaching experience

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Presence

Self Produced
2018

buy

The Way

Self Produced
2015

buy

Videos

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