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John Yao

For over fifteen years, John Yao has been honing his talents as a trombonist, a composer and arranger, and has cemented his place on the New York City jazz scene.  Yao’s lyrical soloing and expressive, round tone combined with his creative hunger for exploring the boundaries of harmony and rhythm in his compositions and arrangements have established him as a unique musical talent.  

As a trombonist, Yao has worked extensively as a sideman for Grammy-award winning New York City ensembles, such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.  He has also performed with as Paquito D’Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, Danilo Perez, Chris Potter and Kurt Elling, New Cuban Express Big Band, Terraza 7 Big Band, among many others. 

As a composer, Yao has released five solo recordings, all of which feature his adventurous, boundary-pushing compositions for small groups and big bands alike. In addition to composing for his own big band, Yao has also been commissioned to write works for professional artists and ensembles including the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, Luis Bonilla, and HGM Jazzorkestar Zagreb. His works have been performed internationally by college and high school ensembles, including Temple University, Indiana University and the University of North Carolina, among many others. Many of his works are published and available to professional and educational ensembles. For two years, he was a member of the BMI Jazz Composers workshop under the guidance of Jim McNeely and Mike Holober.

In 2015, Yao pioneered a crowdsourcing campaign and founded the “Big Band & Beyond Concert Series.”  The goal of the series was two-fold:  to challenge himself to produce new big band works and perform them with JY-17 at each concert, and to expose audiences to new ideas of what big band is and what it sounds like today.  As Elliot Simon of the NYC Jazz Record put it, “This ain’t your granddaddy’s big band.”

An in-demand educator, Yao serves as Assistant Professor of Trombone at Berklee College of Music and as Adjunct Professor of Music at Molloy College. He is an active guest artist and soloist at colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad.

Gear

King 3B Greg Black Mouthpiece


Tags

28
Album Review

Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite

Read "The Pan American Nutcracker Suite" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Yes, Peter Tchaikovsky's timeless Nutcracker Suite is basically holiday music; and, yes, the 2022 holiday season is squarely in everyone's rear-view mirror. Even so, there is always room for a fresh approach to the annual festive staple, which is what drummer Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band brings to The Pan American Nutcracker Suite. The Nutcracker has been rhythmically amended before, but never quite like this, as McCarthy and the band use the strong ...

9
Album Review

Joe McCarthy's Afro Bop Alliance Big Band: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite

Read "The Pan American Nutcracker Suite" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


"The Nutcracker" is a holiday staple and, as many musical and dance companies around the United States and Europe will tell you, thank Heaven for it. The musicians and performers may eventually lose their sanity from repeat performances, but the ballet is a money-maker as sure as holiday sales generate commercial profits for retailers. Besides, someone is inevitably hearing it for the first time, and children—even some adults—seem to enjoy it. This year, the season starts early with ...

8
Album Review

John Yao: Off-Kilter

Read "Off-Kilter" reviewed by Mark Corroto


In all great ensemble recordings one pays no attention to the compositions and arrangements. The music just seems to dance without inhibitions and flow over the ears. Correction: excellent ensemble performances compel one to recognize and appreciate the compositions and arrangements. With composer, arranger, trombonist John Yao both statements are true and both are in opposition to each other. Proof being Off-Kilter, the second release by his Triceratops ensemble. It follows How We Do (See Tao Recordings, 2019) and includes ...

3
Multiple Reviews

Six of the Best

Read "Six of the Best" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Here are some thoughts on six recent quality jazz releases of varying types. Malcolm Earle Smith Vocal Intent Self Produced 2022 British musician Malcom Earle Smith is a trombonist by trade but on this album, he confines himself to vocals with pleasing results. His light, swinging voice sounds a bit like Bob Dorough without the Southern drawl as he breezily goes through a program of familiar standards. He shows a real ...

2
Album Review

The Awakening Orchestra: Volume II: To Call Her to a Higher Plan

Read "Volume II: To Call Her to a Higher Plan" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Tra gli orchestratori e bandleader emersi di recente Kyle Saulnier è uno dei più interessanti. Il suo esordio con l'Awakening Orchestra nel doppio This Is Not the Answer (Innova 2014) ha rappresentato una sorprendente rivelazione per padronanza di scrittura e spregiudicata sintesi di elementi diversi, inclusi il free e il rock. Con un taglio espressivo un po' diverso, il successivo Atticus Live! (Biophilia 2016) ha confermato la versatilità del leader nel coniugare altri mondi musicali (ovvero le musiche ...

Album Review

John Yao's Triceratops: How We Do

Read "How We Do" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Il quarantatreenne trombonista newyorchese di chiare origini orientali John Yao dirige in questo album un quintetto solido il cui punto di forza, oltre al leader, è costituito dalla coppia di sax, anche se tutti e cinque i musicisti impegnati fanno per intero la loro parte. Vi si respira un clima post-bop molto ben costruito e tornito, magari non originalissimo ma non privo di una certa sapienza architettonica e compositiva (tutti i temi sono a firma di Yao). ...

1
Radio & Podcasts

John Yao, Chris Potter, Clark Terry and More

Read "John Yao, Chris Potter, Clark Terry and More" reviewed by Joe Dimino


This week we open with John Yao, one of the best kept secrets in the world of jazz, featuring his group Triceratops with a cut off his latest album How We Do. And best kept jazz secrets is one of the themes of this episode. We also look into the world of accomplished jazz cats Chris Potter, George Shearing and Clark Terry. One of our persistent themes is profiling the modern jazz musician for insights into the music they create ...

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Primary Instrument

Trombone

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Berklee College of Music, Assistant Professor of Trombone Molloy College, Adjunct Professor of Music Manhattan School of Music, Guest Lecturer of Private Trombone Lessons, 2011-2014 Temple University, Guest Lecturer of Jazz Combos, Latin Ensemble and Private Trombone Lessons, 2007 - 2009 Boston University, Online Facilitator for Jazz and Pop Arranging Class, 2007 York College, York College Big Band, Blue Notes Jazz Ensemble, Summer Jazz Workshop, Adjunct Faculty – Private Trombone Lessons, 2008- present Jazz Project at Kupferberg Center Performances, Clinician for New York High Schools in Queens, 2007 – present Third Street Music Settlement, Teaching Artist, Beginning Band and Brass Instructor, New York Public Schools PS190, PS 99, TASS MS301, Young Women’s Leadership School of Brooklyn, PS 142, 2008 – present The Dwight School, Private Trombone Lessons – 2011 - present New York Summer Music Festival, Private Trombone Lessons, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Combos – 2010 - present Available for private lessons by appointment, $90 per hour, one hour minimum.

Clinic/Workshop Information

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Off-Kilter

See Tao Recordings
2022

buy

The Pan American...

Angel Face Records
2022

buy

Volume II: To Call...

Biophilia Records
2020

buy

How We Do

See Tao Recordings
2019

buy

Presence

See Tao Recordings
2017

buy

Flip-Flop

See Tao Recordings
2015

buy

Crosstalk

From: Off-Kilter
By John Yao

Three Parts As One

From: How We Do
By John Yao

Presence

From: Presence
By John Yao

Hellgate

From: Flip-Flop
By John Yao

Divisions

From: In The Now
By John Yao

Videos

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