Heralded for his “solos of mercurial poetry and high craft.” (Chicago Tribune) Chicago-based trumpeter/composer Chad McCullough is active throughout the world. Dan McClenaghan writes, “He is a rare instrumentalist who makes each note sound as if it were imbued with a deeper meaning. Certainly a player with great chops, his approach is one that is measured and deliberate, often introspective, sometimes gorgeously melancholic, and one that employs a continuity of mood and atmosphere …”
His bands have performed at many festivals, including the Festival of New Trumpet Music (New York), the GG Jazz Festival (Russia), Chicago Jazz Festival, The Earshot Jazz Festival (Seattle), Halifax Jazz Festival, and The Appeltuin Jazz Festival (Belgium). His albums have been released internationally on Calligram, Origin Records, ears&eyes records, Monks and Thieves, and Shifting Paradigm. He’s a frequent collaborator with many musicians/ensembles, including groups with; Bram Weijters, Atlantic Road Trip, Matt Ulery, Dana Hall, Ryan Shultz, Neal Alger, James Davis, Rob Clearfield, and Tim Hagans and has performed with Maria Schneider, Miguel Zenon, Stafford James, Michael Shrieve, Avishai Cohen, Kendrick Scott, Claudio Roditi, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Charles Tolliver, Ambrose Akinmuserie, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas, and many more.
Chad holds a M.M. from the University of Washington, and a B.M. from the University of Idaho, where he was a Lionel Hampton Scholar, and was the first student to graduate with a jazz emphasis on his degree. In 2009 he participated in the jazz & creative music workshop at the Banff Centre in Canada. He was awarded a DCASE grant for an intensive study with Grammy-nominated trumpeter Tim Hagans from the City of Chicago, and is currently on the jazz faculty at DePaul University and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Chad plays custom AR Resonance mouthpieces and instruments.
Awards
3x recipient, Chicago DCASE grant
AR Resonance artist
Gear
AR Resonance
Suprema trumpet
Soave 4-valve flugelhorn
Tags
Alex Beltran: Rift
by Hrayr Attarian
Chicago-based saxophonist Alex Beltran delivers a tour de force with Rift, an exploration of identity in a musical form. Beltran, who grew up in two distinct cultural spheres, those of his Latino father and his white mother, describes in the liner notes how he never fit with either side of the family. This became a source of inspiration for his cohesive debut as a leader, which features seven of his compositions and a cover of the electronic duo, Sylvan Esso’s …
Atlantic Road Trip: ONE
by Jack Bowers
Although it is not clear at first (or even second) glance, Atlantic Road Trip is the name of the group on this superb album from Chicago-based Calligram Records, while ONE is the title of the album itself. What is clear is that the music the quintet produces is splendid, overflowing with delightful melodies and tantalizing rhythms, and enhanced considerably by the presence of vibraphonist Miro Herak in the group. Before moving on, hats off to Calligram Records for recording a …
Chad McCullough: The Charm of Impossibilities
by Jack Bowers
At its core, trumpeter Chad McCullough’s album, The Charm of Impossibilities is an homage to the music of classical composer Olivier Messiaen, whose singular approach to composition has inspired McCullough since he first happened upon works by the French writer soon after the turn of this century. He writes, Messiaen’s music is so complex in structure, yet still accessible to the casual listener and completely overwhelming emotionally.” His plan for the album was to transpose Messiaen’s concepts to a setting …
Chad McCullough: The Charm of Impossibilities
by Dan McClenaghan
Trumpeter Chad McCullough encountered classical composer Olivier Messiaen’s Quator pour la fin du temps” back in the early days of his jazz career. That music was written in 1940 by Messiaen to be played by a chamber ensemble consisting of the composer’s fellow inmates in a German prison camp. McCullough’s The Charm Of Impossibilities takes its inspiration from this classical work. McCullough describes Messiaen’s chamber piece: Complex in structure, yet still accessible to the casual listener and completely …
Chad McCullough: Forward
by Paul Rauch
Trumpeter Chad McCullough has an identifiable soundhis striking, bold tonality, and his penchant for stark contrasts compositionally. His previous four releases on Origin Records, featured artists encountered during his tenure in the Pacific Northwest. His association with drummer and Origin founder, John Bishop, resulted in the formation of his quartet with Belgian pianist Bram Weijters. In two releases, Urban Nightingale (Origin, 2011), and Imaginary Sketches (Origin, 2011) he established a cerebral, pastoral sound of intriguing melodies presented in storyline fashion. …
Baby It’s Nice Outside In
by Patrick Burnette
We take a break from surveying the best of the 2010’s to take a gander at five releases from the second half of this wunnerful year, 2020. Maybe everything else has gone to heck in a handcart this year but the music releases remain strong, as our survey attests. Three of the five releases are on up and coming label Outside In Music and all of them have something to recommend. Pop matters dips into that bane/blessing of the 1970s, …
Chad McCullough: Forward
by Dan McClenaghan
Since his excellent recording debut under his own name, 2009’s Dark Wood, Dark Water (Origin Records), trumpeter Chad McCullough has co-led a handful of forward-leaning discs with Belgian pianist Bram Weijters and one with Slovakian pianist Michal Vanoucek, in addition his work as sideman and his contributions to a few leaderless ensemble sets. Forward is just his second outing with his name on the album cover as the sole leader. His is a consistently strong catalog, but McCullough …
New Live Recording From Trumpeter Chad McCullough on Calligram Records
Source:
Calligram Records
Reflecting on In these hills, beyond , trumpeter and composer Chad McCullough says “this album is a celebration of life, but it wasn’t planned that way. I just wanted to play great music with my friends, as lofty a goal as I have most of the time. However, the recent passing of my grandfather added more weight to everything.” On tour with his quintet last year, McCullough realized midway through the first concert that it was his grandfather’s birthday. “It …
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Enter the Origin Records Matt Jorgensen/Chad McCullough 2-CD Giveaway
Source:
All About Jazz
All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Origin 2-CD” giveaway contest starting today. We’ll select FIVE winners to receive the CD’s below at the conclusion of the contest on December 6th.Click here to enter the contest
(Following Matt Jorgensen at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)
Good luck! Your Friends at Origin Records
Matt JorgensenTattooed by Passion
Inspired by the paintings of his late father-in-law, the prominent abstract-impressionist artist Dale Chisman, drummer Matt …
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Catching up with Chad McCullough
Source:
Seattle Jazz Scene
Trumpter Chad McCullough has had a busy 2010 and things haven’t been letting up.
After a January spent performing in Europe under his own name, touring and recording earlier this year with Andrew Olivers Kora Band, McCullough is currently on an 14 city tour across Canada and the western U.S. with the international cooperative group Tunnel Six featuring Ben Dietschi, saxophones (Toronto, ON); Andrew Oliver, piano (Portland, OR); Brian Seligman, guitar (Toronto, ON); Ron Hynes, bass (Halifax, NS) and Tyson …
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Seattle Jazz Artists Head to Europe
Source:
Seattle Jazz Scene
As we had previously mentioned, Ray Vegas East/West Trumpet Summit, featuring Seattle musicians Thomas Marriott, Jeff Johnson and Matt Jorgensen, just returned from a week in Switzerland performing at Marians Jazzroom. Next week will see more concerts throughout Europe featuring Seattle jazz musicians. Trumpeter Chad McCullough has four up-coming shows (three of which feature John Bishop on drums). Chad McCullough and Michal Vanouck Sun, Jan 17: De Kombinatie, The Hague, Netherlands Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters Quartet, Featuring …
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Chad McCullough
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Chad McCullough’s birthday today!
JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Chad McCullough
Trumpeter / composer Chad McCullough has been on the Seattle music scene for over a decade, and has been an integral voice in many bands and projects throughout the country. Working as a soloist, lead player, and chamber musician… more
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Trumpeter Chad McCullough Interviewed at AAJ
Source:
All About Jazz
Seattle trumpeter Chad McCullough has been working hard to garner a reputation in his hometown and beyond as a versatile, creative musician. McCullough has performed with a wide range of artists, including Jay Thomas, Claudio Roditi, Marc Seales, Thomas Marriott, Ingrid Jensen and Bob Florence. He’s toured extensively with the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the jazz trumpet chair, and also as the band’s pianist.
McCullough’s debut recording, Dark Wood, Dark Water (Origin Records, 2009), taken from the title of a …
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“Stunning, chilled lyricism and compositional acuity.”
– Downbeat Magazine
“Chad McCullough has a pealing sound centered in the trumpet’s
middle register, though he’ll freely dart above and below. He stays
light on his feet, as if not too enraptured with himself or his handsome
mobile sound…
– Kevin Whitehead
Primary Instrument
Trumpet
Location
Chicago
Willing to teach
Beginner to advanced
Credentials/Background
I’ve taught private lessons for over 15 years, with many of my students ranking at top levels at festivals and competitions.
Clinic/Workshop Information
I’ve worked with Elementary – College bands, as well as choirs, running clinics ranging on topics from improvisation, breathing, rehearsal methods, how to practice, Jazz history, jazz tradition, articulation, rhythm section rehearsals… Chad has been a clinician for several festivals and schools, including: Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival Edmonds Jazz Connection Kentridge HS Tyee HS Kentlake HS Mountlake Terrace HS