Our profile series featuring the musicians of Infernal Machines is almost complete. The penultimate installment features our indispensable lead trumpet player, Seneca Black.
Seneca grew up in a musical family in Florida. He first picked up the trumpet at age 9, having being inspired by one of his sisters. He graduated from the New World School of the Arts in Miami in 1996, and then moved to New York City to attend the Manhattan School of Music. There he enrolled in the jazz program and was there for three semesters before being recruited for the gig you probably know him from -- lead trumpet in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Seneca toured the world several times over with Wynton & co. and recorded often with the group from 1997-2003. He departed to pursue a solo/freelance career in the spring of 2004 and has been a fixture in the New York City music scene since. This also freed him up to play our gigs, which do not pay quite as well as the JALC hits.
Seneca has performed with several well known jazz artists and groups most notably the Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, the Oliver Lake Big Band, Carla Bley, Bob Belden, the Mingus Big Band, Chico O'Farrills Afro-Cuban Orchestra, among many others. (Jazz Wars? What Jazz Wars?) He's also backed up a wide variety of vocalists including Bobby Short, Patti LuPone, and Jennifer Holliday.
Seneca has been an active clinician throughout the world, having gained a lot of exposure through Lincoln Center's Education department. He performs with his own groups around NYC, and performs solo concerts and workshops throughout the world.
Seneca played our first-ever show at a venue that had the word "jazz" in its name, and has been with us ever since. He is really an astoundingly sensitive and selfless musician. Do you know any lead trumpet players? Yes? Then you know that's not generally how they roll. The demands I make of him are, frankly, insane ("Yeah, that long, drawn-out high E you are leaping up to? Can you make it much softer and much darker?" "Hey, listen, be careful with your intonation on that exposed cup mute line that's all up above the staff") but he's never failed to rise to the occasion.
As part of our fundraising efforts for our upcoming recording, Infernal Machines, we are offering you the opportunity to sponsor a Secret Society musician. Click here if you would like to sponsor Seneca's appearance on our debut album.
IMPORTANT: The deadline for sponsoring a musician (or becoming our Executive Producer) has been extended to February 23, 2009. However, you can continue to make individual donations (and have your name listed on our Thank You Page, if you wish) right up until the album's release in May.This recording is a very ambitious and very expensive endeavor, and it is only possible thanks to individual contributions from supporters of independent music such as yourselves. We are grateful beyond words to all of our generous supporters.
PREVIOUSLY...
James Hirschfeld
Tom Goehring
Mark Small
Laurie Frink
Rob Wilkerson
Matt Clohesy
Jennifer Wharton
Mike Holober
Ingrid Jensen
Josh Sinton
Mike Fahie
Sam Sadigurksy
Sebastian Noelle
Nadje Noordhuis
Ryan Keberle
Erica vonKleist
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Darcy James Argue's Secret Society is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of Darcy James Argue's Secret Society may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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