When Jim Rotondi’s arms were too short at age 13 to play the trombone like his big brother, he took up the trumpet. Raised in Butte, Montana, he also continued his piano studies which he began at 5. Turns out, the trumpet was the perfect fit.
Rotondi went on to attend the University of North Texas, a school well-known in the world of musicians. A top music school, with a deep jazz program, UNT has trained many artists you may know – including saxophonists Billy Harper and Jeff Coffin, singer-songwriter Norah Jones, keyboardist Lyle Mays and guitarist Herb Ellis. While still a student, Rotondi won first place for improvisation at the International Trumpet Guild’s 1984 Jazz Trumpet Competition.
Rotondi soaked up every opportunity at North Texas, including making a connection with the late great trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. In a 2019 interview with HipBone Music, Rotondi said hearing Hubbard’s quartet with pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Herb Lewis and drummer Billy Higgins, was one of the most profound experiences during his college years. Rotondi would go on to hear Hubbard play many times and spend time with the influential trumpet player.
Like many talented jazz musicians, Rotondi made the move to New York to start out his career as a freelancer. It didn’t take the melodic trumpeter, whose style was grounded in blues and bebop, long to find his way in the active jazz city.
Early experiences playing with renown artists like pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, and a formative two-year stint on the road with Ray Charles, led him into circles of musicians that embraced the young artist with a round soulful sound and impeccable swing. He later went on to lead his own groups and throughout his career continued to be recognized by his peers and music journalists as top-tier player, leader and educator.
Rotondi started two different groups of his own: Full House, an electric group, and the collective sextet One For All. The group was made up of saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist David Hazeltine, drummer Joe Farnsworth, bassist John Webber, and Rotondi on trumpet. From 1997 to 2024, One For All released 18 albums.
Rotondi also released 18 albums as a leader, gaining more coverage and respect as he went. One of his last records, Finesse, was released in 2024 by Cellar Records, a Northwest label out of Vancouver B.C. When not busy with his own bands, or teaching at various institutions, Rotondi played as a sideman, and is credited on over 80 albums, including seven albums with saxophonist Eric Alexander.
The jazz tradition of mentoring, teaching and collaborating was deeply steeped into Rotondi’s career.
Despite being a busy performer for 25 years in New York City, he made time for clinics and workshops. He also shared his talents and instruction at Emory University, Rutgers University and served on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Teaching ultimately took him to Europe. First to the Seminari Jazz Internazionali in Orsara, Italy, then to Austria and France. In 2010, he joined the faculty at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz. His time in Europe created new playing opportunities and he developed new associations with regional players, who would be included on his albums alongside longtime U.S. collaborators.
Rotondi died unexpectedly in July at his home in France. He was 61.
