photo credit: Jean-Philippe Cyprès

"...knowing solo work on trombone..."
Down Beat

PERFORMER
Hear and see clips of his performances. (The page may take a minute to load due to the numerous files available.)

INSTRUMENTAL

Antonio García has performed as tenor or bass trombonist with over seventy nationally renowned artists and organizations including Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Dave Brubeck, George Shearing, Marvin Hamlisch, Lou Rawls, Rosemary Clooney, Louie Bellson, Billy Eckstine, Doc Severinsen, Anthony Newley, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Wayne Newton, Crystal Gayle, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Temptations, Larry Elgart, Tex Beneke, Guy Lombardo, The New York Metropolitan Opera Company, The New Orleans Opera, The New Orleans Symphony, Rudolf Nureyev; shows Forty-Second Street, Annie, The Tap Dance Kid, Stop The World—I Want To Get Off, Singin' In The Rain; Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus; and many others.

"The ITA International Trombone Festival [concluded] on Saturday, May 31 with an all-time brass blowout—and an amazing combination of
'Bone Power—on 'Jazz Night,' featuring
Michael Davis, Raul de Souza,
Antonio García, Bruce Paulson,
Bill Reichenbach,
and Bill Watrous."
The Octopus

He is a Bach trombone clinician for Conn-Selmer, Inc. and has soloed internationally at universities, high schools, jazz festivals, conferences, and clubs, including with Steve Turré, Allan Vizzutti, John Fedchock, Eddie Daniels, Denis DiBlasio, Buddy DeFranco, Paul Wertico; the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra; and at conferences including those of the Jazz Education Network, International Association for Jazz Education, IAJE Jazz Australia, International Trombone Association, International Jazz and Pop Harpfest, The Midwest Clinic, Music Educators National Conference, National Council of Teachers of English, Ontario (Canada) Music Educators Association, Peel Board of Education (Toronto, Canada), MENC Regional Conference, ITA Midwestern Trombone Workshop, Illinois Music Educators Association, Ohio Music Educators Association, the Iowa Bandmasters Association, and Jazz and Light Music Week at the Stedelijk Conservatorium in Oostende, Belgium.

"Your performance with the UNO Jazz Ensemble was fantastic and one of the highlights of this year's festival! My students were enamored with your playing, and I know that the high school students and band directors in he audiencce really enjoyed your solo with the band"
Dr. Peter Madsen, Director, University of Nebraska at Omaha Great Plains Jazz Festival

"Your performance on trombone at the IMEA All-State Convention was superb."
 IMEA Jazz Division

Illinois-region performances include the Illinois Chamber Symphony, Aeterna Brass Quintet, JazzTech Big Band and Combo, Birch Creek Music Center Orchestra and Jazz Band (as faculty), NIU Faculty Jazz Sextet, NIU Faculty Brass Quintet; featured soloist with NIU Philharmonic, NU & NIU Jazz Ensembles.

"...talented trombonist...a lovely solo."
The Jazz Report


"At all times Antonio never played less than the 100% he promised....
He can be in my band whenever he wants."
Phil Collins

"Antonio García is a tremendous musician, as consistent as I have encountered in all my experiences. On a daily basis Tony brought with him a high level of professionalism that we could rely on regardless of the schedule, venue, or road fatigue."
Daniel Fornero, Lead Trumpeter,
Phil Collins Big Band

"It was a joy to work with Tony.
His high level of musicianship and consistency in his performance
impressed me greatly."
Arturo Velasco, Lead Trombonist
Phil Collins Big Band

Tony toured the U.S. and Europe for two months as bass trombonist with the Phil Collins Big Band, including Carnegie Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and the Montreux, Nice, North Sea, and Pori (Finland) Jazz Festivals, culminating in the CD A Hot Night in Paris (Atlantic label). Prior to beginning his educational career, he recorded as a trombonist and bass trombonist on commercial studio sessions in his native New Orleans, LA. On occasion, Tony also gigs on jazz piano, having doubled on it extensively during the 1984 World's Fair, accompanied such New Orleans artists as Pete Fountain, and led his own trios from that instrument in the past.

 

 

 

 

García regularly accompanies students and has performed on piano in a variety of jazz settings.

 

Guest soloing on tenor trombone with the VCU Greater Richmond High School Jazz Band.
photo credit: Filipe Leitão

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

with Bonerama

 tony plunger

Performing on bass trombone with the
Phil Collins Big Band

photo credit:
Montreux Jazz Festival

With Greg Hicks, Mark Mullins, and Craig Klein of Bonerama
photo credit: Missouri State University

 

Percussion is a continuing focus for Tony; and he frequently performs on a mini-set of snare, congas, and/or cymbals, plus smaller hand-percussion. "Groove is at the heart of all music. I believe it is important for me to understand and be able to actively demonstrate as much of the percussion feel as possible. It makes me a better performer on my primary instruments and adds to the insights I can share with my students in ensembles and private lessons."

"...virtuosity and musicianship"
Chicago Tribune

 

 

Performing on a
combination of cymbals
heads,
and hand drums.

photo courtesy
Jim Fischer,
MusicPro Magazine

 

Performing on his stand-up set of ride cymbal,
lap snare, and hi-hat or the like allows him
to double easily on set, trombone, and vocals.


Sitting in on trombone in the French Quarter with good friends in his native New Orleans.

 

VOCAL

"His performance with our other guest artists made that year's festival the most successful I've had: the crowd was simply blown away by his scat-singing and playing. I whole-heartedly recommend Tony to anyone thinking about hiring a guest artist: his performing, work ethic, and concern and effectiveness for education warrant this."
Dr. Scott Garlock,
Director of Bands, Knox College

García is an avid scat-singer, having soloed internationally at universities, high schools, jazz festivals, conferences, and clubs. He began doing so only as a means to demonstrate to his students that improvisation comes from one's thoughts—not one's horn. Yet his initial vocal solos in public created such a rapport with audiences that he regularly scats on current concerts. "I sing when I compose; I try to 'sing' through my horn; so I think it's only natural to scat-sing jazz.

"...fine trombone performance, considerable vocal ability, and excellent scat-singing..."
Patrick Crichton, Head of the Jazz Department, Western Australian Conservatorium of Music

"I've never met a great jazz musician who couldn't scat the phrasing he or she wanted during a rehearsal—even though relatively few might choose to do so as publicly as Clark Terry or Dizzy Gillespie have so well. Scat-singing is another extension of who I am."

Scat-singing in performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scat-singing
in the studio.

"In mid-song, García hopped into the melody clapping and scatting. The audience eagerly joined him, clapping through the rest of the song."
Bolingbrook (IL) Sun

 

 

 

"My college students really enjoyed "Imitating Transcribed Solos: Stealing from the Masters," and they benefited greatly from your advice and comments. You clinic will have an impact on the students here for years to come!"
Dr. Peter Madsen, Director, University of Nebraska at Omaha Great Plains Jazz Festival

 

 

 

 

 

Read a MusicPro Magazine Feature on Antonio Garcia (Fall 2008)

Hi-Res JPEG Files

Pages 1-2

Pages 3-4

Page 5

(provided via permission from Jim Fischer, MusicPro magazine)

 

Previous editions of Antonio García's periodic E-Newsletter can be found on the Downloads page. To subscribe, e-mail him.)

 

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