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Biography: Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra
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Eric Felten was born in Phoenix into a family of professional jazz musicians and at nine began studying trombone with his grandfather, a veteran of east-coast bands from the swing era.
After earning degrees at Arizona State and Harvard University, Eric moved to Washington D.C. in 1989 to work as a journalist while pursuing a career in jazz. After playing in a number of Washington-area bands for a year, he formed his own group in January 1991-the ERIC FELTEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA.
Eric was named best new jazz trombonist by the International Trombone Association and in 1993 released his first album for the respected European jazz label Soul Note. For the recording of "T-Bop," Eric asked legendary jazz trombonist Jimmy Knepper to share the spotlight and also invited an old friend from Harvard, Joshua Redman. The result was a critically acclaimed debut album for both Eric and Redman, earning four stars in "Down Beat" magazine, and three-and-a-half stars in the prestigious "Penguin Guide to Jazz".
Back in D.C., the ERIC FELTEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA flourished, playing classic Big Band music of the swing era for a wide variety of events. The Washington City Paper recognized the ERIC FELTEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA as "a rival of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra." And after hearing the EFJO perform at Blues Alley, the Washington Post declared that the band "set a standard not easily matched."
1995 saw the release of Eric's second album as a leader for the Soul Note label,"Gratitude." A modern take on the classic recordings of Duke Ellington's small groups in the 1930's, the disc featured an amazing line-up of international jazz stars: Joe Lovano on sax; Randy Brecker on trumpet; and Bob Mintzer on bass clarinet. The record was another critical success, earning Eric glowing profiles in the national magazines "Jazz Times" and JAZZIZ. The Washington Post called Gratitude "One of the year's genuine jazz treats."
In 1998, the ERIC FELTEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA performed an hour-long show on BET's BETonJazz cable network, showcasing Eric's talents as a jazz vocalist. Since then, Eric also has sung at pops concerts with the Bloomington Pops Orchestra in Indiana, and the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.
Eric lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Priscilla. When he visits his hometown of Phoenix, he plays duets with his grandfather, Lester Felton, who at 94 still plays a mean trombone.
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