Johnny Răducanu, born Răducan Crețu, was a double bassist, pianist, composer and bandleader. Nicknamed “Mr. Jazz of Romania”, he came from a family of Roma musicians with a tradition of more than three hundred years.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Key moments in his life
- 1 December 1931 – born in Brăila, into a family of Roma lăutari whose musical tradition goes back to the lăutar Petrea “Crețul” Șolcan.
- At 19 years old he already stands out as a talented jazz double bass player.
- He studies music in Iași and Cluj, then at the “Ciprian Porumbescu” Conservatory in Bucharest, in the double bass class (1953–1956).
- 1966–1967 – his first records appear on Electrecord: Jazz în trio and Jazz în țara mea.
- 1971 – becomes a member of the Union of Composers and Musicologists of Romania.
- 1976 – receives a “Certificate of Merit” from the United States Cultural Department.
- 1987 – is named an honorary member of the “Louis Armstrong” Academy in New Orleans.
- He trains generations of young musicians and remains an active mentor until the end of his life.
- 19 September 2011 – dies in Bucharest.
Discography (selection)
Jazz în trio (1966), Jazz în țara mea (1967), Confesiuni I–III (1979–1986), Jazz Made in Romania (1987), Jazz Behind the Carpathians (1999), Jazz antifanariot (2002), Chamber Jazz Music (2008), Inside Stories – Jazz Poems (2009).
Autobiography: Singurătatea, meseria mea (2002), Țara lui Johnny (2005).
Legacy
Johnny Răducanu is considered the father of modern Romanian jazz. Since 2013, his native city has hosted the annual “Johnny Răducanu” International Jazz Festival in Brăila.
Sources
- Johnny Răducanu – Wikipedia (ro)
- Johnny Răducanu – Wikipedia (en)
- Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0, author: Eyebrowed)