John Fedchock’s illustrious career in jazz has spanned nearly three decades. Since his emergence on the scene in 1980, Fedchock has established himself as a world-class trombone soloist, a heralded bandleader, and a Grammy-nominated arranger. An in-demand performer and writer in New York City for over twenty years, his multifaceted talents have led him to become one of NYC’s premiere jazz artists. His critically acclaimed John Fedchock New York Big Band has become a marquee group, showcasing Fedchock’s trombone and arranging as well as the band’s all-star soloists. The band’s four CDs for the Reservoir Music label, “New York Big Band”, “On The Edge”, “No Nonsense”, and “Up & Running”, have all received high praise from critics, and extraordinary success on national jazz radio charts. “New York Big Band” and “On The Edge” both earned 4 1/2 star reviews in DOWNBEAT magazine and were listed in DOWNBEAT’s “Best CDs Of The 90’s”. The success of the band also resulted in Fedchock’s name appearing in DOWNBEAT’s Readers Poll under the categories of Trombone, Arranger and Big Band, simultaneously for several consecutive years. In recognition of his formidable arranging skills on “No Nonsense”, Fedchock was honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences with a 2003 Grammy Award nomination for “Best Instrumental Arrangement” for his exciting chart on “Caribbean Fire Dance.” The JFNYBB’s 2007 release, “Up & Running,” spent eight weeks in jazz radio’s Top Ten, with the New York Times applauding the band’s “Cheerful Syncopation, Served With Spit-and-Polish Precision.” His small-group project for Reservoir, “Hit The Bricks” appeared in DOWNBEAT’s list of “Best CDs of 2000”, and features special guests along with showcasing Fedchock’s “incomparable trombone playing, which seems to have no limit, technically or musically” (JazzReview.com). Attention from the recording inspired the creation of the John Fedchock NY Sextet, which has performed throughout the U.S., and at international jazz events.
Fedchock began his career as a jazz trombonist when he joined the legendary Woody Herman Orchestra in 1980. He toured with Woody’s “Thundering Herd” for seven years, during which time he was musical director and a featured soloist. He served as musical coordinator and chief arranger in the production of Herman’s last two Grammy Award nominated albums “50th Anniversary Tour” and “Woody’s Gold Star”, and received accolades from jazz journalists worldwide.. Famed jazz critic Leonard Feather called him the “unsung hero” of Woody’s “50th Anniversary Tour” album and Woody said of Fedchock, “He’s my right hand man. Everything I ask of John he accomplishes, and I ask a lot. He’s a major talent.” DOWN BEAT magazine stated that “it was the young blood of musicians like Fedchock that helped keep Woody Herman’s last years musically healthy and growing”. Fedchock still maintains a close association with the Herman orchestra, performing with the group on occasion and continuing to add his own compositions and arrangements to the band’s library.
Fedchock has toured with T.S. Monk, Gerry Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band, Louie Bellson’s Big Band, the Bob Belden Ensemble, the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and has performed at jazz festivals and concert halls around the world. As a solo artist, he appears throughout the United States and has toured abroad as a guest trombonist/composer/conductor. To add to his already diverse list of multiple talents, Fedchock is also a producer of note, and has lent his studio expertise to several recent recording projects.