Brazilian jazz trumpeter Claudio Roditi dead at 73

Claudio Roditi, a Brazilian-born trumpeter whose lustrous sound fused hard bop with the jazz flavors of his native land, died January 17 at his home in South Orange, New Jersey. He was 73.

Roditi, born in Rio de Janeiro, was often a fiery presence on the bandstand, having mastered the language of post-World War II jazz trumpet; everyone from Clifford Brown to Woody Shaw made their presence known in his playing.

He was also capable of a preternaturally smooth tone that could take the edge off his ferocity or delve beautifully into a tender ballad. Rhythmically he was second to none, and in addition to bop and samba was expert in Afro-Cuban grooves.

This made him an ideal collaborator for the likes of Charlie Rouse, Herbie Mann, Paquito D’Rivera, and—inevitably—Dizzy Gillespie, in whose United Nations Orchestra Roditi played during the bebop icon’s final years.

The warmth of his playing was matched by a warm personality. He was famously jovial and always ready with a smile and a guffaw. “Claudio loved to laugh!” Park said in her statement.

“He always saw the humor in situations, and frequently we were doubled over laughing about something or other.”

At: https://jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/claudio-roditi-1946-2020/

Claudio Roditi, 1946-2020.