Today we’d like to introduce you to Jun Iida.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Born in St. Louis and raised in Pittsburgh, I am currently a trumpet player in the Los Angeles and Southern California music scene. I am actively gigging for both studio recording work as well as live performances. As the son of Japanese immigrants, I was exposed to a wide range of musical styles from a very young age. My mother, a semi-professional koto (Japanese harp) player, always had classical music playing in the house ever since I can remember.
Growing up under these conditions in the heart of the Midwest, I was constantly influenced by the blues of Chuck Berry, the orchestration of Tchaikovsky, and the jazzy licks of Louis Armstrong. At the age of nine I was introduced to the trumpet, and since then have never looked back. I had the opportunity to pursue both classical and jazz studies at a collegiate level, and have since been performing as an active musician across the country – everywhere from the Midwest to New England, and now Southern California.
Please tell us about your art.
While I perform in a number of different groups and genres, my true passion is jazz. I currently lead my own jazz combo group – the Jun Iida Quartet – in the greater Los Angeles area, performing jazz standards as well as original compositions. Jazz has always been a passion of mine, and with age has also become the musical language with which I am most comfortable expressing myself. I have always been a student of the art, and am inspired and intrigued by the evolution of jazz as a direct reflection of the history of America. My music comes from a blend of the numerous influences from throughout my life, spanning everything from Ravel to Richard Rodgers to Robert Glasper.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
To me, artistic success is defined by the ability to communicate one’s creative and artistic ideas as accurately and precisely as possible. This requires not only a mastery of one’s instrument, but also a deep understanding of the history and context of his or her art. As musicians, we constantly work to refine our craft in the hopes of being able to better articulate the ideas in our mind, and translate these ideas to our audience by means of music. The true challenge is to successfully do this in a way that is both unambiguous and honest, and at the same time accessible.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I am actively performing and recording with a number of musical groups in the Southern California music scene. I lead my own jazz group – the Jun Iida Quartet – in the greater Los Angeles area, performing both jazz standards as well as original compositions. Other creative projects in which I am currently involved include Santa Monica-based Baker Brothers Big Band, LA-based R&B group Locked In The Pocket, and Cumbia-Pop group Salt Petal. People can see the rest of my work at juniidajazz.com, and support my music by coming out to hear our live performances!
Contact Info:
- Website: juniidajazz.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jun.iida/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jun.iida.50
Image Credit:
Tomo Tany; Rebecca Bogdanoff
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