John Daversa

John Daversa is an American jazz trumpeter, electronic valve instrument (EVI) player, vocalist, composer, arranger, conductor, bandleader, producer and educator who has won multiple Grammy awards. he was born in Los Angeles and moved to Ada, Oklahoma at age 7. He also lived in Las Vegas and Sacramento before returning to Los Angeles for high school at Hamilton Academy of Music.

Career Daversa has degrees from UCLA, California Institute of the Arts, and a doctorate from USC. He is Chair of Studio Music and Jazz at University of Miami, Frost School of Music and directs the Frost Jazz Orchestra (2013 to present). Before this appointment, he taught at California State University, Northridge (2011 - 2013) and University of Southern California (2009 - 2011). He regularly performs with the John Daversa Big Band, John Daversa Small Band, John Daversa and Tal Cohen Duo, and is a guest conductor and soloist all over the world.

Daversa has worked with Moonchild, Fiona Apple, Burt Bacharach, Joe Cocker, Andraé Crouch, Gin, Herbie Hancock, Holiday on Ice, Bob Mintzer Big Band, Renee Olstead, Regina Spektor, Andy Williams, and The Yellowjackets. His playing has been featured on film and television, including The Five-Year Engagement, Key and Peele, The King of Queens, and Promised Land.

His album American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom (BFM Jazz, 2018) won three Grammy Awards at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, "Don't Fence Me In" won in the Best Improvised Jazz Solo category, and "Stars and Stripes Forever" won in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category.

Discography As leader

Improvisatory Observatory: Live and Raw at The Baked Potato, Exhibit 2, John Daversa Big Band, 2024 Improvisatory Observatory: Live and Raw at The Baked Potato, Exhibit 1, John Daversa Big Band, 2024 The Official Bootleg: live at bluewhale, John Daversa Small Band, 2024 (Recorded live in 2012) The Art of Duo, Vol. 1, John Daversa and Tal Cohen, 2024 (Original release 2023) Live at Catalina’s, Vol. 2, John Daversa Big Band, 2024 (Recorded live in 2000) ARCeology: The Music of MSM Schmidt, Arc Trio and The John Daversa Big Band 2022 All Without Words: Variations Inspired by Loren, John Daversa Jazz Orchestra featuring Justin Morell, 2021 Cuarentena: With Family at Home, John Daversa Quintet, Cuarentena: With Family at Home, 2020 American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom, John Daversa Big Band featuring DACA Artists, 2018 Wobbly Dance Flower, John Daversa featuring Bob Mintzer, 2017 Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles, John Daversa, 2016 Artful Joy, John Daversa, 2012 Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album, John Daversa, 2011 Shogun Warrior, Plays for Lovers, Shogun Warrior, 2010 Westland, Westland Trio, 2010 Live at Catalina’s, (Vol. I), John Daversa Big Band, 2009 (Recorded live in 2000) Live at Catalina’s, Vol. II, John Daversa Big Band, 2000 The D.a.M. Band, The Daversa and Morell Band, 1994

As producer or co-producer

Improvisatory Observatory: Live and Raw at The Baked Potato, Exhibit 2, John Daversa Big Band, 2024 Improvisatory Observatory: Live and Raw at The Baked Potato, Exhibit 1, John Daversa Big Band, 2024 The Official Bootleg: live at bluewhale, John Daversa Small Band, 2024 (Recorded live in 2012) Live at Catalina’s, Vol. 2, John Daversa Big Band, 2024 (Recorded live in 2000) The Art of Duo, Vol. 1, John Daversa and Tal Cohen, 2024 (Original release 2023) Live at Gusman Concert Hall 2023, Frost Jazz Orchestra 2023 Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground (Feat. Jon Batiste, John Daversa, and Harvey Mason) Regina Carter Freedom Band, 2020 Shoulder to Shoulder: Centennial Tribute to Women’s Suffrage, Karrin Allyson Sextet, 2019 Justin Morell Concerto for Guitar and Jazz Orchestra (feat. Adam Rogers), Frost Concert Jazz Band, Conducted by John Daversa, 2018 Transcendence, Trinity Devi, 2018 Europa: Explorations for Large Jazz Ensemble, Frost Concert Jazz Band, Conducted by John Daversa, 2017 Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles, John Daversa, 2016 Harmony – Venus Gong, Trinity Devi, 2015 Oneness – Ek Ong Kar Gong, Trinity Devi, 2015 Focus, Kendall Moore, 2014 El Guapo, Scott Jeppesen, 2013 Love for Sale, James Tormé, 2011 Live at Catalina’s, (Vol. I), John Daversa Big Band, 2009 (Recorded live in 2000) Buck’s Vibe, Peter Buck, 2008 Time for Christmas, Phil Crosby, Jr., 2007 Live at Catalina’s, Vol. II, John Daversa Big Band, 2000

As band-member

Searching for a Memory, Busco Tu Recuerdo, Sammy Figueroa featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Aymée Nuviola, 2023 Calasanitus, Leon Foster Thomas, 2023 Come Fly With Me (Single), Ledisi, Gregg Field, John Daversa, Patti Austin, Randy Waldman, Willie Murillo, Jeff Driskill, Erik Hughes, and Kate Duhamel, 2021 LowJacked, Jackson 6, 2021 Cheap Thrill: The Music of Rick Margitza (feat. Chuck Bergeron), South Florida Jazz Orchestra, 2020 Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground (Feat. Jon Batiste, John Daversa, and Harvey Mason) Regina Carter Freedom Band, 2020 Ahreum Ash Hanyou, Ahreum Ash Hanyou, 2018 BACHanalia, Bill Cunliffe, 2017 Life, MSM Schmidt (featuring Virgil Donati, Jimmy Haslip, Scott Kinsey, Mike Miller, Oz Noy), 2017 Come to Paradise, Suzanne Dean, 2016 The Deadbeats, The Deadbeats, 2016 Inner Circle, Zach Larmer Band, 2016 Metamorphasis, Leon Foster Thomas, 2016 Pelos Ares, Rafael Piccolotto de Lima, Orquestra Urbana, 2016 Get Up!, Bob Mintzer Big Band, 2015 Self Taught, Brandon Coleman, 2015 Exploring Mars, Josh Nelson, 2014 Original Cities Original Jazz and Chamber Music, Mitch Haupers, 2014 A Perfect Contradiction, Paloma Faith, 2014 Come Over, Gina Kronstadt,2013 Dectet: Subjects and Compliments, Justin Morell, 2013 HighJacked, Jackson 6, 2013 Storyteller, Nick Mancini, 2013 Be Free, Moonchild, 2012 Blujanova, Jeff Saxon, 2012 Critics’ Choices and other Voices, Jazziz on Disc, 2012 Fire It Up, Joe Cocker, 2012 Jimmy Branly, Jimmy Branly (featuring Abraham Laboriel and Otmaro Ruiz), 2012 Mountain Suite, Kait Dunton, 2012 Psychobabble, Nick Mancini, 2012 Rozalia, Nikos Syropoulos, 2012 Tales from The Blue Whale, Endermen, 2012 What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, Regina Spektor, 2012 Blue Collection, Ladybug Music, 2011 Green Collection, Ladybug Music, 2011 The Journey, Andrae Crouch, 2011 Purple Collection, Ladybug Music, 2011 Timeline, Yellowjackets, 2011 A-Me, Hire Sekine, 2010 Numbers, Jay Daversa, 2010 Red Collection, Ladybug Music, 2010 Yellow Collection, Ladybug Music, 2010 Holy Smoke, Gin Wigmore, 2009 Pin Points and Gin Joints, The Mightly Mightly Bosstones, 2009 The Roads We’ve Taken, International Trumpet Guild, 2009 For My Lady, Sherman Pore, 2007 Lamplighter, Eleisha Eagle, 2007 Live at Café Metropole, Kim Richmond, 2007 Soul Sistah, Marva King, 2006 At This Time, Burt Bacharach, 2005 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition (1993 – 2003), International Trumpet Guild, 2005 Extraordinary Machine, Fiona Apple, 2005 Broject, Jeff Babko feat. Toss Panos, 2004 The End of Imagining, The Space Twins, 2003 The Music of Steely Dan, Justin Morell, 2002 Septet, Justin Morell, 2000 Misfits of Silence, Jeff Babko, 1998 Variety Arts Center – Los Angeles, Progfest ’94, 1995

Awards

Latin Grammy Nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album (arranger and trumpet), Searching for a Memory, Busco Tu Recuerdo, 2024 Southeast Emmy Awards Nomination (co-producer, cast), American Dreamers, 2023 Philip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship, 2020 Proclamation “John Daversa Day”, The City of Miami Beach, February 23, 2020 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble, American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom, John Daversa Big Band Featuring DACA Artists, 2019 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella, "Stars and Stripes Forever”, 2019 Grammy Award for Best Improvised Solo "Don’t Fence Me In”, 2019 Grammy Nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of The Beatles, John Daversa, 2017 Grammy Nomination for Best Arrangement Instrumental, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", 2017 Grammy Nomination Best Arrangement Vocals or Acapella "Do You Want To Know A Secret" featuring Renee Olstead, 2017 Global Music Awards Gold Medal Winner, Large Jazz Ensemble, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of The Beatles, 2016 Global Music Awards Gold Medal Winner, Composition/Composer, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of The Beatles, 2016 Global Music Awards Gold Medal Winner, Band, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of The Beatles, 2016 Global Music Awards Gold Medal Winner, Album, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of The Beatles, 2016 Global Music Awards Gold Medal Winner, Innovation In Sound, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of The Beatles, 2016 Global Music Awards Gold Medal Winner, Sound Mixing/Editing, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of The Beatles, 2016 IAMA Songwriting Award, "Little Black Spider", 2012 Global Music Awards, Best in Show, Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album, 2011 Global Music Awards, Awards of Excellence for Creativity/Originality, Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album, 2011 Global Music Awards, Awards of Excellence for Album Production, Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album, 2011 Mellon Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Nomination, University of Southern California, 2010 Jazz Studies Department Award, University of Southern California, 2009 Semi-Finalist, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Jazz Trumpet Competition, 1998 Second, International Trumpet Guild Carmine Caruso Jazz Soloist Competition, 1998 Winner, International Trumpet Guild Jazz Soloist Competition, 1994 Winner, National Trumpet Competition, 1993 Performance Award, Herb Alpert Award 1991 Performance Award, Italian Heritage Award 1991