Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Richie Vitale (born September 23, 1954; Rochester, New York) is an American jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer.
Performances
Vitale played trumpet in the 2010 Broadway show Come Fly Away with a 19-piece big band playing the music of Frank Sinatra and dancing of the Twyla Tharp Dance Troup. Vitale recorded his first album Vitalogy for Gut String Records. He has led a quintet on tours of Europe, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Teaching
Vitale has taught Clinics and Master Classes at the Eastman School of Music, instructed the Jazz Ensemble at Long Island University and was Brass Instructor at Manhattan School of Music and Long Island University and is currently teaching jazz trumpet and ensemble at New Jersey City University.
Big Band experience
Trumpet soloist with Frank Sinatrafor five years, he has also performed with such luminaries as Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, James Taylor and Sting and was featured soloist with the Vanguard Orchestra, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Big Band, the Basie Band, and the Ellington Band.
Small group experience
Worked with Frank Wess, Jack Bruce and the Chris Byars Octet.
Discography
As leader
- 1988 Dreamsville
- 1996 Live at Smalls
- 2000 Shake It!
- 2005 New York Salsa
- 2011 Vitalogy
As sideman
- 1984 Vertical Currency
- 1992 Duets 2, Frank Sinatra
- 2006 The Evening Sound, Neil Minor Sextet
- 2006 Night Owls, Chris Byars Octet