Allegro

‘Why we joined the union’

Volume 119, No. 5May, 2019

Danny Jonokuchi

I joined Local 802 to perform in the Broadway production of “Be More Chill.” My aim is to continue working with the best musicians in New York City and further develop my voice as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger. One of my favorite recent gigs was with the New Alchemy Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece big band that I co-lead and conducted. The band has a monthly residency at the Django, and we’ve featured Peter Bernstein, Dick Oatts and Terell Stafford. We also performed recently at Birdland with Brian Newman, and the legendary Tony Bennett was in the front row! I was brought up by many of the best studio musicians in my hometown of Los Angeles. I moved to the east coast to attend Temple University’s jazz program before making the move to NYC. Music is a constant source of inspiration, and pursuing a music career in NYC has been extremely gratifying. Writing and performing are an endless challenge and it is always rewarding to see positive reactions to my effort, but connecting with fellow musicians and audiences is the driving force of my aspirations. I also lead a seven-piece swing band, the Revisionists, which is about to release an album. I also arrange, produce and perform in many NYC-based jazz ensembles. I recently recorded music for the videogame “Red Dead Redemption 2.” My principal instrument is trumpet.