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Mac Gollehon

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Mac Gollehon
Also known asChops
Genres
  • Rock
  • pop
  • jazz
  • blues
OccupationMusician
InstrumentTrumpet

Mac Gollehon is an American trumpet player who has played on over two hundred gold and platinum records and remixes. He is especially noted for his performances on David Bowie's Let's Dance, Duran Duran's records, Notorious and "Skin Trade", Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams", and Grace Jones' Inside Story. Down Beat called Gollehon's latest record, "A Molotov cocktail of electronic clave Bitches Brew funk and flat out brass playing is intelligent disco."[1]

Career

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Mac Gollehon started out by playing with country bands at the age of 10 in his home of North Carolina. By age 13 he played the circus with bandleader Merle Evans. In high school, he played with a variety of bands, as well as the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.[2] At age 18 he went to Berklee College of Music and played the club circuit at night.[3] During the summers he played with jazz legends like Buddy Morrow as well as Buddy Rich.[4]

In 1979, Gollehon moved to New York City and was introduced to Miles Davis through a mutual friend, Davis gave Gollehon the nickname 'Chops'.[5] It was around this time that he started to impress New York producers like Nile Rodgers, Arif Mardin, and Mike Chapman.[3][6] He was noted for his ability to come up with arrangements on the fly, as was the standard in New York City at that time.[7] Through gradually building his name on this scene he found himself working with the likes of Mick Jagger and Bruce Springsteen.[3][7] Mac Gollehon also found himself as a longtime member of his musical hero Lester Bowie's group Brass Fantasy.[3] this same period Gollehon found himself touring with many of the artists who he met in the studio. This led to extended stints with groups such as Duran Duran, Hall & Oates and Chaka Khan.[3][8] He found himself on literally thousands of recordings and on dozens of Top 40 singles.[3]

Throughout his career, Gollehon has frequently focused on Latin music.[4] This culminated in stints with Latin legends like Héctor Lavoe, Mighty Sparrow, Arrow, Larry Harlow, Frankie Ruiz. Richie Ray and Hilton Ruiz.[9][10][11] This has culminated with his most recent release, Mac Gollehon & The Hispanic Mechanics, All About Jazz said the record, "focuses on the grooves and rhythms that are at the forefront of both Latin musics like salsa and EDM."[5] With other critics assenting - some going so far as to label him a pioneer of Latin EDM.[8][12][13]

Solo discography

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  • Smokin' Section (1996)
  • Live at the Blue Note (1999)
  • Smokin' Live (1999)
  • In the Spirit of Fats Navarro (2000)
  • Mac Straight Ahead (2010)
  • Odyssey of Nostalgia (2011)
  • La Fama (2012)
  • Mac Gollehon & the Hispanic Mechanics (2016)
  • The End Is the Beginning (2022)

Notable credits

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Credits according to AllMusic[11]

Year Album Artist Credit
1982 The Hunter Blondie Horn arrangements, trumpet
1983 Let's Dance David Bowie Trumpet
1985 When the Boys Meet the Girls Sister Sledge Trumpet, soloist
1985 Live at the Apollo Hall & Oates Trumpet, horn section
1985 Do You Sheena Easton Trumpet
1986 L Is for Lover Al Jarreau Musician, reeds
1986 Notorious Duran Duran Musician
1988 Big Thing Duran Duran Trumpet
1989 Sound Vision David Bowie Trumpet
1990 Changesbowie David Bowie Trumpet
1992 Chic-ism Chic Trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn
1999 Live at the Budokan Chic Trumpet
2000 Original Gold Duran Duran Trumpet
2001 Seven and the Ragged Tiger Duran Duran Musician
2002 In Japan Chic Trumpet
2004 Live at the Budokan Chic Member of attributed artist, trumpet
2009 Live at the Budokan Chic Trumpet
2011 Dance, Dance, Dance: The Best of Chic Chic Trumpet

References

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  1. ^ Silsbee, Kirk (July 7, 2016). "Down Beat". Downbeat Magazine.
  2. ^ "Professional Trumpet Player Mac Gollehon of New York City". www.trumpetplayersdirectory.com. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Mac Gollehon — Jazz Artists". jazztimes.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  4. ^ a b day; jazz.com, music opinion-maker at night His musings are strewn out across the interwebs on; AllAboutJazz.com; Board, A. Football Discussion (2012-11-17). "Mac Gollehon - La Fama (2012)". Something Else!. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  5. ^ a b Jazz, All About (2 May 2016). "Mac Gollehon & The Hispanic Mechanics". www.allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  6. ^ "Mac Gollehon & The Hispanic Mechanics Announce S/T Album, Share 'No More Drama' [LISTEN]". 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  7. ^ a b Jazz, All About (March 2001). "Mac Gollehon: In The Spirit Of Fats Navarro". www.allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  8. ^ a b celebrity, Eileen Shapiro I. interview the most inconsecquental personality with dreams of rising to the most luminous and dazzling A.-list (2016-03-29). "Interview: Mac Gollehon & The Hispanic Mechanics". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  9. ^ Gama, Raul da (2013-02-17). "Mac Gollehon - Fama - Latin Jazz Network". Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  10. ^ "Bop-N-Jazz: Mac Gollehon La Fama American Showplace Music 2012". www.criticaljazz.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  11. ^ a b "Mac Gollehon | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  12. ^ "Listen: Mac Gollehon - "No More Drama"". 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  13. ^ "Mac Gollehon & the Hispanic Mechanics". Retrieved 2016-07-07.
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