Trumpeter Jim Rotondi is a rock-solid post-bop musician with a warm tone and an improvisational approach deeply steeped in the tradition of great jazz trumpeters. Since his emergence in N.Y.C. in the '90s, he has released a plethora of highly engaging small-group albums, including Jim's Bop, Destination Up, and 1000 Rainbows. He is also a longtime member of the jazz supergroup One for All with Eric Alexander. Since the early 2000s, he has lived in Graz, Austria, teaching at the Austria University of Music and Dramatic Arts. It was there that he recorded his 2024 big-band and orchestra album, Finesse, with conductor/arranger Jakob Helling. Born in 1962 in Butte, Montana, Rotondi began piano lessons with his mother at age eight. However, it was the trumpet that became his main instrument from age 12 on. After graduating high school in 1980, Rotondi enrolled in the highly regarded jazz studies program at North Texas State University. In 1984, he earned first place in the International Trumpet Guild's jazz trumpet competition. Post-college, Rotondi toured with various ensembles including the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and Charles Earland's quintet. Eventually settling in New York City, Rotondi established himself as a mainstay in the city's vibrant jazz-club scene. In 1997, Rotondi joined forces with saxophonist Eric Alexander and drummer Joe Farnsworth to form the jazz supergroup One for All, with whom he has recorded a large body of work. Also in 1997, he released his debut album, Introducing Jim Rotondi, on the Dutch label Criss Cross. Since then, he has released a steady stream of albums including Jim's Bop (1998), Excursions (2000), Destination Up (2001), New Vistas (2004), Iron Man (2006), Four of a Kind (2008), 1000 Rainbows (2010), and Hard Hittin' at the Bird's Eye (2013). In the 2000's, Rotondi began spending more time in Europe, eventually relocating to Graz, Austria, where he holds a position as jazz professor at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts. When not teaching, Rotondi remains an active touring and recording musician as both a solo artist and member of One for All. Two quintet dates arrived in 2016 and 2023, respectively, with Dark Blue on Smoke Sessions Records and Over Here on Criss Cross Jazz. In 2024, he delivered Finesse, a big-band and orchestra album inspired in part by Rotondi's love of the classic Clifford Brown with Strings album. Recorded in Austria with conductor and arranger Jakob Helling, it featured contributions by trombonist Steve Davis, saxophonist Dick Oatts, and pianist Danny Grisset. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi