Royce Campbell
Royce Campbell | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Royce Greer |
| Born | June 7, 1952 North Vernon, Indiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Labels | Philology, Moon Cycle |
Royce Campbell (born June 7, 1952) is a jazz guitarist from Indiana who was a member of the Henry Mancini orchestra for twenty years.
Musical career
He was born in North Vernon, Indiana. When he was five, his mother married a career Navy man, and Campbell grew up in cities throughout the U.S. and the world.[1] Exposure to a variety of genres contributed to his musical style. A love for rock and roll marked his first connection with the guitar, at the age of nine, when he discovered Chuck Berry. Like many guitarists of his generation, he was influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.[2]
By the time he finished high school in Spain in the early 1970s, he had decided to pursue a career in music. His uncle, pianist Carroll DeCamp, who had done arrangements for Stan Kenton and Les Elgart, invited him to Indianapolis to live and study. His uncle provided his education in music theory and composition.[1] At 21, he toured with rhythm and blues (R&B) singer Marvin Gaye before spending twenty years as a member of the Henry Mancini orchestra. He held the job until Mancini's death in 1994.[3]
During the 1990s, Campbell recorded more as a leader. In 1993, he produced Project G-5: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery which also featured guitarists Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney, Herb Ellis, and fellow Hoosier Cal Collins. His 1994 album 6x6 featured guitarists Pat Martino, John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Dave Stryker, and Bucky Pizzarelli. On Project G-5: A Tribute to Joe Pass (1999) he combined the talents of Charlie Byrd, Gene Bertoncini, Mundell Lowe, and John Pisano.
In November 2010, Royce Campbell was inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Hall of Fame.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Solo Guitar | Redbud |
| 1987 | Around the Town | Raised Eyebrow |
| 1990 | Nighttime Daydreams | Timeless |
| 1993 | Elegy to a Friend | Raised Eyebrow |
| 1993 | Vista | Sin-Drome |
| 1994 | A Tribute to Wes Montgomery | Evidence |
| 1994 | Vista – WTPI 10th Anniversary Jazz Sampler | WTPI |
| 1994 | 6x6 | Paddle Wheel |
| 1994 | Gentle Breeze | Timeless |
| 1995 | Make Me Rainbows | Positive Music |
| 1995 | A Tribute to Henry Mancini | Tuxedo Music |
| 1998 | Pitapat | A Records |
| 1999 | Hands Across the Water | String Jazz |
| 1999 | A Tribute to Joe Pass | King |
| 1999 | Royce Campbell with Strings | Chase Music |
| 1999 | Remembering Wes | Savant |
| 1999 | Stella by Starlight/Jazz After Midnight | St. Clair Entertainment Group |
| 2000 | Prelude to a Kiss – Jazz Guitarists Who's Who: The Art of Solo Guitar | King |
| 2002 | Trioing | Jardis |
| 2003 | A Tribute to Charlie Byrd | Jardis |
| 2006 | Trio by Starlight | Philology |
| 2007 | Get Happy | Foxhaven |
| 2008 | Roses & Wine | Philology |
| 2009 | All Standards...and a Blues | Philology |
| 2009 | Movie Songs Project (with Phil Woods) | Philology |
| 2010 | What is This Thing Called? | Philology |
| 2004 | Six by Six: A Jazz Guitar Celebration | Moon Cycle |
| 2004 | A Jazz Guitar Christmas | Moon Cycle |
| 2005 | Plays for Lovers | Moon Cycle |
| 2006 | Elegy to a Friend | Moon Cycle |
| 2006 | Gypsy Soul | Moon Cycle |
| 2007 | A Solo Guitar Christmas | Moon Cycle |
| 2008 | The Art of Chord Solo Guitar | Moon Cycle |
| 2008 | A Jazz Guitar Christmas: Volume 2 | Moon Cycle |
| 2009 | Solo Wes: A Solo Guitar Tribute to Wes Montgomery | Moon Cycle |
| 2009 | Solo Mancini: A Solo Guitar Tribute to Henry Mancini | Moon Cycle |
| 2010 | Solo Trane: A Solo Guitar Tribute to John Coltrane | Moon Cycle |
| 2010 | Triologue: Concepts | Moon Cycle |
| 2011 | Jazz Blues | Moon Cycle |
| 2012 | The Beginning | Moon Cycle |
| 2015 | Romancing the Tone | Moon Cycle |
References
- ^ a b Myers, Marc (September 14, 2010). "Royce Campbell: Playing Pretty - JazzWax". JazzWax. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ Heidt, John. "Royce Campbell." Vintage Guitar. July (2005): 26.
- ^ Alexander, Charles. Masters of Jazz Guitar: The Story of the Players and Their Music. London, UK: Balafon Books, 1999, 185.
Additional sources
- Benedetto, Robert. Making an Archtop Guitar. Anaheim Hills, CA: Centerstream Publishing, 1994. xiii.
- Cook, Richard, and Brian Morton. The Penguin Guide to Jazz, 9th Ed. New York, NY: The Penguin Group, 2008. 221, 1209.
- Esposito, Russell R. The Golden Milestone,4th Ed. New York, NY: The New York Learning Library, 2007. 320.
- Ingram, Adrian. Mel Bay Concise History of the Electric Guitar. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications, 2006. 106.
- Ingram, Adrian. The Gibson L5. Anaheim Hills, CA: Centerstream Publishing, 1997. 7, 68, 74.
- Larkin, Colin, ed. Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 4th Ed. USA: Oxford U P, 2006.
- Leonard, Hal, Corp. All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz, 4th Ed. San Francisco, CA: Backstreet Publishing, 2002. 1063.
- Ellis, Andy. "A Tribute to Wes Montgomery." Guitar Player 29.2 (Feb 1995): 146.
- Resnicoff, Matt. "Project G-5: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery." Guitar Player 29.6 (June 1995): 29–30.
- Boyd, Herb. "CD Reviews –A Tribute to Henry Mancini." Down Beat 63.6 (June 1996): 45.
- Ellis, Andy. "Hands Across the Water." Guitar Player 32.12 (Dec 1998): 139.
- Koransky, Jason. "Project Shopping." Down Beat 66.6 (June 1999): 53.
- Levy, Adam. "Royce Campbell." Guitar Player 33.12 (Dec 1999): 41.
- Smith, Will. "Six By Six—A Jazz Guitar Celebration." Down Beat 72.7 (July 2005): 76.
- Ephland, John. "Rudy Linka-Royce Campbell." Down Beat 74.3 (March 2007): 71.
- Koert, Hans. "The Five Guitars." IAJRC Journal 40.4 (Dec 2007): 71–72.
- Ephland, John. "Traveling Guitars." Down Beat 76.2 (Feb 2009): 71.
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