READ: All About Jazz.com (article - June 2005)

Roy Campbell Music : for fully up to date performance listings, more biography and full discography as sideman. Check it!

Born in Los Angeles, CA in 1952, Roy Campbell's family moved to the Bronx when he was six. Mr. Campbell began playing the trumpet seriously when he was a teenager, inspired by the examples of both his father (whose trumpet was the first one he used) and the legendary Lee Morgan (whom he first met as a fan at the Bronxwood Inn in the early '70s). Mr. Campbell later studied with Mr. Morgan (and also Kenny Dorham) at Jazzmobile Workshops between the years '71-'73. Later, he studied theory and arranging with Yusef Lateef at Manhattan Community College. It was also during the early '70s that Mr. Campbell first began listening to the work of avant garde trumpeters such as Don Cherry, Bill Dixon and Donald Ayler.

In 1978, Mr. Campbell met the bassist William Parker, who invited him to join Jemeel Moondoc's Ensemble Muntu. This association led to many dates and tours, especially in Europe. Mr. Campbell began spending a lot of time in the Netherlands in '88, touring with bass saxophonist Klass Heckman, scoring films for German documentary director Rosa von Praihim, and directing the Thelonious Monk New World Orchestra.

Back in the U.S., Mr. Campbell composed music for Off-Broadway plays, continued to expand his collection of monster movies, co-founded the Other Dimensions In Music group, and played with a wide variety of improvisors. His live credits include work with Roland Alexander, Cecil Taylor, Sunny Murray, Rashied Ali, Craig Harris, Woody Shaw, Zusan Kali Fasteau, David Murray, Henry Threadgill, Billy Bang and Sun Ra. This, as well as leading his own Pyramid Trio, and working extensively with New York's Music Under NY program. In 1995 Mr. Campbell even took a daylong gig playing national anthems for flags that a nonprofit business group was putting up near Grand Central Station in NYC (according to the NY Times, he played about 55 of them.)

With an approach and technique that takes the influence of both Mr. Morgan and Booker Little, and hauls them into the future, Mr. Campbell has been a solid presence on the New York improvisors' scene for over two decades. ...-bio above written by Byron Coley (& thanks to Michael Ehlers) for their Fire In The Valley '98 program guide.

In 2001, Roy presented a powerful new Pyramid Trio featuring Hamid Drake on drums, along with the perennial William Parker on bass, the dream rhythm+ section. Ethnic Stew And Brew was the album: critically lauded across the board and chosen among the Best of 2001 by both Jazz Times and Downbeat. A new quartet concept was also brought to fruition. With Khan Jamal - vibes, Wilber Morris - bass, and Guillermo E. Brown - drums, this Quartet released a distinctive album on Matthew Shipp's Blue Series for Thirsty Ear.

Roy Campbell is always busy, always playing, from time indefinite past to future forward.
A rare treasure, his art and personage, and one exceedingly well worth digging. Now. -SJ

Discography as a Leader:
2001 Roy Campbell Quartet - It's Krunch Time (The Blue Series/Thirsty Ear)
2001 Pyramid Trio - Ethnic Stew And Brew (Delmark)
1998 Pyramid Trio - Ancestral Homeland (No More Records)
1996 Pyramid Trio - Communion (Silkheart)
1994 La Tierra Del Fuego (Delmark)
1992 New Kingdom (Delmark)

Discography as a Co-Leader:
2000 Other Dimensions In Music - Time Is Of The Essence Is Beyond Time (AUM Fidelity)
1998 Other Dimensions In Music - Now! (AUM Fidelity)
1990 Other Dimensions In Music (Silkheart)

Selected Discography as a Sideman:
2002 Maneri Ensemble - Going To Church (AUM Fidelity)
2000 Jemeel Moondoc & The Jus Grew Orchestra - Spirit House (Eremite)
2000 William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra
.........- Mayor Of Punkville (AUM Fidelity)
1999 Yo La Tengo - Now 2000/Excalibur 2001 2x7" set (Egon)
1999 Peter Brotzmann / Die Like A Dog Quartet - From Valley To Valley (Eremite)
1998 Matthew Shipp Horn Quartet - Strata (Hat Hut)
1997 William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra
........- Sunrise In The Tone World (AUM Fidelity)
1988 William Hooker Orchestra (trio) - The Colour Circle (Cadence)
1986 Billy Bang Sextet - Live At Carlos 1 (Soul Note)
1982 Jemeel Moondoc Quartet Muntu - The Athens Concert (Praxis)
1981 Jemeel Moondoc Sextet - Konstanze's Delight (Soul Note)
1981 Jemeel Moondoc - New York Live (Cadence)
1979 Jemeel Moondoc & Muntu - The Evening Of The Blue Men (Muntu)