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Chris Thompson: Bio

I first remember getting excited about the trumpet when my father took me to see Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in 1966.  I was eight years old.  As a teenager I saw a TV  program about Charlie Parker and heard Herbie Hancock's recording of "Maiden Voyage" with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. They really blew me away. I began practicing, taking private trumpet lessons and going to jam sessions. I discovered Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, Enrico Rava, Woody Shaw and other great jazz trumpet players along the way.  While earning a BFA in Music at City College of New York I also studied trumpet privately with Vincent Penzarella (New York Philharmonic).  In college, I started playing latin gigs around New York and have since shared the stage with many of the greats in Salsa music, including Tony Vega, Lalo Rodriguez, Adalberto Santiago, Cano Estremera, Tito Gomez and countless others.  I have also toured the United States with the Broadway hit show "Chicago" and I have performed in fifteen countries on four continents with various jazz, pop, latin and R&B groups. 

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Currently a member of these bands (2013):

+ Cita Rodriguez y Su Orchesta

+ Nayibe La Gitana

+ Sammy Gonzalez Jr. Y Su Orchesta

+ Harry Adorno Y Su Rumba

+ Orchesta Galante ( canta David Millan )

Past performances in Latin music include these artists:

Lalo Rodriguez

Adalberto Santiago

Luisito Carrion

Ray Sepulveda

Pedro Brull

Conjunto Chaney

Cheo Andujar

Conjunto Clasico

Ray De La Paz

Hector Tricoche

Pedro Arroyo

Son De Cali

Wilson Saoko Manyoma

Tony Vega

Cuco Valoy

Marvin Santiago

Cano Estremera

Tito Gomez

Anthony Cruz

Rafu Warner

Chamaco Rivera

Pupy Cantor

Wichi Camacho

Primi Cruz

Billy Carrion

Junior Gonzalez

Rafael De Jesus

Roberto Lugo

Roberto Blades

Kim De Los Santos

Sergio Rivero

… and many more