Jeremy Davenport



Jeremy Davenport (born 1970) is a jazz trumpetist and singer from St. Louis, Missouri. His parents were both musicians, his father a trombonist in the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Davenport was already playing the trumpet when he met jazz great Wynton Marsalis, and then studied under his father, Ellis Marsalis, in New Orleans. He also played with Harry Connick Jr.'s band before beginning a solo career.

Davenport left St. Louis after high school to begin studying jazz at the Manhattan School of Music. It was there that he contacted Wynton Marsalis, whom Davenport had met in high school when he was still playing classical trumpet. Marsalis introduced Davenport to his father, Ellis Marsalis, and soon thereafter Davenport moved to New Orleans to study under the elder Marsalis at the University of New Orleans. Ellis Marsalis molded Davenport's music from a self-described "cerebral" jazz to a more aesthetically pleasing, more sellable jazz trumpet.

After his tutelage from Wynton and Ellis Marsallis, Davenport toured with Harry Connick Jr.'s band for four years and then returned to New Orleans to play at Snug Harbor, a top local jazz venue. It was there that he made a connection with chef Emeril Lagasse, leading to television appearances on a sit-com and Lagasse's cooking show. His media appearances also include Cosmo Girl, GQ, Travel and Leisure, and New Orleans, among others. Musically, Davenport usually plays a mix of American jazz standards and his own songs.

Davenport frequently plays at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans. He makes occasional appearances on Emeril Live on the Food Network. He has also played for the non-profit Jazz @ the Bistro, a St. Louis jazz organization, and in two consecutive Lions of Jazz concerts, a benefit for his alma mater, University City High School. Post-Hurricane Katrina, he played at Busch's Grove restaurant in St. Louis, but indicated his intention to return to New Orleans. , he is again playing regularly at the Ritz Carlton there. .

Discography

 * Puttin' on the Ritz (1995)
 * Maybe in a Dream (1997)
 * Christmas Gumbo (2004)
 * Jeremy Davenport (2005)
 * Live at the Bistro (2005)
 * We‘ll Dance ‘Til Dawn (2009)