Ginetta says she is an "Italian Gypsy, born there", but came to the U.S.
when she was a baby. She began playing trumpet in the third grade at age
eight and says, "I knew right then that I loved music and the stage!!! The
trumpet is my first and only instrument except a little piano for my
songwriting. I've been singing all my life.. When I was a kid, I would put
on the "Ella Sings The Cole Porter Songbook" and sing along!!!! I should
record some of those gems."
Looking back, she says "now mind you, I'm only 5 feet tall now...
back then I was a little tiny thing. When the music teacher asked what I
wanted to play, I said 'Trombone', and he said 'your arms are too short',"
Short arms and providence led Ginetta to the trumpet and now she is known
for playing the "pocket trumpet" and it is her only Horn. She describes it
as "a gorgeous custom-silver plated beauty with a mellow tone to match!"
GINETTA M - Killer Joe! Recorded "Live"... (June 2013)
"Ginetta is an alumnus of North Texas State University where she studied
and played most styles of music ranging from classical, jazz, blues and pop
to Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue and Funk. She has studied music and been taught
to play by trumpet masters Marky Markowitz, Spanky Davis, Ted Curson, Howard
McGhee and Allan Colin, to name a few.
Over the years Ginetta and her horn have performed with many well known
entertainers. She has shared the stage with the Neville Brothers, Charles
Neville, Jimmy Buffet, "Tone, Tony, Toni", "two tons of fun", Albert
Collins, The Holmes Brothers. "The Boo Radleys", The Phantom Band (Haitian
Compa band), Blue Boy (Trinidad Calypso star) and numerous Salsa legends.
Ginetta has 3 Billboard world songwriting awards for 3 of her original
songs. She received the Ascaplus Award for songwriting, which is awarded
yearly and the soul-patrol future Legend of Black Music Award. She also
received the Music Liberty Initiative for NYC Musicians, after 9/11.
I asked Ginetta if there were any memorable musical experiences she
might share. She said, "generally the festivals are the greatest because of
the exotic locations and crowds. The Prishtina Jazz Festival in The Republic
Of Kosovo, The Gainesville Jazz festival in Florida and the Ocho Rios Jazz
festival (4 years in a row) in gorgeous Jamaica" tend to evoke the fondest
memories.
ONESHEET:
Traveling The World With a Pocket Trumpet
"Trumpeter, vocalist, and composer Ginetta M is the leader of the jazzy, funky New
York City based Ginetta's Vendetta. She also records under the moniker Ginetta M.
On this edition of GLT Jazz Next, Ginetta tells Jon Norton her latest album as
Ginetta M is Little Big Horn. She says the title is a nod to Native American culture,
and a reference to her instrument of choice, the "pocket" trumpet."
"The Vendetta was created so she could sing and play all her originals,
and lead a band combining all the musical styles she had absorbed... Since
it's inception they have played all over the world.. from Beirut to Kosovo..
She is a festival favorite and counts The Ocho Rios Festival (four years in
a row), The Pristina Jazz Festival (Kosovo Republic), The Gainesville Jazz
Festival, The Hudson Black Arts Festival and many others as her most special
shows!"
“an album to put on for all of your friends you suspect might like jazz,
but simply don't realize it yet. See it is indeed possible for jazz to be
both fun and popular without it being "smooth"...”
“Ginetta fronts the band with her high octane performance and incredible
trumpet and vocal chops. She writes all of the vocal tunes and covers only
the funkiest instrumental classics.”