Tyrone Jefferson

About Tyrone

Trombonist, composer, arranger, producer, and visionary Tyrone Jefferson makes music that chronicles his journey, opens his heart and mind, and allows him to share his worldview. Dexterous and inventive as a player and creator, his solid foundation in music theory and knack for the nuances of rhythm and melody shine through in his vibrant performances, arrangements, and compositions. With a career spanning nearly 50 years, he stands firmly behind his artistic mission: to promote the rich and diverse history of those in the African Diaspora through music, dance, and the spoken word.

tyronejefferson

Contact: tyrone@asignofthetimes.org

(704) 339-0234

HIS-story

Inspired by classical music, jazz, the blues, gospel, soul, R&B, hip-hop, and rap, Jefferson’s commitment to evolving his sound and studying music as a fine-tuned skill and a transcendent art form illuminates his bold resumé. He has performed and recorded with musicians including James Brown, rap pioneers Public Enemy, hip-hop artist L.L. Cool J and Gospel artist Heather Hedley and has performed in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Japan, Morocco, and the Caribbean, as well as at prominent venues such as the Apollo and Lincoln Center (NYC) and the Greek Theater and the Staples Center (LA). Jefferson holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from North Carolina Agricultural &Technical University, an M.S. in Management Information Systems from Pace University, New York, and a Professional Certificate in Arranging and Composition from Berklee College of Music, where he studied with revered bandleader Herb Pomeroy. Jefferson was also part of master saxophonist Frank Foster’s jazz ensemble Living Color: 10 Shades of Black and a master trombonist “Slide” Hampton’s World of Trombones jazz group.

Highlights

Jefferson was one of six composers commissioned by Minister of Culture, Guadeloupe, French West Indies to collaboratively write “A Hymn for World Peace” in 1984 and has also been profiled in Carib Magazine, Black Elegance, Sister-to-Sister, The Charlotte Magazine and Jet Magazine. He is also featured in Amiri Baraka’s book Digging: The Afro-American Soul of American Classical Music (2009).

Community leaders in their hometown, he and his wife Toni are co-hosts of the weekly “Saturday Night R&B House Party” program on Gaston College radio (WSGE-FM) and are the producers of “The State of Black Music” TV show on Time Warner Cable public access TV-21 in Charlotte.

Jefferson is currently the Executive Director of A Sign of the Times of the Carolinas, a non-profit dedicated to improving the community through cultural productions and educational programs that positively reflect the heritage of African Americans, and is Music Director of the A Sign of the Times Bands. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Harvey B. Gantt Center Award – an award that recognizes leaders in their field and in 2016 received the prestigious Arts and Science Council Honors Award.