Jun Iida
Trumpet, Flugal Horn
34 age
May 15, 1991 Birthday
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Birthplace
www.juniidamusic.com Website
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About
Jun Iida is a Japanese American trumpeter, composer, and bandleader currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Born in St. Louis to Japanese immigrant parents, he earned a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Case Western Reserve University before committing fully to music. After establishing himself in the Los Angeles and Seattle jazz scenes, he released his critically acclaimed debut album Evergreen on Origin Records in January 2024, featuring his sextet with Aubrey Johnson, Josh Nelson, Xavier Lecouturier, Masami Kuroki, and Jonathan Richards. His compositions draw on his bicultural heritage, incorporating Japanese folk melodies into modern jazz frameworks. Iida has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Pit Inn Tokyo, Smalls Jazz Club, and the Earshot Jazz Festival, and curates cultural programming including the "Hai! Japantown" AANHPI artist showcase and "Sake x Jazz Presents" concert series.
Trivia
Iida's decision to leave engineering for music was catalyzed by attending a Maria Schneider concert in Seattle, which he describes as a "wake-up call" to the possibilities of high-level orchestral jazz. On Evergreen, he specifically designed the vocal part for Aubrey Johnson to function as "a second horn" rather than a conventional singing role, reflecting his interest in reimagining traditional jazz ensemble configurations. His mother was a semi-professional koto player, providing his earliest exposure to Japanese musical traditions.
Early Life
Jun Iida was born on May 15, 1991, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Japanese immigrant parents. His mother was a semi-professional koto player, and music was a constant presence in the household. He began piano lessons at age five and discovered jazz at nine after hearing Louis Armstrong's recording of "Hello, Dolly!" which inspired him to take up the trumpet. His family relocated to Pittsburgh when he was ten, where he continued his musical development alongside academic studies. Iida attended Case Western Reserve University, earning a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering in 2013 while simultaneously studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music. His primary teacher was trombonist Paul Sequence Ferguson. After working as an engineer in New Hampshire and Los Angeles, Iida moved to Seattle in 2020, where attending a Maria Schneider concert became the catalyst for his full commitment to music.
Jun Iida Solos
2023
Trumpet solo - Gooey Butter Cake - 2023
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 195 BPM
Trumpet solo - Akatombo - 2023
E♭ major
Flugal Horn solo - Evergreen - 2023
4/4 straight in C major at 133 BPM
Trumpet solo - Shiki no Uta - 2023
4/4 straight in B♭ minor at 82 BPM
Trumpet solo - Bellarosa - 2023
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 180 BPM
Flugal Horn solo - Love Theme from Spartacus - 2023
3/4 free in G major
Flugal Horn solo - Song for Luke - 2023
4/4 ballad in C minor at 54 BPM
Trumpet solo - Holding On to Autumn - 2023
4/4 straight in C minor at 101 BPM
2019
Trumpet solo - Martha's Prize - 2019
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 203 BPM
Trumpet solo - L's Bop - 2019
4/4 swing in E major at 283 BPM
Trumpet solo - St. Louis Blues - 2019
4/4 swing in F major at 171 BPM
Trumpet solo - Like Someone In Love - 2019
5/4 swing in E♭ major at 176 BPM
Trumpet solo - I'll Be Seeing You - 2019
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 145 BPM
Trumpet solo - Beatrice - 2019
7/8 straight in F major at 258 BPM
2017
Trumpet solo - All Of You - 2017
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 156 BPM
Trumpet solo - This I Dig of You - 2017
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 189 BPM
Trumpet solo - Strappado - 2017
4/4 swing in G minor at 187 BPM
Trumpet solo - Maybe Never - 2017
4/4 ballad in G minor at 58 BPM
Trumpet solo - Let's Cool One - 2017
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 127 BPM
Trumpet solo - Public Eye - 2017
4/4 swing in C minor at 244 BPM
Trumpet solo - Along Came Betty - 2017
4/4 swing in A♭ major at 109 BPM
Trumpet solo - Waiting For The Gypsy - 2017
4/4 straight in B♭ minor at 138 BPM
Trumpet solo - The Eternal Triangle - 2017
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 213 BPM
Trumpet solo - Mo' Better Blues - 2017
4/4 march in G♭ major at 95 BPM