History has witnessed the power of jazz in giving rhythm to revolutions and the plight for freedom. It came into being as a form of self-expression for the African-American community and soon became an essential part of the American lifestyle.
Today, one can find jazz artists and audiences across the world due to the existence and efforts of jazz enthusiasts, who still believe in its ability to connect different communities, bring racial gaps, and play a role in social change. Jazz has roots in freedom, and it can empower the youth of today to instigate change. One of the big names on our list of famous Jazz enthusiasts who have dedicated their lives to promoting and utilizing the musical genre’s power is Antonio Darryl Underwood, an American musician, educator, and business owner.
Antonio has been in the music field for the past thirty years, professionally composing and producing recorded music under his own prestigious label, Tone East Music LLC (established in 1994). His label has experience working with some of the biggest names in music Lisa Fischer, Katreese Barnes, Anthony Jackson, and Steven Jordan, Guitarist, Jerry Stucker and jazz trumpet legend, Eddie Henderson. Mentoring young up and coming artists such as Melissa St. Hilaire, the late Rosa Salinas, and Bassell Franks, who Antonio helped raise from one years old.
As a fine musician himself with a thriving production label, Antonio always knew that his struggles as an artist were to be defined by producing quality music, engaging the youth of today, and providing them with the right opportunities to find success in the field.
A Yale School of Music graduate and Fulbright Alumni Scholar, Antonio is striving hard to raise funds to develop workshops and camps in Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. His experience of leading workshops as a Fulbright scholar in 2016 was remarkable. Despite returning and continuing to teach music and produce new content, his heart and soul remain in the pursuit of spreading jazz across the world.
A highly gifted musician, Antonio Underwood brings Jazz and the love of music to children, inspiring international understanding and widening their horizons by spreading this great musical tradition through his efforts of leading workshops and engaging in festivals in Serbia. Today, he is entirely focused on continuing to impart knowledge of jazz music within the context of cultural, historical, and socio-political aspects of life in the African American community. Training youth in the genuine creative process and practical application.
There is so much to jazz music than just notes and rhythms; it’s an entire history behind the art, and Antonio’s love and respect for it are evident from his struggles to develop jazz music practicum across the world.
