Johnny Răducanu

Johnny Răducanu (born Răducan Crețu; 1 December 1931 – 19 September 2011) was a Romanian jazz pianist of Romani ethnic background, whose family has a long musical tradition dating back to the 17th century.^[1]

Johnny Răducanu
Răducanu in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Răducan Crețu
Also known as	Johnny Răducanu
Born	(1931-12-01)1 December 1931 Brăila, Kingdom of Romania
Died	19 September 2011(2011-09-19) (aged 79) Bucharest, Romania
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument(s)	Double bass, piano
Years active	1950–2010
Labels	Electrecord

Răducanu in 1992

He was born in Brăila and started playing the double bass at the age of 19 before switching to piano. During his musical career, some of his many collaborations outside Romania were those with Art Farmer (trumpet) and Slide Hampton (trombone), and Friedrich Gulda (piano). In 1987, Răducanu received an honorary membership in the Louis Armstrong Academy in New Orleans. He was the founder of the Romanian Jazz school, and during a musical career spanning over half a century, he discovered, nurtured and trained several generations of Romanian jazz musicians. Leonard Feather called him "Mr. Jazz of Romania". He was the President of the Romanian Jazz Federation. Răducanu was married to Geta Costin from 1962 to 1970.^[2]

Răducanu died at his apartment in Oltarului Street in Bucharest and is interred in a local cemetery in Cernica, Ilfov County, close to the capital.^[3]

Discography

• Jazz trio – Seria jazz nr. 4 (Electrecord, 1966)
• Jazz în țara mea (Jazz in my country) (Electrecord, 1967)
• Confesiuni (Electrecord, 1979)
• Confesiuni II (Electrecord, 1982)
• Confesiuni III – Seria jazz nr. 21 (Electrecord, 1986)
• Jazz Made in Romania (Electrecord, 1987)
• To His Friends (Alpha Publishing, 1996)
• Jazz Behind the Carpathians – Johnny Raducanu meets Theodora Enache (Green Records, 1999)
• Jazz antifanariot (Anastasia, 2002)
• Jazz Made in Romania – Live in San Francisco (Mediaround Inc./Intercont Music, 2002)
• Jazz Bestament (Tescani Productions, 2005)
• Chamber Jazz Music (Soft Productions, 2008)
• Inside Stories – Jazz Poems (Tvr Media, 2009)

Books

• Singurătatea, meseria mea (Regent House Printing & Publishing, 2002)
• Țara lui Johnny (Vivaldi, 2005)

References

1. Rădulescu, George (18 February 2011). "Johnny Răducanu, muzician: "Înainte, până și hoții aveau simțul măsurii"". Adevărul (in Romanian). Retrieved 11 September 2021.
2. Re marriage to Geta Costin. 9am.ro. Retrieved on 9 May 2017.
3. Notice of death of Răducanu. Adevarul.ro. Retrieved on 9 May 2017.

External links

• Recording in Meudon, Johnny Răducanu – Mister Jazz of Romania Archived 26 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
• Johnny Răducanu at All About Jazz
• Musical samples from Mediaround
• Concert in San Francisco on Răducanu's 71st birthday
• Brownjohn, Alan (11 November 2011). "Johnny Raducanu obituary: Romania's Mr Jazz who sought perfection as player, composer and teacher". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2021.