Phil Ranelin

Trombonist, Composer, Arranger, Band Leader, Producer, Educator

Phillip Arthur Ranelin was born in Indianapolis, Indiana where he grew up under the influence of Jimmy Coe, Earmon Hubbard, J.J. Johnson, Pookie Johnson, Willis Kirk, Wes Montgomery, Melvin Rhyne, Russell Webster and David Young. Ranelin is loved and respected around the globe as a veteran trombonist of the J.J. Johnson tradition, former Freddie Hubbard sideman and as co-founder of Detroit’s famed TRIBE Records. Ranelin has studied and played with some of the most highly respected Jazz and classical educators in the business, including professors David N. Baker, Nathan Davis, Bunky Green, Larry Ridley, Dr. Louis Smith and Donald Byrd (with whom in 1976 he received the key to the city of Detroit). Ranelin’s Jazz performance credits include: Marcus Belgrave, Roy Brooks, Norman Connors, Teddy Edwards, Ella Fitzgerald, Tootie Heath, Harold McKinney, Art Pepper, Freddie Redd, Vi Redd, James Spaulding, Sarah Vaughan, Gerald Wilson and Freddie Hubbard with whom in 1980 he appeared on MISTRAL, Japan’s #1 Jazz record of the year.

In addition to Phil’s Jazz credits, from the 1960’s through the 1980’s, Ranelin’s trombone was part of numerous R&B, Blues and Pop groups including, The Staple Singers, James Brown, Joe Simon, Teddy Pendergrass,  B B King, Bootsey’s Rubber Band  and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  From 1969 through 1974, Ranelin worked at Detroit’s Motown Records both as a tour musician and studio musician, touring and recording with , The Four Tops, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and Stevie Wonder. In January of 1974, Ranelin was a part of history, when he played at Detroit’s Ford Auditorium with Diana Ross & the Supremes for the Inaugural of Mayor  Coleman Young , Detroit’s first African American  mayor.

 As a leader, Ranelin has shared the bill with Stanley Clarke, Christian McBride, Les McCann, Sonny Rollins, Pharoah Sanders, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Smith, O.C. Smith, Leon Thomas and McCoy Tyner. Ranelin has appeared at many Jazz festivals around the world including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Vera Cruz Muestra International Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Atlantic City Jazz Festival, Montreux Detroit, Kool Jazz, Indiana Black Expo, the Newport Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Jazz At Drew, USC Spectrum LA Jazz, UCLA Jazz & Reggae Festival, The Indy Jazz Fest and Indianapolis’ Inaugural Independent Jazz Community Celebration.  A Los Angeles resident since 1977, Ranelin has been designated by official resolutions as a “Rare and Valuable Cultural Treasure” and as a “Cultural Ambassador throughout the Nation and to the world audience” by several legislative bodies such as Los Angeles City Council and Mayor, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, California Senate and California Assembly. The U.S. Congress has honored Ranelin via certificates of appreciation for community service and excellence as an artist from California Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Juanita Millender-McDonald and Maxine Waters. Both California U.S. Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, have also issued official commendations to Ranelin for his work with at-risk youth in under-served communities such as Pacoima, Watts and Sylmar. All these honors were a result of free concerts and Jazz appreciation workshops which Ranelin self-produced with multiple years of grants as an Artist-In-Residence from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs; and as a result of other free public performances made possible through the California Arts Council, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and Local 47 Musicians’ Trust Fund.

Ranelin’ s musical track-record in Los Angeles speaks for itself. He was part of the Horace Tapscott Sextet and the Pan Afrikan Peoples’ Arkestra, He continues to perform with Henry Franklin, The Michael Session Sextet and the Taumbu International Ensemble; as well as with Build An Ark and The Luckman Jazz Orchestra which performed the works of Oliver Nelson and Dizzy Gillespie this season.  Ranelin is also  proud of the fact that his Eric Dolphy 75th Memorial Birthday Tribute at William Grant Still Arts Center, spearheaded the successful 2-year community movement that resulted in the naming of a 5-million dollar building after Dolphy at Denker Recreation Center which is located only doors away from the Dolphy family homestead.

Ranelin’s discography is extensive. Clint Eastwood produced MONTEREY JAZZ: 40 LEGENDARY YEARS (Warner Brothers 1997) which included Freddie Hubbard’s 1980 performance featuring Ranelin on trombone. Another compilation featuring Johnny Coles, Eddie Harris, Eddie Henderson, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw and Tom Harrell also features one of Ranelin’s original compositions, “Ya' Know What I Mean,” the final cut from A CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE VERY BEST KIND. In 2002 Phil Ranelin received the ‘‘People’s Choice Best Jazz Artist” award at the LA Weekly Music Awards. The next year A CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE VERY BEST KIND ranked #10 in the Billboard CD reviews. 2004  marked the release of his latest recording from San Francisco-based Wide Hive Records, INSPIRATION. This debut recording of Phil Ranelin & Tribe Renaissance (his 9-piece group) has received rave reviews worldwide and features all Ranelin originals composed in homage to John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson and Horace Tapscott. Ranelin dedicated INSPIRATION to his fallen mentors: Harold McKinney of ‘Motor City’ and Jimmy Coe of ‘Naptown’.  In 2005 Phil Ranelin was again honored at the LA Weekly Music Awards as “Critics’ Choice Best Jazz Artist of the Year.”

Though Ranelin has been working on developing an international performance season for his 6-piece group, The Phil Ranelin Jazz Ensemble, his successful bid as a 2006-2007 City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.) Individual Artist Fellow afforded him the opportunity to focus on composing an extended work dedicated to legendary lady trombonist  Melba Liston “Sweets For Melba” debuted on Phil’s birthday, May 25, 2007, at  the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. In January of 2008  Ranelin Performed  a Tribute to Miles Davis with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra. In the month of February, Phil co-produced a  series of performances featuring the Phil Ranelin Jazz Ensemble performing each Friday in February in honor of African American History Month. These performances  saluted West Coast Jazz legends:  Dexter Gordon, Eric Dolphy, J.J. Johnson, Hampton Hawes and Melba Liston and took place at various high-end Jazz venues including The Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill, the Sheraton Universal Jazz Bar in Universal City and The Sea Bird Jazz Lounge in the Long Beach Arts District.  Ranelin’s most recent CD project entitled, TRIBE, brings together some of his 1970s Detroit cohorts, Marcus Belgrave and Wendell Harrison to reach out to young people to celebrate this great music called Jazz. For more information, please continue to visit: www.ranelin.com.