Thursday March 14th
8:00pm – 11:00pm
Michael Fatum began his musical career at age four on the piano. After eight years of Suzuki piano lessons and competitions he had the opportunity to play in the 5th grade band. Mesmerized by the shiny brass slide and big trombone sound, Michael thought he was destined to play the instrument. But when his band director asked him what instrument he wanted to play he stuttered, “Tr….tr….tr…tr….” “I think the Trumpet would be a grand idea son!” his band director exclaimed. “Here, I’ll start you on a cornet so you can hold it better.”
The rest is history.
As a trumpeter, Michael Fatum has performed with Bob Mintzer, Dave Pietro, Giovanni Falzone, Jon Faddis, Jeff Coffin, Wayne Bergeron, and has recorded with Joe Lovano at NYU. He is a featured member with New York City’s Bailen Brothers, EMEFE, and the Rad Trads with whom he has performed at a variety of New York venues, including Webster Hall, Brooklyn Bowl, Le Poisson Rouge, the Blue Note, and New York’s UNIQLO flagship store. Internationally, Michael has performed in China, South Korea, Italy, Spain, & Portugal, most notably at the Seoul Arts Center, Beijing Opera, Blue Note Milan, and the Vitoria Jazz Festival. In 2011, Michael and his brother John were jointly awarded the first ever Alumni Award for Achievement in Music from the prestigious Music Institute of Chicago.
John Fonseca Fatum was captivated by music before he could walk. In a little bungalow on the North Side of Chicago, John and his twin brother Michael discovered a fascination for Mahalia Jackson, Paul Simon, and Pete Seeger. By the age of four John had wandered towards the Piano, and at ten received his first Snare Drum. After seeing Elvin Jones and then Von Freeman perform at Chicago’s Jazz Showcase, he was hooked on the warmth of swing. He and brother Michael founded the Fatum Brothers’ Jazz Orchestra in 2009, a 15-piece big band that has performed close to 100 concerts across the nation in just 3 summers of existence, and recorded two full-length albums featuring original compositions and arrangements from some of the country’s finest young musicians. Now 22, John is freshly graduated from the Eastman School of Music, and lives in New York City. He continues to perform throughout the country under both the Fatum Brothers’ name and as a sideman: focused on strengthening a sense of community between performer and audience. When not on the road John performs and collaborates actively in New York, bringing a unique sense of joy, swing, creativity, and an open heart to every project that he encounters.
