Rodney Block/Trumpeter, a Dumas, Arkansas native has been thriving in the regional music scene for the past ten years.
The Rodney Block Jazz Project is a quartet comprised of lead trumpet, piano, bass, and drums, with extra vocalist as needed. Block, a classically trained instrumentalist, performs a unique blend of traditional jazz, gospel, hip-hop, Bebop, funk and soul. An Arkansas native, he honed his skills by playing in some of Kansas City’s premier venues – Grand Emporium, Plaza III, Blue Room and Liberty Hall. His ensembles have opened for Jonathan Butler, Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Wynton Marsalis and Angela Hagenbaugh, among others. Based now in Little Rock, Block has provided music for various private and corporate events. The ensemble was recently featured in the live television recording AETN Presents: Front Row with the Rodney Block Jazz Project. The television program received outstanding reviews and was nominated for a 2007 Mid-America Emmy Award.
Block has been featured and performed in various festivals and venues across the globe ranging from corporate to social, has built a niche in the genres of jazz and hip hop. Notable artists he has shared the stage with include The Temptations, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Joe, Tank, Mary Wilson (of The Supremes), Sugar Ray, Chrissette Michelle, The Migos, Eric Benet, Whoodini, Conya Doss, Johnny Gill, Dwele, Jonathan Butler, Dave Hollister, Ellis and Delfayo Marsalis, Kirk Whalum, Layla Hathaway, Eric Roberson, Anthony David, Lenny Williams, Angela Winbush, Howard Hewett, R.L. (of the R&B group Next), Marsha Ambrosius, Gucci Mane, Diane Reeves, Anthony Hamilton, Carl Thomas, Toney Terry, and The Yellowjackets.
Block has been a frequent guest artist with hip hop legend and icon, Doug E. Fresh. In 2007, Block’s televised jazz feature, AETN Presents: Front Row with Rodney Block, was nominated for a Regional Emmy. In 2014, the band was honored with the Aurora Award and Telly Award, for its concert feature on AETN television network. Currently, fans can listen to the Rodney Block jazz station on iTunes, Pandora Radio, Spotify, and other digital music platforms.