Jon Eardley

Who was Jon Eardley?

Jon Eardley was an American jazz trumpeter.

Eardley first started on trumpet at the age of 11; his father had played in Paul Whiteman's orchestra. He played in an Air Force band in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1949, then played with his own quartet in D.C. from 1950 to 1953. He moved to New York City in 1953, playing with Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan, and Hal McIntyre. Following this he returned to his hometown and played there until 1963, when he moved to Belgium. In 1969 he moved to Cologne, Germany, playing there with Harald Banter and Chet Baker and working through the 1980s. The last years before death he played in the WDR Big Band Cologne, Germany. Jon Eardley is not particularly well known in his native country but became a highly respected musician in Europe.