Spencer Ludwig

Last updated
Spencer Ludwig
Photo By Alec Ilstrup.jpg
Background information
Birth nameSpencer Ludwig
Born (1990-06-24) 24 June 1990 (age 34)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Trumpeter, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)Trumpet, vocals
Years active2011–present
Labels Warner Bros., Trumpet Records
Member of
Website SpencerLudwig.com

Spencer Ludwig (born 24 June 1990) is an American trumpeter, singer, songwriter, producer and musical director from Los Angeles, California. The former trumpet player for the band Capital Cities, he recorded on their debut album In a Tidal Wave of Mystery and toured with them from 2011 to 2015. He has also performed with Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Gallant, Mike Posner, Foster the People, Portugal. The Man, Fitz and the Tantrums, RAC, Joywave, St. Lucia, Cherub, and The Wailers. In 2018, he went independent and formed his own label, Trumpet Records. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Ludwig is the son of a Filipino mother and a Russian-Jewish father. He grew up in Los Angeles, California. [2] He attended Oakwood School and began playing saxophone in the fourth grade due to his school's support for performing arts. [3] Ludwig grew fond of jazz music and performed in the school's jazz band during his middle school years. [3]

Ludwig learned to play the French horn in high school but decided to apply to college as a trumpet player. [3] He started off by teaching himself how to play the trumpet going into his senior year of high school. [3] He was accepted to California Institute of the Arts where he studied jazz. [3] He supported his way through school by playing with local bands from Los Angeles and teaching trumpet part-time at his former high school. [2]

Career

Ludwig was part of the local Los Angeles music scene, performing with numerous bands. [4] He began performing while in college, forming a cover band with friends that graduated from Oakwood School a few years before him. [5] It was in 2011 that Ludwig got his break with Capital Cities. [6]

While playing at a local music festival with a band called Sister Rogers in 2011, Capital Cities band members Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian watched him perform, later asking him to join the group as its trumpet player. [7] [8] Ludwig shifted his focus to solely playing with the band and recorded and toured with them for the next four years. [9] He recorded trumpet on the group's platinum debut album, In a Tidal Wave of Mystery . [10]

In 2015, Ludwig signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records as a solo artist. [11] In July 2016, he released his first two singles "Diggy" and "Right Into U". [12] The song "Diggy" was featured in Target's fall style TV campaign, which premiered on September 14, 2016. [13] "Diggy" also appeared in the feature film, Happy Death Day, [14] and the video game Just Dance 2018 . In 2018 Ludwig left Warner Bros. Records to pursue a career as an independent artist and to form his own record label, Trumpet Records. In March 2018, he released his first single as an independent artist "Just Wanna Dance" and he collaborated with five-time Latin Grammy winner Fonseca on his song "Por Pura Curiosidad",[ citation needed ] which was featured on his album Agustín and earned a Latin Grammy in 2019 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. [15]

In 2017, in front of 46,556 fans, he performed the national anthem on trumpet at the 2017 NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues (a first for the Winter Classic). That same year he became the official band leader and musical director for the annual NFL Honors Awards and in 2021 he became the musical director for the ESPY Awards. [16]

Discography

Solo releases

YearTitleAlbum
2016"Diggy"Non-album singles
"Right into You"
"Midnight Special"
"Good Time People"
"Diggy" feat. Sofia Reyes
2017"Fuel to the Fire"
"Legend"
"Got Me Like"
2018"My Trumpet" feat. MC Davo
"Honeymoon"
"Just Wanna Dance"
"Watch Me Walk"
2019"Best Life"
"Jungle in Me"
"My Nature" feat. Zak Downtown
"Brand New"
2021"From the Vault (Instrumental)"From the Vault
"From the Vault"

Songwriting, recording and production credits

YearArtistAlbumCredit [17] Certifications
2011 The Belle Brigade The Belle Brigade Flugelhorn
2013 Capital Cities In a Tidal Wave of Mystery TrumpetRIAA: Platinum [18]
2015 Never Shout Never Black Cat Trumpet
Iration Hotting UpTrumpet
Wale The Album About Nothing Trumpet
2017 Magic Giant In the WindTrumpet
Sofia Reyes Louder! Trumpet, songwriter, featured artistRIAA: Gold [19]
Dua Lipa Live Acoustic EP Trumpet
2018 Fonseca AgustînTrumpet, songwriter, producer, featured artist
WingtipGhosts of YouthTrumpet, songwriter
KUURO What U Wanna DoSongwriter, featured artist[ citation needed ]
Mini Mansions Flashbacks: A Collection of B-sides from the Great PretendersTrumpet[ citation needed ]
2019 Syn Cole Cool with ThatSongwriter[ citation needed ]
2020 Too Many Zooz Make RoomSongwriter, featured artist[ citation needed ]
Various artists100 Greatest CoversTrumpet
Spencer ZahnSunday PainterTrumpet
2021FitzHead Up HighTrumpet
Aloe Blacc Made from the StarsTrumpet
Various artistsDespertar ContentoTrumpet
Sofia Reyes MásTrumpet, songwriter, producer
2022 Kill the Noise EMBRACETrumpet, featured artist
JadedCan You Feel ItTrumpet, songwriter
Harm & Ease, Fefe Dobson LemonadeTrumpet, songwriter
2023 Travis Scott Utopia Trumpet
Boy in Space CiaoTrumpet, songwriter, producer
Pigeon John Step On OutTrumpet, songwriter, producer
GalxaraUmamiTrumpet, songwriter, producer

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Petty</span> American rock musician (1950–2017)

Thomas Earl Petty was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader and frontman of the rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He was also a successful solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earth, Wind & Fire</span> American musical group

Earth, Wind & Fire is an American music band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhani Harrison</span> British musician (born 1978)

Dhani Harrison is a British-American musician, composer and singer-songwriter. He is the only child of George, lead guitarist of The Beatles, and Olivia Harrison. Dhani debuted as a professional musician assisting in recording his father's final album, Brainwashed, and completing it with the assistance of Jeff Lynne after his father's death in November 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herb Alpert</span> American musician (born 1935)

Herb Alpert is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, five of which became No. 1 albums; he has scored 14 platinum albums and 15 gold albums. Alpert is the only musician to hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as both a vocalist and an instrumentalist.

The Memphis Horns was an American horn section, made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. The duo consisted of Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor saxophone. An "offshoot of the Mar-Keys", they continued to work together for over 30 years. They lent their sound to 83 gold and platinum awards and over one hundred high-charting records, including Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", and Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Hargrove</span> American jazz trumpeter (1969–2018)

Roy Anthony Hargrove was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles of jazz in 1998 and 2002. Hargrove primarily played in the hard bop style for the majority of his albums, but also had a penchant for genre-crossing exploration and collaboration with a variety of hip hop, neo soul, R&B and alternative rock artists. As Hargrove told one reporter, "I've been around all kinds of musicians, and if a cat can play, a cat can play. If it's gospel, funk, R&B, jazz or hip-hop, if it's something that gets in your ear and it's good, that's what matters."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Fischer</span> American vocalist and songwriter

Lisa Melonie Fischer is an American singer and songwriter. She found success with her 1991 debut album So Intense, which produced the Grammy Award–winning hit single "How Can I Ease the Pain". She has been a back-up singer for a number of artists, including Sting, Luther Vandross, and Tina Turner, and she toured with The Rolling Stones from 1989 to 2015.

Little Angels were an English hard rock band predominantly active between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. The band reformed on 8 June 2012 to play the Download Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Harrison</span> American record producer

Richard Christopher Harrison is an American record producer and songwriter specializing in R&B and hip hop music. The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as "Get Right", "1 Thing" and "Crazy in Love". Harrison is the founder of Richcraft Entertainment, a label that housed artists such as singer Amerie, R&B girl group RichGirl, and rapper Young Steff.

The Miami Horns are an American horn section best known for touring and recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed or recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds, Robert Cray, Bon Jovi, Cissy Houston, Joe Cocker, Dave Edmunds, Darlene Love, The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow and Ricky Martin. As individuals, the various members have also worked with the likes of Aerosmith, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Power Station, Graham Parker, and They Might Be Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terence Blanchard</span> American trumpeter and composer

Terence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He has also written two operas and more than 80 film and television scores. Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Score for BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods, both directed by Spike Lee, a frequent collaborator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Driscoll</span> American singer

Phil Driscoll is a trumpeter, singer, composer, and producer. He performs in varying music genres and styles which include rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and patriotic music, and is best known for his work in Christian music and his longterm Christian ministry. In 1985, Driscoll won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance – Duo/Group for a duet with Debby Boone on "Keep the Flame Burning", and he has been nominated for three additional Grammys, two for Best Gospel Performance – Male and one for Best Gospel/Pop Album. He has also won three Dove Awards for his music, and the 1999 Christian Country Music Association Award for Best Musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Manion</span> American musician

Ed Manion, also known as Eddie "Kingfish" Manion, is an American saxophonist, who plays both tenor and baritone sax. As a solo artist, he released his own instrumental album titled Nightlife in 2015. Manion is a recording and touring member of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. He was a touring member of the horn section for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and also a member of Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour, later called Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band. He is an original member of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, The Miami Horns, and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. As a session musician, he has recorded, toured, and/or performed with, among others, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds, Bon Jovi, Willy DeVille, Dave Edmunds, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Dion, The Allman Brothers Band, Kim Wilson, and Graham Parker. As a solo artist, he released his own CD titled Follow Through in 2004.

Robert Kraft is an American songwriter, film composer, recording artist and record producer. As president of Fox Music from 1994 to 2012, he supervised the music for more than 300 Fox feature films, as well as dozens of TV shows. He co-produced the 2016 Score: A Film Music Documentary about film composers and the evolution of Hollywood film music.

"Take Me to the River" is a 1974 song written by singer Al Green and guitarist Mabon "Teenie" Hodges. Hit versions were recorded by Syl Johnson, Talking Heads and Delbert McClinton. In 2004, Green's original version was ranked number 117 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Green's 1974 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah</span> American jazz composer and trumpeter

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah is an American jazz trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Wilson (musician)</span> American musician and producer (born 1974)

Jonathan Spencer Wilson is a three time Grammy nominated producer, songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trombone Shorty</span> American musician (born 1986)

Troy Andrews, also known by the stage name Trombone Shorty, is a musician, most notably a trombone player, from New Orleans, Louisiana. His music fuses rock, pop, jazz, funk, and hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Wilson (singer)</span> American singer

Charles Kent Wilson, also known as Uncle Charlie, is an American singer and the former lead vocalist of the Gap Band. As a solo artist Wilson has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards and 11 NAACP Image Awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and was a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005. In 2009 and 2020, he was named Billboard magazine's No. 1 Adult R&B Artist, and his song "There Goes My Baby" was named the No. 1 Urban Adult Song for 2009 in Billboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Benack III</span> American jazz trumpeter (born 1990)

Ben Edward Benack III, also known as Benny Benack III, is an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist and composer.

References

  1. "Spencer Ludwig - About". spencerludwig.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  2. 1 2 Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  4. Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  5. Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  6. Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  7. Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  8. Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  9. Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  10. "Diez imperdibles del Lollapalooza 2014". Rolling Stone. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  11. Mishan, Ligaya (13 July 2015). "Capital Cities' Spencer Ludwig Sings the Praises of the Lowly Wooden Spoon". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  12. "Spencer Ludwig Gets You Moving With Diggy & Right Into U". Warner Bros. Records. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ verification needed ]
  13. Spencer Ludwig Releases 'Diggy' + Appears in Fall TV Spot [ verification needed ]
  14. Happy Death Day (2017) - IMDb , retrieved 2021-02-16
  15. "Latin GRAMMYs". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  16. "Presenters and Attendees Announced for The 2021 ESPYS Hosted by Anthony Mackie this Saturday on ABC". ESPN Press Room U.S. 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  17. "Spencer Ludwig | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  18. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  19. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-02-16.