Kyle Molitor, a resident of Portland OR, began playing trombone at the age of 12. He is a two time member of the Recording Academy’s Grammy Jazz Ensembles, and recorded at Capitol Records in L.A. for the 2010 and 2011 Grammy Awards. Kyle is a three time member of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, touring in 2009, ’10, and ’11, and has had the honor of performing at The Kennedy Center, Yoshi’s (San Francisco), The Jazz Standard, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and the Monterey Jazz Festival with featured solos in each venue. Playing at the MJF provided him the opportunity to perform with many great artists including Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Green, and Donny McCaslin.

 

Kyle’s sound can be heard in the horn section of “Freedumb”, a track on Bootsy Collins’ recent album “The Funk Capital of the World” which he recorded with his mentor Farnell Newton. He also performed in the 2012 music video “We Are Ready” with Dance Floor Diplomacy, which was filmed in Manhattan. Kyle attended The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, where he studied with Elliot Mason of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

 

Pursuing his career in music performance, Kyle is currently a member of Bootsy Collins Rubber Band and has been gigging & touring across America since January 2015. He recorded on Farnell Newton's album "Ready To Roll", Tony Ozier's album "36 Flavas", and enjoys playing in the recently formed PDX-based funk/soul/jazz sextet The Othership Connection. Being able to balance the opportunity to travel and perform incredible music with recording and playing shows locally is Kyle’s primary objective, he’s eager to be challenged, brings an unusually broad base of natural talent and experience, and an understanding of professionalism beyond his years.