Dennis Adu

Born: May 8, 1987

Dennis Adu was born in 1987, May 8 in Saltpond (Ghana). When he was 2 years old his family moved to Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. He started playing the trumpet when he was 7, and when he turned 8 he was invited to Alexander Gebel Orchestra.

Dennis participated in such international festivals and competitions like “Millau en Jazz” (France), “Fel du Sher” (France), “Jazz A Vienne” (Viena), Alfa Jazz Fest (Ukraine) and many others.

In 2007 Adu won the “Do#D�� Junior” (The Best Trumpet Player), in 2009 on this competition he became the winner in nominations “The Best Musician in Ukraine” and “The Best Arrangement of Jazz Standard”.

The Ukraine Connection: Sandy Eldred

by B.D. Lenz
April 9, 2025

It's an understatement to say that politics are very polarizing right now and one of the most heated topics is that of Ukraine. Regardless of how you feel about the war, we can all agree that it is a very difficult time for the Ukrainian people. With the conflict raging on for years, they're undoubtedly trying ...

A Brief Guide To Ukrainian Jazz: Part 2

by Ian Patterson
March 19, 2025

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 The second installment of A Brief Guide To Ukrainian Jazz--a series developed with the cooperation of the Ukrainian Institute--introduces five more highly talented jazz artists/groups from Ukraine. In addition, we profile the jazz festivals and jazz clubs that are keeping the Ukrainian jazz ...

Dennis Adu: Tereza

by Ian Patterson
February 25, 2025

Trumpeter, composer and bandleader Dennis Adu is a key figure on Ukraine's jazz scene, not just as an outstanding musician but also as an educator. Whether leading small ensembles or big bands, Adu has a penchant for arranging intricate, harmonically appealing multiple horn parts. “Tereza," from his album Sunlight Above the Sky (LableWhoAble, 2021 ) is ...

A Brief Guide To Ukrainian Jazz: Part 1

by Ian Patterson
February 24, 2025

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 The history of jazz in Ukraine can be traced fairly precisely according to academic, literature teacher and jazz journalist Alexander Yudin. Writing in The History Of European Jazz: The Music, Musicians And Audience in Context (Equinox Publishing, 2018), Yudin credits Yuliy Meitus with ...

Rise

By George Grydkovets

Label: Shifting Paradigm Records
Released: 2022
Track listing: First Rays Of The New Rising Sun; Rise; The Land Of Green Verticals; Crescent; Blvd. A.D. 1/5; Juice; Hey You; Thomasovich; Escape; Beyond The Sky; Go For It; Transcendental.

George Grydkovets: Rise

by Mark Sullivan
September 8, 2022

Ukrainian guitarist & composer George Grydkovets makes his debut here, in a trio accompanied by upright bassist Valentin Kornivenko and drummer Pavel Galitsky (trumpeter Dennis Adu plays on three tracks). Grydkovets currently resides in New York, where he studies at the New School's School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. He recorded this album near his hometown ...

Rise

April 7, 2022

Album: Rise
By George Grydkovets
Label: Shifting Paradigm Records
Released: 2022
Duration: 6:10

Sunlight Above the Sky

By Dennis Adu

Label: LabelWhoAble
Released: 2021
Track listing: The End; T. N.; Anna P.; Sunlight Above the Sky; I Remember Roy Anthony; If I Was In His Shoes; Apple Seeds; Tereza; One of those Sunday Nights at BarmanDictat; Armageddon.

Absolution

By Aleksandr Poliyakov

Label: LabelWhoAble
Released: 2019
Track listing: Absolution; Noah; Mare; Error; Ronin; Termites; Freedom March 63; Tigran.