Gregory Charles Royal

Gregory Charles Royal also known as Chuck Royal (born October 10, 1961 in Greensboro, North Carolina) is an American musician, trombonist, composer, writer, founder of the "New York Jazz Film Festival", a judge on America's Hot Musician. and artistic director of the American Youth Symphony (AYS) in Washington, D.C.

Royal is the son of biochemist and microbiologist husband and wife team Gladys W. Royal and George C. Royal, and grew up in Washington, DC. His brother Christopher Royal is also a jazz musician. Gregory received training on the trombone in the DC Youth Orchestra Program. Royal also studied at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

As a student at Howard University, he received the 1982 Downbeat Magazine Student Music Award for Jazz Vocal Group: Graduate College Outstanding Performance in the Jazz Instrumental Soloist Category. He graduated from Howard University with a Master of Music in Jazz Studies.

As a 10th grader, Royal caught the attention of drummer Art Blakey during Blakey's appearance at Blues Alley in Washington, DC. Blakey invited Royal to live with him in the summer of 1978 at his 45th Street Manhattan apartment and join his band The Jazz Messengers. Royal's association with Blakey was an indoctrination in the New York jazz scene and led to important engagements with the Collective Black Artist's (CBA) Ensemble.

Royal played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1989–1999), Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers,Slide Hampton and his World of Trombones and Howard University Jazz Ensemble. He has appeared onstage as a trombonist with the Broadway shows Five Guys Named Moe and Jelly's Last Jam.

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