Ambrose Akinmusire

Described by NPR Music as “one of the most acclaimed jazz artists of his generation, a trumpeter of deep expressive resources and a composer of kaleidoscopic vision,” Ambrose Akinmusire has made a home at the crossroads of different musical forms and languages, from post-bop and avant-garde jazz to contemporary chamber music and hip-hop to singer-songwriter aesthetics. His 2018 release Origami Harvest features rapper Kool A.D. with the Mivos String Quartet and was named a top album of the year by The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Los Angeles Times and more.

The Oakland, California native and Blue Note recording artist has made consistently adventurous, enduring music with a committed band of dear friends: pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Justin Brown, whose unforgettable chemistry is captured on the 2017 double album A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard (“amazingly effective” – DownBeat). The quartet reaches new heights with their GRAMMY-nominated 2020 release on the tender spot of every calloused moment, featuring liner notes by the great Archie Shepp. On these and other releases, Akinmusire aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time and change the standard. While committed to the lineage of black invention and innovation, he is able to honor tradition without being stifled by it.