Biography
During his career, Ambrose Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and the periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip hop circles. He’s on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching.
He has proven himself an artist of rare ability and wide-ranging aesthetic interests on his Blue Note albums When the Heart Emerges Glistening (2011), the imagined savior is far easier to paint (2014), A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard (2017), and Origami Harvest (2018). With on the tender spot of every calloused moment (2020), Akinmusire reaches a new pinnacle with his quartet of longtime bandmates – Sam Harris (piano), Harish Raghavan (bass), and Justin Brown (drums) – on an album of gorgeous, shape-shifting art that is a study of the blues in a contemporary context.
His unorthodox approach to sound and composition make him a regular on critics polls and have earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center, and the Monterey Jazz Festival, amongst others. While Akinmusire continues to garner accolades, his reach is always beyond—himself, his instrument, genre, form, preconceived notions, and anything else imposing limitations.
Motivated primarily by the spiritual and practical value of art, Akinmusire wants to remove the wall of erudition surrounding his music. He aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time, and change the standard. While committed to continuing the lineage of black invention and innovation, he manages to honor tradition without being stifled by it.
Releases
on the tender spot of every calloused moment - Ambrose Akinmusire
Origami Harvest - Ambrose Akinmusire
Our Point Of View - Blue Note All-Stars
A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard - Ambrose Akinmusire
the imagined savior is far easier to paint - Ambrose Akinmusire
When The Heart Emerges Glistening - Ambrose Akinmusire
Videos
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE “ORIGAMI HARVEST”
BLUE NOTE ALL-STARS “CYCLING THROUGH REALITY”
Blue Note Records 75th Anniversary Presents: Our Point of View
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE “THE IMAGINED SAVIOR IS FAR EASIER TO PAINT” (ALBUM TRAILER)
SPOTLIGHT
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Ambrose Akinmusire “on the tender spot of every calloused moment”
The first note you hear on Ambrose Akinmusire’s fifth studio album on the tender spot of every calloused moment is his own—a somber yet vibrant tone that conveys jazz and the blues in equal measure. In years past, this wouldn’t be the case; Akinmusire is a bandleader who foregrounds collective improvisation. So to hear him take the lead on “Tide of Hyacinth” is a bold leap: Akinmusire... read more
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE: ORIGAMI HARVEST
Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire's fourth studio album began with a challenge of sorts. It was a commission from curators Judd Greenstein of Manhattan’s Ecstatic Music Festival and Kate Nordstrum of St. Paul's Liquid Music Series that began with Greenstein asking, “What's the craziest idea you have?” Considering “challenge” and “crazy” are the order of the day, Akinmusire's... read more
BLUE NOTE ALL-STARS POINT FORWARD ON “OUR POINT OF VIEW”
Jazz as an art form is a lifelong work in progress. While in some camps the music of past masters represents the genre’s heralded Golden Age, others disagree, noting that there are artists in the present day with fresh original voices and their own point of view who are forging ahead with their imaginative visions for where the music is excitedly heading. Certainly steeped in the tradition,... read more
Ambrose Akinmusire Broadens His Palette
Ambrose Akinmusire, “a thrilling young trumpeter and astute bandleader [with a] unique spark in his playing” (The New Yorker), brings his artistic vision to the next level with the imagined savior is far easier to paint, his second release for Blue Note Records. The album follows his acclaimed major label debut When the Heart Emerges Glistening, which New York Times critic Nate Chinen named... read more
News
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CONGRATS GRAMMY NOMINEES: GERALD CLAYTON, AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE, GREGORY PORTER, NORAH JONES & MAVIS STAPLES
Congratulations to all our Blue Note nominees for the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards! Best Jazz Instrumental Album on the tender spot of every calloused moment - Ambrose Akinmusire Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard - Gerald Clayton Best Improvised Jazz Solo “Celia” - Gerald Clayton (soloist)... read more
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE: NEW ALBUM “ON THE TENDER SPOT OF EVERY CALLOUSED MOMENT” OUT 6/5
On June 5, trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire will release on the tender spot of every calloused moment, an arresting new quartet album which presents 11 new original compositions featuring his long-time bandmates pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Justin Brown. The album—his fifth for... read more
“BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES” GETS SEPT. 6 DVD/BLU-RAY RELEASE + MORE U.S. THEATRICAL OPENINGS
Following acclaimed theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles, Mira Film and Eagle Vision have announced a September 6th DVD, Blu-ray, and digital release for the award-winning documentary Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes – directed by Sophie Huber. The feature documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival... read more
“BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES” SET FOR THEATRICAL OPENINGS IN NY (6/14) & LA (6/28)
Mira Film and Eagle Rock Entertainment have announced the start of the US theatrical rollout for the award-winning documentary Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes – directed by Sophie Huber. The feature documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018, has played at over 50 international film festivals,... read more
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE’S DARING NEW ALBUM “ORIGAMI HARVEST” OUT OCT. 12
Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire's fourth studio album Origami Harvest—which will be released October 12 on Blue Note—began with a challenge of sorts. It was a commission from curators Judd Greenstein of Manhattan’s Ecstatic Music Festival and Kate Nordstrum of St. Paul's Liquid Music Series that began... read more
Live Dates
Jan 30
Ambrose Akinmusire
Auditorium Jean-Pierre Miquel, Vincennes France
May 26
Ambrose Akinmusire
Teatro Lara, Madrid Spain
Jul 11
Ambrose Akinmusire
Le Trianon, Paris France
