Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet at Williams Center for the Arts

About

The New York Times places Ambrose Akinmusire among post-bop’s “preternatural trumpet virtuosos” (think Wynton Marsalis, Lee Morgan), noting, “His sound is exacting, with a cutting attack offset by a smoky tone. As an improviser he strives for the unexpected, hurtling through precarious intervals.” Winner of the 2007 Monk International Jazz Competition, Akinmusire now leads a smoldering quartet with Sam Harris (piano), Harish Raghavan (bass), and Joel M. Ross (vibes), and Tyshawn Sorey (drums). Together, they forge an atmospheric alloy that entrances audiences.