Ambrose Akinmusire

Recognized by the jazz community for his vertuosic technique, Ambrose Akinmusire is a trumpeter whose breakthrough came in 2007, when he won two of the most prestigious jazz competitions -- the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition. His 2011 release, When the Heart Emerges Glistening, received critical acclaim for its straight-forward but mysterious instrumentation that leaves out the predictable mainstream aspects of jazz music. The record features Akinmusire's jazz standard "What's New?"-- a track that has been praised for its startling clarity and vision. The Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, composed of Akinmusire's long-time friends and collaborators, has slowly earned recognition from coast to coast in the US for its tender instrumental interplay and commanding solos.