Oakland native Ambrose Akinmusire won the 2007 Thelonious Monk competition for trumpet with a panel of judges including among others Herbie Hancock, Herb Alpert, Terence Blanchard and Wayne Shorter. The 28 year-old Ambrose has performed with influential jazz musicians Steve Coleman, Walter Smith III, Vijay Iyer, Esperanza Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, and numerous others. Ambrose was signed to Blue Note records in 2010 and was named one of the Los Angeles Times’ “Faces to Watch” for 2011.

Ambrose Akinmusire- trumpet

Walter Smith III – tenor sax

Sam Harris- piano

Harish Raghavan- bass

Justin Brown- drums