Ambrose Akinmusire ft. Bill Frisell & Herlin Riley: ‘Owl Song’

All-star trio between jazz, chamber music and hip-hop

When trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire puts a band together, it's always a hit. His new all-star ensemble includes guitarist Bill Frisell and grooving New Orleans drummer Herlin Riley. They present music dubbed Owl Song.

The members of this scintillating project usually move in different circles. But Akinmusire doesn't care. He creates his own circles of sound. Always reaching for new horizons, building an organic vision that can draw from straight-ahead jazz, the avant-garde, classical chamber music or hip-hop.

Over the years, Akinmusire has collaborated with rappers such as Kendrick Lamar (on To Pimp a Butterfly), as well as San Francisco Symphony violinist Helen Kim. The sound of his trumpet is "elusive ruby-red and urgent," according to The New York Times. 'More than almost any other contemporary improviser, Akinmusire has invented a way of composing apart from jazz's stickiest conventions.'

Ambrose Akinmusire ft. Bill Frisell & Herlin Riley: 'Owl Song'
Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Bill Frisell (guitar), Herlin Riley (drums)