Ambrose Olusiji Akinmusire ( born May 1, 1982) is an American avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer.

Biography Born and raised in Oakland, California, Akinmusire was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, where he caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman, who was visiting the school to lead a workshop. Coleman hired him as a member of his Five Elements band for a European tour. Akinmusire was also a member of the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Akinmusire studied at the Manhattan School of Music before returning to the West Coast to take a master's degree at the University of Southern California and attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (now the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz) in Los Angeles.

In 2007, Akinmusire won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, two of the most prestigious jazz competitions in the world. The same year, he released his debut recording, Prelude... to Cora, on the Fresh Sound New Talent label. He moved back to New York City and began performing with Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding, and Jason Moran, taking part in Moran's innovative multimedia concert event, In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, 1957. It was also during this time that he caught the attention of Bruce Lundvall, then president of Blue Note Records.

Akinmusire made his debut on the Blue Note label in 2011 with the album When the Heart Emerges Glistening, featuring his quintet of tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Justin Brown. Akinmusire's third album, entitled The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint, was released in 2014. His album Origami Harvest was included in The New York Times Best Jazz of 2018. His sixth studio album, On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment, again with his quartet of longtime bandmates – Sam Harris (piano), Harish Raghavan (bass), and Justin Brown (drums) – was released in spring 2020 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

Akinmusire is featured on the last track of Kendrick Lamar's 2015 release To Pimp a Butterfly.

He has received awards including the 2014 North Sea Jazz Festival's Paul Acket Award and both the Doris Duke Artist and Doris Duke Impact Awards; recognition in the DownBeat Critics' Poll has included Jazz Artist of the Year (2011) and winning the trumpet category every year from 2013 to 2020.

In the 2026 Grammy Awards, he received a nomination for the album Honey from a Winter Stone in the Best Alternative Jazz Album category.

On August 20, 2026, Akinmusire performed at London's Royal Albert Hall, in the BBC Proms for the Miles Davis Centenary, with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Miho Hazama.

Selected discography

As leader

YearTitleLabelPersonnel2008Prelude... to CoraFresh SoundAmbrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Aaron Parks (piano), Chris Dingman, Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone), Joe Sanders (bass), Justin Brown (drums), Logan Richardson (alto saxophone), Junko Watanabe (vocals)2011When the Heart Emerges Glistening Blue Note / EMI RecordsAmbrose Akinmusire (trumpet, celeste, voice), Smith (tenor saxophone), Gerald Clayton (piano), Jason Moran (Rhodes), Harish Raghavan (bass), Justin Brown (drums)2014The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to PaintBlue Note / Capitol / Universal RecordsAkinmusire (trumpet, percussion), Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone), Harish Raghavan (bass), Justin Brown (drums), Sam Harris (mellotron, piano), Charles Altura (guitar), Theo Bleckmann (vocals), Cold Specks (vocals), Becca Stevens (vocals), Elena Pinderhughes (flute) and OSSO String Quartet: Maria Im (violin), Brooke Quiggins Saulnier (violin), Kallie Ciechomski (viola), Maria Jeffers (cello)2017A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard (2CDs) Blue Note / Capitol / Universal RecordsAmbrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Sam Harris (piano), Harish Raghavan (bass), Justin Brown (drums)2018Origami HarvestBlue Note / Capitol / Universal RecordsAmbrose Akinmusire (trumpet, synthesizer, voice), Kool A.D. (vocals), LmbrJck_t (vocals), Sam Harris (piano, keyboards), Michael Aaberg (keyboards), Marcus Gilmore (drums), Olivia De Prato (violin), Lauren Cauley Kalal (violin), Victor Lowrie Tafoya (viola), Mariel Roberts (cello), Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone)2020On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused MomentBlue NoteAmbrose Akinmusire (trumpet, Rhodes), Sam Harris (piano), Harish Raghavan (bass), Justin Brown (drums) 2023Beauty Is EnoughOrigami Harvest Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet)Owl SongNonesuch RecordsAmbrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Bill Frisell (guitar), Herlin Riley (drums) 2025Honey from a Winter StoneNonesuch RecordsAmbrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Kokayi (vocals), Sam Harris (piano), Chiquita (synthesizer), Justin Brown (drums), Mivos Quartet: Olivia Deprato (violin), Maya Bennardo (violin), Victor Lowrie Tafoya (viola), Tyler Borden (cello)

Collaborations

YearArtistTitleLabel2026Ambrose Akinmusire & Mary HalvorsonSlo-Mo Neon Luminate HoveringsNonesuch Records

As sideman

YearArtistTitleLabel2001Steve ColemanResistance Is FutileLabel Bleu2002Aaron ParksShadowsKeynote2003Vijay Iyer & Mike LaddIn What Language?Pi Recordings2006Walter Smith III Casually IntroducingNew Talent Spain 2007Alan PasquaAnti Social ClubCryptogramophone2007Sara GazarekReturn to YouNative Language2007Josh Roseman New Constellations: Live in ViennaAccurate 2008John EscreetConsequencesPosi-Tone2008Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Heads Up2008Danny GrissettFormCriss Cross Jazz2009Le Boeuf Brothers House Without a Door lbjazz 2009Roy Hargrove Big Band EmergenceEmArcy2010John Escreet Don't Fight the Inevitable Mythology 2010Walter Smith IIIIIICriss Cross Jazz2010David BinneyBarefooted TownCriss Cross Jazz2011David Binney Graylen Epicenter Mythology2011Vince Mendoza Nights on Earth Horizontal Jazz2011Chris DingmanWaking DreamsBetween Worlds2012Mette JuulMoon on my Shoulder2012Jack DeJohnette Sound Travels Golden Beams / eOne2013Dayna StephensThat Nepenthentic Place Sunnyside2013Gerald Clayton Life ForumConcord Jazz2013Yellowjackets A Rise in the Road Mack Avenue2015Marcus MillerAfrodeeziaBlue Note2016Wolfgang MuthspielRising GraceECM2017Blue Note All-StarsOur Point of ViewBlue Note2018Camilla BattagliaEMIT: Rotator TenetDodicilune2018Allison Miller & Carmen StaafScience FairSunnyside2018Roscoe Mitchell QuartetCome and See What There Is to SeeThe Lab2018Laila BialiLaila BialiACT2018Raymond AngryOneJMI2018Mary HalvorsonCode GirlFirehouse 122018Wolfgang MuthspielWhere the River GoesECM2019Brad MehldauFinding GabrielNonesuch2023Dhafer YoussefStreet of MinaretsBeat Back Edition2023Billy ChildsThe Winds of ChangeMack Avenue

References

External links

Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition – via Internet Archive